Wheatstone Layout for Irish Music

[Sean M]

I posted this question on another thread but was told I'd get more responses by starting a separate thread so here goes.

 

I now have a C/G Morse Céilí in the Jeffries layout because it seemed like the Jeffries layout was better for Irish tradition music. I'm wondering about the pros to the Wheatstone layout for ITM. I noticed some makers like for Kensington and Carroll concertinas have sort of a hybrid of the two layouts, mostly a Jeffries layout with a push C# that's found in the Wheatstone layout.

 

Wheatstone seems like a common system for beginner's concertinas so I'm wondering what the advantages of using the Wheatstone layout for ITM are aside from being the system some people are used to.

[Doug Barr]

Hi Sean,

The advantage of a Jeffries system is having a push and draw C#.  The "Pure" Jeffries system has a draw C# on the first button and a push c# on the second button.  The reason for the hybrid layout is that it has a C# on the push and draw on the first button and also a C# push on the second button.  I think it makes it easier to play for someone that has learned on a Wheatstone set-up (push C# on the first button).  The disadvantage is you are losing Eb's which may or may not be important to you.

 

I would think that once you are playing on a Jeffries layout you would not choose to go back or change to a Wheatstone layout.  I started on a Wheatstone Layout but have switched to a Jeffries layout without a problem.  I also own concertinas that are in a Wheatstone set-up and have no problem going back and forth between the two.

 

Doug