Types of concertinas … demystified

[Mikefule]

If you're still at the stage of understanding the different types, I strongly recommend you listen to the instruments being played. There is lots of concertina music on YouTube. 

 

The Anglo strongly favours 2 major keys and their associated modes and minors However,  it is not limited to them.

 

The standard Anglo layout has 20 buttons. (20b).  Most Anglo instruments have anything from 1 to 20 additional buttons. These additional buttons include a selection of accidentals (black notes, sharps/flats) and some duplicated notes to provide a range of fingering options and harmonies.

 

The layout of the additional buttons, over and above the basic 20, varies. The main variants are named after the original manufacturers who favoured them.

 

Thus, a Marcus GD 30b Jeffries is an Anglo, made by Marcus, with the main keys being G&D, and 30 buttons. The "extra" 10 buttons are arranged in the style favoured by Jeffries.

 

The English concertina is a different beast, as different from the Anglo as the guitar is from the banjo or violin. Only the overall appearance is similar.

 

The English can be played in any key. The layout is standard, but instruments with more buttons have more range.

 

Many people find one system much easier than the other.  Only a few people can play both with equal facility.

 

The duet is less common, but it's devotees have a good claim to it being the most versatile of all. It enables a full range of accompaniment like a pocket piano.   There are several competing duet systems.

 

For someone new to music, the Anglo may be the most accessible. To an experienced player, the one you prefer is always the best.

[Chris Ghent]

On 12/19/2022 at 7:46 AM, David Barnert said:

 

Yes... Notice the page on Duet concertinas looks forward in anticipation to The Button Box producing the Beaumont (Hayden).

I wasn’t denigrating the site, I think it is a good resource. Just got caught up in remembering the decisions you had to make when writing the code for a site in the middle 90s and enjoyed this one.  Haven’t seen Chris here in a while, hope he is still at it…

[seanc]

Just a suggestion.. As mentioned concertina.com has a LOT of good info.

 

But, what you might do is download the key maps. and take a good look at them.  That may give you a reasonably good feeling for how the different platforms are laid out and work. 

 

It does not give you that tactile sensation of how it works, in practice. But, it may help you to at least get a bit familiar. This will be especially true when trying to get a handle on something like a D scale on a C/G anglo. Or a major scale on English or various duets.

 

The BEST suggestion, that I can offer, would be to just figure out what type of music you want to do. Then try to get a feel for the volume of players using what kind of instrument they use. Buy one and then just take the plunge, with the understanding that whatever you buy, it is a starter pick and may turn out to be the wrong one. 

 

Once you get a bit of practical experience and have some sort of foundation to start from you can then better judge what you want to do and what gear you will need to get there.

 

[Ken_Coles]

One way to practice "fingering" without an instrument, at least for anglo and English systems, are the apps for Apple iPads by Michael Eskin (listed under Appcordions on the App store; he also has apps for button accordions and uilleann pipes). They are worth a look and very inexpensive.

 

Ken

[David Barnert]

4 hours ago, Ken_Coles said:

One way to practice "fingering" without an instrument, at least for anglo and English systems, are the apps for Apple iPads by Michael Eskin (listed under Appcordions on the App store; he also has apps for button accordions and uilleann pipes). They are worth a look and very inexpensive.

 

Ken

 

He has one for the Hayden system, as well: