Why the Anglo Suits Irish Music

The Anglo-German concertina found its way into Irish households in the nineteenth century, and by the early 1900s it was common in Clare, Galway and Kerry. Its diatonic layout — a different note on push and pull — gives the music a natural pulse that suits jigs and reels down to the ground. The standard instrument for Irish players is the 30-button C/G Anglo, whose third row of accidentals opens up the keys you meet at a session: D, G, A minor, E minor, A dorian and E dorian. A 20-button C/G will carry you through many tunes, but you will soon want the extra row.

It is worth saying plainly that the Anglo is not a fiddle or a flute. Ornaments that work beautifully on those instruments do not always transfer. The aim is not to imitate, but to find the concertina's own voice within the tradition.

Choosing Your Keys and Finding the Tune's Home

Most session tunes sit in a handful of keys. On a C/G Anglo, tunes in G often lie best on the C row, while tunes in D sit on the G row. Learning to cross rows — taking some notes on the C row and some on the G row — is the biggest step towards fluent Irish playing, because it smooths out awkward bellows changes.

• The Kesh and The Banshee in G sit neatly on the C row, with the odd cross-row note.
• The Silver Spear and The Cup of Tea in D work well on the G row, using the C row for higher passages.
• Cooley's and The Fermoy Lasses in E minor make good use of the third row and cross-row fingering.

If you play a G/D Anglo, D tunes fall on the G row and G tunes on the D row. Either way, work out which row gives the smoothest bellows pattern before settling on a fingering.

Ornaments That Work on the Anglo

Irish ornamentation on the concertina is built from a small number of reliable figures. Keep them light, rhythmic and in time — an ornament that delays the beat is a stumble, not a decoration.

• Cuts: a quick flick to the note above the main note, often played on a different button or across rows rather than by a bellows reversal.
• Taps: a quick note below the main note, returning to it immediately.
• Rolls: a cut followed by a tap, then back to the main note. In jigs, a roll often replaces the second and third notes of a group of three.
• Trebles: a rapid repeat of the same note, useful for emphasis at the start of a phrase.
• Crans: borrowed from the pipes, usually a series of quick notes above a low note. Use sparingly.

Practise each ornament slowly on a single note before putting it into a tune. Speed comes from accuracy, not the other way round.

Phrasing, Lift and the Shape of the Tune

Irish music lives in its phrasing. A jig in 6/8 is not three even notes repeated; the first of each group of three carries a gentle weight, and the bellows give the lift. A reel in 4/4 should flow, with a subtle emphasis that keeps the tune moving rather than marching. Hornpipes are usually played with a swung feel, though not so heavily that the tune loses its shape.

The Anglo's push-and-pull layout is an advantage here. Use the bellows to shape phrases: a little extra pressure on the notes that matter, a lighter touch on the passing notes. Avoid playing every note at the same volume — that evenness belongs to other traditions, not this one. Listen to recordings of Clare and Galway players and notice how the bellows breathe with the tune.

Learning Tunes by Ear and Building a Set

Learning by ear is the fastest route to playing Irish music convincingly. Take a tune in short phrases, sing it back, then find it on the buttons. A metronome at a slow, steady tempo is a useful friend; rushing is the enemy of lift. If you read music, ABC notation can help you check a phrase, but do not let the page replace your ear.

Build sets of two or three tunes that sit well together — a reel in G followed by one in D, or a jig in D moving to E minor. Practise the transitions as carefully as the tunes themselves, keeping the bellows steady and the tempo consistent. A short, well-played set beats a long, ragged one every time.

Maintenance and Setup for Irish Playing

Irish playing is quick and rhythmic, so your instrument needs to respond instantly. A few simple habits will keep it that way.

• Humidity: keep the concertina between 40 and 60 per cent relative humidity. Sudden changes make reeds shift and wood move.
• Reed valves: check the small leather flaps for curling. Worn valves make notes slow and breathy.
• Bellows: keep the folds clean and dry, avoid sharp tugs, and store the instrument flat in its case.
• Action and springs: if buttons feel sluggish or uneven, have the action checked. Light, quick springs suit Irish playing.
• Tuning: most players tune to A=440. Older instruments may sit at a lower pitch, so have reeds tuned by a specialist.

Air the instrument regularly, wipe the ends with a dry cloth, and never leave it in a hot car or a cold shed. A well-maintained Anglo will reward you for decades of tunes.