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The obvious road to take would be to look at players whose music you enjoy, styles you like, and look at which system they play. When a pattern emerges, it may point to an answer to your question.

I'm an ITM concertina player who is considering giving the button accordion a try. But unlike Concertina where C/G is clearly the default tuning for ITM, Irish button boxes come in two common flavors: B/C and C#/D. There's plenty that's been written about the stylistic difference and relative merits of each of these tunings, but after researching it, I'm no closer to deciding which one I want to try. "Both" is not the option I want to pursue! So I'm asking my fellow concertina enthusiasts their thoughts on the subject, hoping someone here has gone down this path before me. Here's what I know so far. The most succinct description of the practical difference between B/C and C#/D boxes I've heard is that the former requires more use of the buttons and the second more use of the bellows. Or, as it's put on McNeela's Buyer's Guide, "The quick and simplified answer is that on a traditional B/C button accordion you’ll move your fingers more, but the bellows less. On a C#/D accordion you’ll move your fingers less, but the bellows more." Of course this difference leads to a different feel, and even different phrasing, to the music. Common wisdom seems to lean toward B/C as favored, since it's been used by more players historically and almost all instructional material assumes this tuning. But the one box player semi-local to me that I know of prefers C#/D, and there seems to be a trend where C#/D is in ascendance. I'm not too worried about tutors and such. The other advice is to listen to players of each type to see if you prefer the sound of one tuning over the other. Maybe I'm just easy to please, but when played well, they both sound fantastic to me. As a C/G Anglo concertina player, I'm not intimidated by constant bellows direction changes. I'm also not one who thinks "along the rows" when it comes to playing concertina, so the shared "C" row of a B/C box and C/G concertina isn't a big factor for me. I'm in no rush, and I'm looking for a reasonably good deal on a high quality used instrument. Though C#/D instruments do seem harder to come by, I don't mind waiting for the right one to pop up. Hoping some of you have experience and insights on this question that you're willing to share with me. Thanks!! Jack

If you look under the ignored username, there should be a list of content types that are blocked (posts, messages, signature, and/or mentions). You can also click the gear icon under their name to adjust this setting. So the answer to your question is "it depends". I just checked, and it does work correctly for me, at least for posts.

I do wonder what 'ignoring' actually does. I checked the feature yesterday and, to my surprise, found I have one user on my ignore list. I can still see this user's posts so I wonder does it block private messages but not posts or does it effectively do nothing at all?

I played the B/C button accordion before the concertina. I decided then to dispense with the accordion altogether, particularly as the notes F# and C# were generally in the opposite directions on the concertina. I decided that the benefits to re-learning how to control the bellows from the right hand side outweighed the effort and so I stuck with operating the bellows from the left hand side. There is an incredible, innate kind of co-operation that goes on between the left "bellows" hand and the right hand side air button. It is a bit like playing the tin whistle with the tips of your fingers, where, ordinarily, there should be more sensitivity, and using the flats of your fingers to play the chanter on the uilleann pipes. You just simply get used to it.

Maybe it was a gimmick: a way of showing it was genuine. Fake goods are common today. Maybe it was just their way of doing it, like the modern logo for the band Nine Inch Nails. Maybe it was like the grocer's apostrophe: a mistake so common as to be almost an accepted usage. There is no doubt it is an N whichever orientation it is in. Maybe the accepted definition of an N was based on the shape rather than the "handedness" of the symbol. I suspect it was the "deliberate mistake" to prove authenticity.

It seems rather unkind to do that anyway; I would say ( but just my thought,). I hope I haven't become one to be 'ignired' having dared to say that! Sorry!🌝🌝

Go for the method that suits YOU best of all; and do not get too concerned over how others may approach the subject of holding concertinas... There's never one particular way of doing this; just numerous techniques developed over time by each individual musician.

Thank you for your instruction. It does appear that the top 3 columns except the 4th column have the wrong button color. It may have been restored by someone who is not familiar with layout.

If this is a four-column chromatic system (4CC) then the left hand makes perfect sense but the right hand seems to have a couple of buttons in the wrong place. For example the red C button should be one row higher, at the top of the column.

I tried right side on right leg for a while, too. Worked OK, and after a bit I was surprised that I could switch to the other side without it being a complete disaster. But when I began to stick to left side on left leg it really helped with making things feel more solid/anchored, especially that pesky F#, or the low notes. Watching a lot of videos I see varying degrees of movement on the left side. Noel indeed doesn't seem to move it around much, although as leaky as his instruments are a bit seems to happen no matter what he wants. Mairéad Hurley looks like she keeps things rock solid, too. But Brenda Castle or Micheál Ó Raghallaigh seem to be shoving it around a bit. Maybe it's just those "thump" rolls, or whatever they're called.

Don, you are absolutely right I do have to try an EC before moving forward on this, also to try the existent layout. Interesting, I didn't know this regarding chords, yeah I think ultimately I have to play the instrument to understand this and many other things I am sure I am overlooking. Yeah, I have followed Alex Holden's website/blog for some time and it's amazing each and all the instruments, also his experiments with bi-directional reeds were very interesting to read; lot's of things to consider. Thank you Don!

Beginning to sound like that old song hokey cokey cokey.. "Put your left foot in - you right foot out, in and out in and out, shake it all about'...!😄😄😄😄

I don't anchor on anything but hold it free between the two hands. I actually watched what I did last night and both end move by about the same amount, with the centre of the bellows near static.

A slight tangent, but related to this discussion. I have been playing my 20 button piccolo Anglo a lot recently, not because of the high register, but because it is so small and portable. I recently lost my father andI have been thinking of spending part of his bequest on a concertina. I was looking at the Marcus Traveller which is piccolo-sized, but in the standard pitch range. However, they only make them in CG and I would be looking for GD. My search extended to "miniature Anglo concertina" and I found 2 very nice-looking models with 10 buttons (1 row, 1 major key). I am aware of how much can be played on single row (harmonica was my first instrument) but I quickly realised how important the cross row fingering and alternative chords are to my style of playing. Whilst I can translate most of my repertoire from 30 button to 20 button with only a few compromises, translating it to 10 button and playing solely along the one row available would be a very much bigger compromise. It would allow more versatile accompaniment options than a harmonica, but would be fundamentally different from a 20 b Anglo. This reinforces my feeling that the heart and soul of the Anglo is the 2 core rows a 5th apart.

I think the answer is that you play the style you are comfortable with. I am right handed so I chose left knee. Al

When you first started playing, what lead you to this choice of anchoring? It is interesting how there are many solutions to the same set of challenges on the Anglo.

There is a small supply of brand new Morse Céilí anglos for sale. These are the last instruments we will make from the remaining materials and components we have available: - We have 1 G/D, with Wheatstone layout and 6-fold bellows - We have a few C/G's, in both Wheatstone and Jeffries layouts, all with 6-fold bellows - price is US$2,825.00, including a fitted hard case. Sorry - no baritone, English or duet models. Please contact me directly if you are interested. -- Doug

Now that's interesting about the melodica/harmonica reeds. I'm actually more worried the reeds than the wood in my current Marcus. The metal ends appear to be stainless (or they have some plating that could probably be renewed if needed), and the wood doesn't appear to be any fancy hardwood, and there's a a reasonable amount of criss-cross grain patterning that should make it resilient to humidity. But the reeds are, as far as I know, normal spring steel accordion reeds. Maybe the correct solution is when and if I have trouble with reed corrosion, to see if I can replace them with harmonica or melodica reeds.

Edward’s concertinas are printed in PLA, which will degrade in high humidity conditions. However, you might as him to print you one in PETg or other similar filament. The problem will be with the action, as Ed relies on carbon fiber infused PLA durability for all moving parts, which is still susceptible to humidity as all PLA filaments. So it would have to be a custom job. Ed also has experience with melodica/harmonica reeds, which are made from corrosion resistant steel, but this pushes customisation even further, as they are single reeds, not double.

I play "right side anchor" and it is no hindrance to me whatsoever.

Very nice! It's always interesting to see one because they never seem to have caught on and they're very rare. One of my two (Miss Elphinstone's according to the ledger) actually got converted to English system later in its existence, with the notes rearranged and finger rests added

That's the one I was looking for when I posted earlier. I've bookmarked it so I don't lose it (again!). Thanks!

Yes, I'd very much like one and am certainly willing to re-imburse you for pstage, etc. I'll PM you. Thanks. -- Joe Bartl

I had several copies of Ralph Jordan's Eloise CD that he gave me towards the end of its sale run. His idea was that I might come across someone who might like it. I have just checked and can see I still have two new copies on the shelf so, if anyone is really stuck to find it I am happy to post one , gratuit.