Search the Community

Here’s my latest adventures on the 20button. It’s back from its visit to the doctors, hale and hearty and raring to go And this one is a bit different in that it is accompanied by a poetry reading, inspired by tree folklore and a tale from Welsh and Irish legend. But mostly because it just wanted to play this tune after coming back! Having fun exploring the Lydian mode i.e. C major scale with an added Fsharp (made for this instrument!) and playing with a drone accompaniment amongst other harmonic treatments - and coming up with an introductory bit, for a change It would be lovely to connect on YouTube - always like to follow what fellow Anglo enthusiasts are up to so please do drop by and say hello My channel is here: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCyfaF1wA2EZagdS7E8i3ixw

For those of you who attend the Saturday evening sing at Northeast Squeeze-In, in addition to the abundance of spirits available, it is a rare delight to hear and watch Lynn and Tony Hughes display their sense of humor and amazing musical performing skills. The next Wednesdays @ 1 Live Music Cafe Performance gives everyone a chance to have that same experience. You'll have to supply your own drink, though. Not to be missed. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wednesdays-1-lynn-tony-hughes-a-mix-of-folk-celtic-and-originals-tickets-142629746411?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch

Some pretty amazing composing and playing! Gary

I’m very excited to announce a brand-new 155-page book by Adrian Brown that features 44 tunes from the 16th to 18th centuries, all arranged in full harmonic style with standard musical notation for the melody, chord symbols, informative and historical notes on the tunes, plus easy tablature for 30-button Anglo concertinas with Jeffries AND Wheatstone/Lachenal accidentals. Yes, with this book you get two-for-one. Adrian plays a 38-button Jeffries, but since the Wheatstone/Lachenal system is much more common we decided that with a little minor tweaking here and there we could accommodate both. This is perhaps the first book to include music for both Anglo accidental systems. Regardless of which system you play, you’ll find these tunes vary from moderately difficult to really difficult. Definitely not beginner material! But the really good news is every tune comes with a scannable QR code that links directly to a very professional YouTube video of Adrian playing the tune from several different angles. The dots on the page are only part of the equation – once you hear Adrian’s musicality you’ll see how much more expression you can add to make some absolutely beautiful music. And on a purely personal note, I must say it has been an absolute pleasure working with Adrian on this project. In spite being half a world apart (12-hour time differential) and the millions of back and forth emails and trial proofs. And not to forget the frustratingly scrutinous proofreading making sure the arrangements successfully made the transition from Adrian’s 38-button Jeffries to being playable on both 30-button Jeffries and Wheatstone/Lachenal instruments. Totally worthwhile, and a final product I think you all will really enjoy and get a lot out of. It’s now available online through Amazon worldwide, and I’ll bet we can talk the Button Box and a few other retail outlets into carrying it too. Attached is the Table of Contents for "A Garden of Dainty Delights". It has a QR code that will link you to the full YouTube playlist, and each song in the notes also includes individual QR codes links to videos of every tune. Once I figure out how to make more upload room here on cnet (maxed out right now) I'll post an example tune for both systems. A hearty congratulations to Adrian for creating such a fine book of wonderful tunes and "difficult" delights! Gary TOC-GardenOfDaintyDelights.pdf

Hello everyone! I hope here is a good place to put this - if not, let me know! I've been on the anglo concertina Facebook page for a while and have now discovered this forum. If I have videos to share, where is the best place to post them, please? I took up anglo concertina back last April, at the height of lockdown and it's really been my go-to instrument ever since. I have been a musician pretty much all my life and I found the impossibility of getting together with band mates or having gigs and (the worst) not being able to jam, improvise and work on material with others, live, in person and in the moment, really hard. As a result, I strangely went off singing and playing anything I had been playing with others. Luckily I'm getting some enthusiasm for those things back now somewhat - and I hope it will continue. Also, on the upside, I'm writing lots and getting round to arranging music to perform all on my own. I really havent gone for Zoom or similar at all, for some reason, although I realise it has been a godsend for some - possibly because I love playing with others live. That said, collaborative videos have been a wonderful thing. Anyway, I have found, right from the very start, that picking up my 20 button Lachenal has ended up with new tunes coming out of it. I've recently started videoing them (as well as producing sheet music) I love the harmonic way of playing, but also really like picking up tips from other styles, too - after all, it depends on the piece and what feel it has! I really enjoy working with different ways of arranging a melody such that it results in (hopefully) lots of nice variety! Here's one of my recent tunes:

Hey there, I'm a musician who's been playing a concertina for 5 years. My 30 button is a not so expensive but decent concertina. After this time i feel like an ungrade is due. As i have larger hands i always dreamed of a bigger concertina, in size and more buttons. Something my hands can be comfortable with. So i messaged Steve Dickenson and after explaining my wants he suggested that an 7 1/4 might be more to my liking. And it has 50 buttons which i would be delighted to have. As i play folk music with people who have a preference for f sharp major and all other keys that the 30 can obviously do but just lacks the bass for when I'm comping. So with these buttons im hoping to have a bass note for each chord and pump up my mids and highs aswell. That's why I'm here, for choosing the placement of the notes. Can anyone please help me with this? Ive done out many diagrams already but I immagine that someone on this sight knows how to help me. I'm trying to keep my current c/g and just add around that to make it even more comfortable in different keys with melodies and chords. Send me an email and I'll send images of the instrument that has been proposed. Thank you

Lachenal Anglo 32 button Concertina C/G For sale, all original parts, needs some restoration work done, still working fine. sensible offers please

Hello, I'm looking for information/experience with certain make of concertina. I'm looking at this website: https://www.fabbricaconcertine.com/eng/catalogs-concertine.html I'm interested in finding out more about the W-15 LN model listed under Diatonic Concertine with 30 Keys. I think they may be known as the Stagi W-15 LN. It looks like they are made to order, but they don't list any price estimates. Does anyone know how much one might expect to pay for this model new, from this seller? (Sorry that I'm not yet very familiar with the brand's history, maker, etc.) Context if you're curious: I'm relatively new to concertina, and hoping to upgrade from a cheap 20b Amazon one that is pretty flimsy and shrill to a nicer one that will last, if I can manage it with my budget. So far I like to play harmonic music, and I'm trying to find a 30b Anglo C/G concertina. I'm willing to buy used, but for now I need to decide what make of concertina would best suit my criteria.

Quality Anglo Concertina (C/G), 51 metal buttons, metal ends and modern hard case. I acquired this to have it serviced and get it back to top flight condition, but alas I have too many projects on the go and also need to thin my collection. No makers name badge showing that I can see. A concertina player I know opened it for me and said it has steel reeds, riveted action, 7 fold (airtight) bellows, 160mm across ends. Needs a service (valves/bush service and small repair to veneer etc). I asked him to take a photo of the insides while he had the ends off – see attached. This instrument needs a bit of work but should be a real beauty when finished. I am happy to send more photos if you PM me, I could only upload one. I am asking £2,500 GBP and I am happy to make a donation to this site if successful.

I have been playing a button accordeon previously and recently purchased an old (made in Germany East) Stagi. anglo, it has been a starter but you certainly get what you pay for ! Concertinas are pretty hard to find in Australia, so I have no chance to go into a music store and try different instruments, concertinas rarely coming up for sale on the net., so I'm looking to import a good quality intermediate , such as a Clover, Minstrel, Swan etc. ????. I'm not only looking at new, I would be very pleased to find a pre-owned instrument. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Recorded July 9, 2020, a one-hour Zoom based concert from Ireland. Excellent opportunity to enjoy Brenda playing in an intimate setting. Click this link

Wheatstone 30 key Anglo CG Metal ends Metal buttons 6 fold bellows Serial No. 58057 Hard case Playable but will need some TLC to bring it up to professional standard. Photos and video on request. Sensible offers considered.

Classic Lachenal c/g anglo concertina w/ rosewood ends, bone buttons, 28 keys (with all the accidentals and repeat notes for irish or morris music), no cracks, new airtight bellows, seals and pads, new straps, no buzzing or out-of-tune notes and lightweight. Purchased from the Reed Lounge in the UK. Steel reeds... mellow tone but not at all quiet. Includes padded bag. $1550 (no lowball offers please). This is an excellent, highly playable instrument for a beginning/intermediate musician. Will only ship within the US.

Greetings all, I am hoping to gain advice on which tutor book to purchase. I'm sure this has been enquired about multiple times before, but thought it was worth asking considering my specific experience and wants. For some background, I have wanted to learn the concertina since I was 17, (but opted for a electric guitar for my 18th birthday instead, I was a fool), and have now finally ordered a 30 button anglo. I have general music knowledge and experience playing folk music in an English session (on tin whistle) in Brighton where I live. I also finally learned to read music over the last year. My interest lies in English folk music and morris music, as well as in shanties, Finnish folk tunes, and in adapting other songs for the instrument. I've also done some research already, and as such I think learning the harmonic style will match my goals as a musician. I can play whistle, ukulele, guitar, as well as some harmonica, and very basic piano, so I think this puts me in good stead for learning a new instrument. Ideally I need a resource that will get chords, scales, and some tunes under my fingers, so i can look at the dots in my session's tunebook and pick up playing them with some ease, and also by ear - like i can with the whistle...not sight reading (yet), but able to pick them up easily after some practice without having to break it down to every part, bar, beat, sub-division. I am considering Gary Coover's books, as they have good reviews and recommendations, but do not know whether to buy 'Anglo Concertina in the Harmonic Style', or 'Easy Anglo 1-2-3: A Beginner's Guide to the Anglo Concertina', I worry the latter will prove too basic, but also that the former will prove too much too quick...When i have improved, I will surely buy his other books; I appreciate the songs being available on youtube, and when I listen to them, I think "that's what I want to sound like". Also, if there is an alternative available in the UK or as an e-book specifically for this style of playing, I'd be interested to know about it also. I found some PDFs of tutor books from the end of the 19th/ start of the 20th centuries ( 'Tutor for the Chromatic Anglo Concertina' by George Jones c.1946, and 'Howe's Eclectic School for the Concertina' by Elias Howe, c.1880) but I do not know if they will be worth looking at because of thier age and their seemingly steep learning curve (they may have been intended to be used in conjuction with formal lessons) Best wishes

OK, so I just became the proud parent (servant?) of a Hohner 20-button C/G concertina. I want to play pirate songs and Irish session tunes. Ordered Gary Coover's books on Amazon. Any other advice for the beginning player? I play stringed instruments mostly, with a bit of drum and other miscellaneous, but mostly I'm a singer. So I do have some musical experience, but the concertina mystifies me. Watched some YouTube videos where they basically said, "Yeah, these buttons seem to be arranged randomly, but I have no idea why." Any guidance appreciated.

Collected October 28 of 2013 I saw Bruce Thomson's video today and thought it might be of interest to the group and so decided to explore other recent YouTube additions to flesh out this posting. These are listed in the order found: Bruce Thomson - Knee straps experiment http://youtube.com/watch?v=a26xSS8VrP8 Katyusha - balalaika and concertina http://youtube.com/watch?v=8vSCBeibduI Comparison of Stagi and Chinese concertinas http://youtube.com/watch?v=nPDf4vWTRPU A New Player http://youtube.com/watch?v=RfYQ6S_3F7M http://youtube.com/watch?v=c-haW0l3jRY Oria Quirke with Draíocht Nua http://youtube.com/watch?v=Lw9pWSa3kow Yvonne Bolton and Alan Jordan at Custy's http://youtube.com/watch?v=eQF1PxGLdu8 After watching the Custy's video of Yvonne and Alan a second time I was motivated to further explore their YouTube offerings. I especially liked this one (placed on YouTube in September of this year) and decided to edit it into my posting here today. While clearly promotional for their CD, I think it's very well done: http://youtube.com/watch?v=cwjJ5C348no

Hi all! I'm a concertina beginner with a 20 button C/G anglo concertina. I can't sight read from regular, non-concertina sheet music (yet), and I really enjoy learning songs from the two concertina sheet music books I have. I'm starting to run out of songs that I like to play in them, so I figured I'd try to make some basic sheet music for myself. I can figure out simple melodies by fiddling around just fine, but when it comes to inventing chords, I find it hard to memorize them without sheet music to help me learn. For arranging, I downloaded Musescore and I'm getting hang of the program. I'm beginning with Alice in Wonderland (the main theme from the 1951 film). So far I just put in the basic melody, but next I want to figure out some left hand accompaniment. I thought if there's any other beginners that maybe just the melody would be helpful to them. Open the PDF (alice4concertina.pdf) if you just want the sheet music. I've also included the Midi file (alicemidi.mid) should you want it. Please let me know if you have any thoughts on it or recommendations! Hopefully I will have a more fleshed out version of it ready to post soon. alice4concertina.pdf alicemidi.mid

Hi, This Christmas, a friend’s dad gave me an old Lachenal 30-button Anglo that had been in his family for generations. Unfortunately it is in a pretty sorry state, but as an aspiring musical instrument restorer, I have decided to have a crack at mending it myself (with the help of our friend's tools and DT experience). It is a beautiful instrument, with hardwood ends and bone buttons, steel reeds and a 5-fold bellows. As the photos show, it is a bit dirty (nothing some good cleaning can’t handle) and has had the bellows poorly repaired in the past with what looks like plasters…? Inside, the left hand reeds are quite rusty, while the right hand ones seem alright. The buttons also seem to be popping out of their guide holes, so they have to be wiggled around a bit before you can press them down. It also has some writing inside, saying it was tuned by a Wooding of Newcastle-under-Lyme in 1897, and an address that is only legible in bits, but appears to say: (something something something) 170 (something) road Cliff Vale Stoke-on-Trent Dec (something)/96 The main problems will be de-rusting the reeds and patching up the bellows (which have got more than their fair share of holes in). If anybody out there has any ideas or advice they could give me, whether that’s on the history of the instrument or how to repair it, it would be greatly appreciated by both me and my friend’s family. Please find attatched some photos of the instrument. Thanks! Here is a video of the state of the bellows:

I am selling my D/G 30 button Norman/Gremlin anglo. It is on eBay at https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264555415337. Their are several photos there including one showing Andrew's signature and date. The instrument is in Wheatstone/Lachenal layout and has the Saxon design of end plate that Andrew still uses on his logo. Gremlin is stamped on both metal end plates, but only shows at one end as they are the same stamping flipped over for the two ends! Some of the sets of reeds for these concertinas were supplied by Hohner and some from Italy. As the instrument was sold to me by Oakwood as a "Romani" I suspect the latter could well be the case for this one. It has one different end bolt, which looks like a Lachenal original, for some reason. This is an accordion reeded instrument with the reeds in pairs in each chamber, see photos. I purchased this after my main instrument was stolen, happily recovered within a year. Since then it has seen occasional use when I wanted to use a lighter instrument, although I prefer the 40 button layout of my main instrument. There are velcro patches attached which are for use with Microvox microphones. I can report that the instrument works well with the sound channeled through guitar footpedals as well. A video of the concertina being played is viewable at , Liberty Bell by Sousa arranged and transposed for D/G Anglo by myself. There has been some discussion about these instruments here before that might give you more background to them. Robin Madge.

I am selling my 4-CD set, “300 Gems of Irish Music for All Instruments,” for only $4.99 USD. See https://greylarsen.com/shop/product/300-gems-recordings-mp3s-or-set-of-4-cds/. This price is good through January 6, 2020. All my Irish music books and most of my CDs are also heavily discounted. For all the info, go to: https://greylarsen.com/webstore/holiday-cd-book-sale/. This audio collection is a companion to my book “300 Gems of Irish Music for All Instruments.” (See https://greylarsen.com/shop/product/300-gems-of-irish-music-for-all-instruments/). All 300 tunes are notated in the book. Free excerpts are available as PDF downloads (at http://greylarsen.com/webstore/books/). Many of the transcriptions pay homage to recordings by great musicians and groups such as Matt Molloy, Martin Hayes, Sharon Shannon, Mary Bergin, Kevin Burke, James Kelly, Willie Clancy, Altan, the Bothy Band and the Mulcahy Family, as well as early 20th century recordings from revered masters Michael Coleman, Paddy Killoran, Dennis Murphy, Bobby Casey, Paddy Canny and others. The tunes are notated in a style that makes them equally accessible to players of fiddle, flute, whistle, accordion, concertina, harp, keyboard, guitar, mandolin, banjo, uilleann pipes – to all melody players. I play the tunes on Irish flute, tin whistle, and 49 of the tunes on my Wheatstone 12-sided anglo concertina from the 1930s. This is an excellent resource for repertoire building and makes a nice gift. Also, I designed the tune sequence such that good medleys result when you play consecutive tunes one after another. (At least I think so.) To buy only the 49 concertina tunes, go here: https://greylarsen.com/shop/product/49-concertina-tunes-from-300-gems-of-irish-music-for-all-instruments/. For $9.99, you can get the same collection as 300 downloadable mp3s, and save shipping costs. This costs less than getting the CDs if you are in Canada, Mexico or outside of North America. The mp3s can be found here: https://greylarsen.com/shop/product/300-gems-recordings-mp3s-or-set-of-4-cds/. The CD set is so inexpensive because I have piles of them on my shelves! Time to move them out into the world. I make no profit at this price, but I have the pleasure of spreading the music around. Most of my CDs are also on sale at 40% off. And all my books are reduced as well. See https://greylarsen.com/webstore/holiday-cd-book-sale/. Thank you for your attention, and happy holidays! - Grey

I have 2 G/D Anglo Concertinas for Sale: 1. Morse Ceili # 1284 (2015), Cherry body, Jeffries layout, excellent condition with original HSC. $1950 + shipping. 2. Frank Edgley #133, Black body, Metal ends, Wheatstone layout, Bright sound with fast action, very good condition with Fuselli soft case. $1700 + shipping. Photos available on request. Thanks, Joe Fallon

Hi I'm looking for a second-hand Edgley G/D Anglo in good condition. I would prefer to purchase from within the UK if possible

Hey all, I've been working on restoring an old Concertina I picked up at an antique shop, and one of the (many) problems I'm running into is what the button caps are made of, and how they were put together. I attached an image below, does anybody have any knowledge on this, or spares available I could pick up?

This concertina was purchased by Ken Shaw from Chris Timson, webmaster of concertina.info (?), in 2006. It had been renovated a couple of years prior by Chris Algar, who sold it to Chris Timson. Ken Shaw met Greg Jowaisas around 2012 at a festival in Texas and showed him the Lachenal. Greg told Ken it was the best model Lachenal made and agreed that he could make a better bellows. He replaced the bellows and straps with gorgeous dark green leather, did work on the pads, valves, and springs and tightened up the action and added bushings around the buttons. He also added the gold leaf decoration on the sides. In Ken’s words, “When it came back, the new bellows had improved everything! The buttons worked better and the tone had improved due to the tighter air plumbing. Noel Hill told me it was the best Lachenal he had seen!” No serial number is visible, but Ken told me it’s about 100 yrs old. It has a very sweet, warm, woodsy sound. There is some damage (and repair that can be seen from the inside) to the rosewood fretwork, but it seems solid. The bellows still needs to be “played in” (per my conversation with Greg Jowaisas), as Ken has not played it much in the last couple of years. There is a tiny screw missing in the middle of one face. I haven't played it much over the past few years, as I lucked into a Jeffries, which I have been playing almost exclusively. Price: $2500 + shipping, insurance, etc. I am in Pasadena, CA. Primrose Lass Lachenal - 9:25:19, 8.41 PM.mp3

Hi All your help is required, I have recently purchased a 20 button anglo, that was described as a lachenal and the style of the scroll work on the pictures did suggest that was the case. However opening her up and there is not the usual markings inside ( I have access to 3 other Lachenals, and comparing to concertina museum). No L or R on the reed pans or bellow frames, the serial number is 512 but not stamped in the usual style. The reeds are steel, and of the wheatstone/lachenal style. The lever arms are double/U pinned/stapled (forgot to photo them!). And after cleaning her up last night I couldn't see any makers mark. There is a small 'steel reeds' stamp on the side of one of the palm rests. Any guidance would be appreciated. I have my suspicions, but wont voice them yet, so as to not influence your opinions :)