Why the bellows deserve as much practice as the fingers

Most players spend their first months on the Anglo obsessing over the buttons. Which row, which direction, which accidental — it is understandable, because the layout is genuinely awkward at first. But listen to the players who make the instrument sing, and you will notice something else entirely. Their phrasing is carried by the bellows. The fingers choose the notes; the bellows decide whether those notes sound like a sentence or a shopping list.

The Anglo is unusual because its bellows are not simply an air supply. Because the same button gives different notes on push and pull, your bellows direction is part of your fingering, and your bellows pressure is part of your articulation. That double duty is what makes the instrument so expressive — and what makes sloppy bellows work so obvious to a listener.

Understanding push, pull and the shape of a phrase

Before you can control the bellows, you need to know where your changes fall. Play a familiar jig such as The Irish Washerwoman or a reel like Cooley's and mark, in pencil, every point where you change direction. You will almost certainly find two problems: too many changes in awkward places, and changes that land squarely on the beat.

Good Anglo phrasing hides the seam. In a jig, aim to change on the offbeat or at the end of a two-bar phrase rather than in the middle of a run of quavers. In a reel, try to take a whole four-bar part in one direction and the answering part in the other. This is not a rule to follow slavishly, but it gives you a default from which to make deliberate choices.

• Mark all pushes and pulls on your sheet music or ABC.
• Circle any change that interrupts a run of notes you would rather hear as one gesture.
• Try re-fingering the passage so the change falls somewhere quieter — often on a repeated note or at a breath point.
• Aim for long, confident stretches of one direction rather than constant chopping.

Exercises for smooth, silent changes

The change itself should be almost inaudible. A common fault is a small hiccup or a sudden swell as the player reverses. To fix this, practise changes in isolation, away from tunes, at a slow and even tempo.

Start on a single note — say the G on the left-hand C row — and play it as a long, steady drone. Change direction every four beats without altering the volume. Listen for any bump, dip or rush. Repeat until the note is indistinguishable either side of the change. Do this on several notes across the instrument, including one or two that require no finger movement at all.

Next, play a slow scale up and down, changing direction on every third or fourth note. Keep the pressure constant and the tone even. Finally, move to a slow air — Sheebeg and Sheemore or An Buachaill Caol Dubh — and use the bellows to shape the long notes rather than to merely supply air. Slow airs will expose every weakness in your control, which is exactly why they are worth the effort.

Using pressure to shape dynamics and lift

Once your changes are clean, you can begin to use bellows pressure musically. On the Anglo, a gentle increase in pressure on a long note gives a swell that no amount of finger work can imitate. A slight easing back lets a phrase fall away naturally at the end, the concertina equivalent of a singer taking a breath.

For dance tunes, the pressure can also provide lift. A tiny surge of air at the start of a bar gives a subtle accent without hammering the button. In jigs, try leaning gently into the first quaver of each group of three, then relaxing. In reels, a small push on the downbeat and a lighter touch on the offbeat will make the tune swing without any change in tempo.

• Swell: increase pressure gradually across a long note, then release.
• Fall: ease off at the end of a phrase to let it breathe.
• Lift: a brief surge on the downbeat, never a jolt.
• Drive: sustained even pressure through a whole part for tunes that need momentum.

Bellows, air and instrument care

Good bellows technique depends on a well-maintained instrument. If the bellows leak, you will fight for every note and your phrasing will suffer. Check the corners and the folds for wear, and look at the gaskets and the seal around the reed pan. A simple test is to hold the instrument with all buttons released, gently open the bellows, and listen. Any hiss is air escaping where it should not.

Store your concertina in its case, away from direct heat and damp. Central heating is unkind to leather and to the glues in the bellows. If you play regularly in sessions, have the instrument looked at annually by someone who knows Anglos. Small repairs — a new gasket, a tightened screw, a spot of bellows tape — are inexpensive compared with a full rebuild.

Finally, keep your bellows under control physically as well as musically. Do not let them open to full stretch, where you lose both leverage and stability. Keep them working in the middle third of their travel, and practise playing an entire tune without letting them drift wide. That discipline alone will improve your tone, your timing and your stamina.