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I recently tried to play the "organ" line for Telstar on the English Concertina. It starts with four major chords F# G G# A they are all easy enough to play individually, but moving between them is very tricky because there is (obviously) no note or backup position in common between successive chords, and i often get lost whilst moving up or down a semitone. I'm hoping to have 4 notes playing for each chord with the tonic at the top and bottom. Is there any hope at all for a smooth succession of chords? This got me started on trying to do what I probably should have done years ago, which is to practice chord scales. Most of the chords are not complicated but some are fiendish as part of a semitone scale including C# and G# (even though I have a choice of Ab or G#). Has anyone got any hints and tips on how not to get lost going up and down a semitone-scale ? Before I develop some very bad habits ? I havnt even started on minor chords yet.... Thank you Gail

If you don't ask, you won't receive... Wanted to purchase: Wheatstone Aeola 56 key, Tenor Treble English concertina, ebony ended (EE). TT, model 19, C to C, 31xxx serial number (1926 to 1928), clean inside, well taken care of, original leather case. Please message me and let me know what you have or message me (PM me) if you see or hear of one for sale. I will be more than happy to make a significant donation to concertina.net if my dream TT is found through this site. .

Beautiful 48 key English Wheatstone. I’ve owned it for almost 40 years but I don’t play this one anymore. Totally refurbished at The Button Box a few years ago. Asking $4500

https://schoolofmusicaltraditions.square.site/product/introduction-to-the-concertina-with-randy-stein-and-jim-besser/130

Thanks to help from people in this forum, I was able to locate and make contact with the owner of Concertine Italia. Last Thursday, I visited the factory and spent a couple of hours talking with the two women who make pretty much every part of their instruments, with the exception of the reeds and reed blocks. A lot of people helped me along the way. I'm especially thankful to my new friend Enrico, who thought a visit to a concertina factory would be a good adventure and offered to drive me there, and to serve as translator. I can speak a little Italian but quickly got lost in the specifics. The owner, Mrs. Simona, is an awesome person as is her only full time employee Rosalia. Together they make a range of instruments including an adorable tiny 18 button chromatic, and the Italian organetto. They say that their most popular model is the Hayden. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity. I think you will like these awesome makers as much as I do. You can find the video at

I am looking to purchase a 48 button Stagi English Baritone Concertina. Any help is greatly appreciated!

I am a beginner looking for a concertina not over $370. I know it's a far stretch, but I don't have much money to spend. I would like it to be English/Duet but it doesn't really matter which one it is out of these. Thanks so much!

Composed by James F. Hanley in 1917. Jim Besser - Baritone Anglo Concertina Randy Stein - English Concertina *originally performed in the Eastern North America Online Concertina Concert for World Concertina Day) https://youtu.be/hCSUlaf4DR4

Has anyone seen a "Dinkie" pictured on an Edeophone, it appears to be specially made to sit on top of the G & F buttons, the only thing I can think of is that it provides a drone. This is on a 56 button made about 1914

Very reluctant sale! Supreme example of a Wheatstone 22 series fully restored to new condition by Roy Whiteley (hardly played since). Brand new 7 fold leather bellows, raised nickel silver plated ends and buttons. Beautiful, strident, yet sweet tone…bags of ‘throw’. Very powerful instrument – excellent for all kinds of dance music, ensembles, song accompaniment etc; Comes with hard flight case - £4000.00. Please PM me if interested or leave questions as a comment to this post. Collect only or outdoor Covid-19 safe rendezvous.

Hi, We've got a a 48 button Lachenal brass-reeded English concertina with mahogany ends that we'd like to sell. These, of course, are not the world's greatest concertinas but they can get a person going. We had it fettled a bit a few years back by Colin Dipper as we wanted to lend it to a couple of people (like Anne's composition professor at university ). All notes play and are in tune (concert pitch) Four or five are a little bit buzzy but nothing excessive and should be readily sortable. As you'd expect with a brass reeded instrument it's not the lightest box to play by any means but it does have an undeniable sweetness of tone. We don't have a case for it, sorry, but it will be very well packed for posting. We'd like to get better than £300 plus postage for it if we can. Here are some photos: Cheers, Chris & Anne

a musical sign of life - a spontaneous live recording (first take) after having set up a decent audio recorder for my smartphone https://soundcloud.com/blue-eyed-sailor/kolomtanz-sailors-hornpipe as always, any comments are appreciated. edited to add: playing my model 24 Wheatstone EC here

Second hand Jackie, English concertina, suitable for beginners. 30 buttons. In excellent condition and includes tutor book and soft case. £290.

Hello, I’m looking for advice on what to purchase. I have a cheap 20 key anglo concertina, which I play from time to time, but I’ve played string instruments for a long time. For some time now, I’ve wanted a concertina with chromatics and to accompany singing. What are some recommendations for a first English concertina? I looked online at a 30 key baritone English concertina (“Jack”) from Concertina Connection. Would this be appropriate, given my situation? John

A beautiful 64-button extended tenor treble for sale. In very nice condition, bellows are original and very good. This one was made in January 1919, from the golden era. 6-fold bellows The instrument is tight and plays beautifully. Typically selling for 3700+ at the dealers. I am asking for 2900 pounds equivalent (C$5000). The instrument is in Toronto, Canada but will ship anywhere (shipping and insurance extra). Message me if interested.

I was looking at this video of Simon Thoumire: When he plays, his fingers seem to be moving horizontally along the 'columns' of buttons. Is this a special technique? Do you have to move the thumb straps for it?

Does anybody have experience with "standard bellows" vs. "wakker bellows" on an English Concertina? I know about the difference in theory but have no chance to try it out (in Germany it's hard to find concertinas). I got a special offer for an unused Rose with standard bellows. It is $800 less than what I would need to pay here for a Rose with wakker bellows. My budget is limited, so the reduced price is very welcome. But if the wakker bellows make such a tremendous difference I could also safe a bit longer... Any experience or recommendations? Thanks Jürgen

Beautiful tortoise shell 51 key Wheatstone aeola for sale. Just overhauled by the Button Box. Comes with original case. Smooth action, in tune, concert pitch, 6 fold bellows very tight. Serial Number 33234. Many inside photos upon request. Located north of Boston. david at davidcoffin dot com Will donate an appropriate amount to concertina.net.

I posted the text below elsewhere. However, I thought that it might attract further discussion by being posted on its own. It concerns the question of whether to finger consecutive notes on C# and F# on the English concertina using fingers 1 & 2 or 2 & 3 (two-finger rolls by Simon Thoumire's terminology ?). In a jig on the English moving across to the lower F# on the right, for example, the two-finger roll technique to play a triplet (three consecutive notes on the same button) implies using fingers 1 & 2 all the time, yet this requires one to travel quite some way across the finger board. I've given a sample. It's a decoration, of course, but one that I wish to conquer. When attempting this with fingers 2 & 3 it feels much weaker and slower. There are, in fact, four F# notes to negotiate in this, so there is the problem of how to ensure that one's fingers fall on the buttons in the correct order. Looking forward to suggestions as to how to overcome this difficulty.

Over several months I have read a number of threads advocating for Anglo or Duet or English concertinas with great interest. I had wondered after playing the EC for a year whether I ought to have chosen a different system. It has occurred to me recently that the chromatic nature of the English makes it ideal to play a wide range of keys and a broad range of music. Yes, I can play folk tunes in G and D easily. But when at Christmas the mandolin player of a group I played with wanted to play "Red Haired Boy" in A , well, no problem - I just made the adjustment. When I want to play in the mode of E minor and I want that raised 7th (D#), no problem - it's just a note away. When I decided to learn Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song" for fun this past month, no problem - the EC plays both diatonic lines in C and can move into the wonderful secondary harmonies that require Bb, Eb and Ab with no trouble. And now I'm learning a tango I found somewhere online: see attached file. Now I understand that there are tradeoffs. I can't "accompany myself" with as much facility as other systems seem to. But I am beginning to appreciate the EC is a remarkably flexible and adaptable instrument. Perhaps the lesson here is the journey of hard work to just begin to master an instrument is worth the time and patience required. I'm not there but I"m on the way. Your thoughts? Tango Argentin pdf.pdf

This could be added to the EC accompaniment thread - although my query is a bit more specific. When playing a three- or four-note chord do you a. play each note with one finger or b. play some notes with the joint of a finger (I am able to do this when notes are a fifth apart on one side or the other) and some notes with individual fingers? I imagine the responses will be pragmatic, as in, do whatever works. Nevertheless, I do wonder if there is an established technique that produces more consistent outcomes. When using a joint to play two notes with one finger, it sometimes takes my hand out of position in such a way that I have trouble getting back on the right buttons. Maybe like everything I just have to practice more. Any wisdom to shed on one technique versus another?

Well, it’s certainly not the amazing Jowaisas Christmas Pyramid, more like the Coover Autumnal Quadrangle, but I’m putting up for sale four concertinas that have been sitting around taking up space when they should be getting played instead. Wheatstone 30-button Anglo concertina #51362 in C/G - $1850 Metal buttons, metal ends, early 1950’s, dovetailed steel reeds (regular reeds, not crimped), tuned to concert pitch, 8-fold leather bellows, Wheatstone handstraps. Recently refurbished and retuned by Greg Jowaisas who thought the reeds were “better than average” for instruments of this period. This is the concertina featured on the cover of “Christmas Concertina”. Comes with the original black square case that has sexy crushed red velvet inside. Gremlin 30-button Anglo concertina in G/D - $950 Metal buttons, metal ends, accordion reeds, concert pitch, 6-fold airtight bellows, riveted action. An early hybrid concertina with accordion reeds built as a budget model by Gremlin in the early 1980’s and purchased a few years from Marien Lina. I had taller handrests made for it, but can also include the shorter original ones. Featured on the cover of “Anglo Concertina in the Harmonic Style” and “Easy Anglo 1-2-3”. This is the second G/D I’ve owned but I find I still never play in G/D, so time to find this one a new home. Comes with a black square case with built-in combination lock. Lachenal 20-button Anglo concertina #198455 in C/G - $650 Bone buttons, mahogany ends, dovetailed steel reeds, concert pitch, 5-fold original bellows still airtight, new handstraps, recently refurbished by Greg Jowaisas (“a good 20b from a late period in Lachenal's history”). Probably built in the 1920’s, and although a fairly inexpensive instrument at the time it has a nice tone, somewhat soft due to the leather baffles (which could be removed if desired). Featured on the cover of “Civil War Concertina” and “Easy Anglo 1-2-3”. I’ll even throw in a copy of “Civil War Concertina” since all the tunes in that book can be played on a 20-button instrument. Comes with a beat-up hexagonal wooden case that works ok but has definitely seen better days. Wheatstone 22-button “May Fair” English Concertina #1263 – $550 This is a very rare 22-button English concertina that would be ideal for song accompaniment. It’s a Wheatstone May Fair English concertina #1263 in close to mint condition, built sometime in the 1950’s. It has 22-buttons (10 on the left and 12 on the right), wooden ends, 6-fold airtight bellows, accordion-style reeds in concert pitch, and comes with its original Wheatstone tweed case which is also in near-new condition. Having only 22 buttons, it is fully chromatic from G' below middle C to e above high c, 1.5 octaves. That’s it. It does not have any notes above e in the upper octave, so it probably would not suit if you’re wanting to play lots of Irish tunes, but it would be ideal for accompanying singing. Good examples would be the playing of Louis Killen, Tony Rose and other singers of traditional songs. You can play Planxty Irwin or Carolan’s Draught (or the first part of King of the Fairies), but it’s much better for songs like Pleasant & Delightful or Blackwaterside. Every note plays well, the bass notes are strong and clear, and the bellows are incredibly airtight. It plays way much better than one would expect for a budget instrument, has really nice and very strong tone, and even has fancy little violin-style f-holes in the fretwork. I'll be putting these on eBay shortly, but wanted to give the loyal cnet crowd a first chance. Shipping and insurance is extra to wherever you are. Simply PM me with your email address if you're interested and I can send you more photos of the interiors and exteriors, or I could even give you a Skype tour or a tune. Remember, Christmas is only a few short weeks away! Gary

Good morning all from Dallas, Texas, I am a church musician and beginner English concertina player. Purchased a preowned Jackie last Christmas and have played it almost daily since then. I have been reading and researching on this site and learning from this community with much appreciation. I must confess that I'm beginning to think about purchasing that "next level" of English concertina. I've begun to focus on searching for a 48key treble Wheatstone or Lachenal english concertina in the range of $1,000-2000. (According to one site, that's 774-1548 GBP). I have not had an opportunity to play either instrument so I look forward to doing so. I'm going to be in Cambridge and Edinburgh in October and hope to be able to play some instruments. Two questions: 1. Are there significant differences in the Wheatstone and Lachenal instruments (touch, sound)? 2. If you have something for sale in the price range, will you private message me? Thank you in advance for your responses.

While checking shopgoodwill.com this evening, I saw a Wheatstone EC, #18875. The Wheatstone Ledgers show this as a Baritone. It appears to be in good condition, and is located in Ontario Canada. I'll be out of the country when the auction ends, but perhaps someone here would be interested.

Hi, all! Does anybody know anything about possible concertina meet-ups, happening i June, in Stockholm Sweden? We would so much love to hear somebody who knows how to, play our George Case concertina (found here: ). What I'm thinking of is perhaps some Pub evening, or some other type of get-together. BR, Mats