Concertina - Types (Systems)

Types (Systems)

The word concertina refers to a family of hand-held bellows-driven free reed instruments constructed according to various systems. Strictly speaking: Concertinas are six sided, Aeolas are eight sided and Edeophones are twelve sided. The systems differ in:

• the notes and ranges available;
• the positioning of the keys (buttons);
• the sonoricity of the notes provided by the keys:
  • the keys of the bisonoric instruments produce differing notes on the push and on the draw;
  • the keys of the unisonoric instruments produce the same note on the push and on the draw;
• the ability to produce sound in both bellows directions:
  • single action, producing sound only in one bellows direction (usually found only on English System bass instruments and some baritone Instruments);
  • double action, producing sound in both bellows directions;
• size and shape of the instrument and the technique required to hold the instrument;
• the types of reeds that are used Steel; Brass or nickel silver tongued, brass or aluminium framed traditional reeds or Accordion plate reed instruments;
• the mechanical action that is used to open and close the valves to the reed chambers.

Because the concertina was developed nearly contemporaneously in England and Germany, systems can be broadly divided into English, German, and Anglo-German types. To a player proficient in one of these systems, a concertina constructed according to a different system may be quite unfamiliar.

The most common concertina systems are listed below. The list is not exhaustive, as the concertina is not only a venerable and widespread instrument, but also an evolving instrument: modern experiments in concertina construction include chromatic scales offering more than 12 steps per octave, and instruments which allow the pitch of the notes to be sharped or flatted by the performer.