A concertina is a musical instrument that makes sound with reeds, similar to accordions and harmonicas. It has expandable and collapsible parts called bellows, with buttons (or keys) usually on both ends. This is different from accordions, which have buttons on the front.

The concertina was created separately in England and Germany. The English version was made in 1829 by Sir Charles Wheatstone. Five years later, in 1834, Carl Friedrich Uhlig created the German version. Concertinas are used in many types of music, including classical music, traditional music from Ireland, England, and South Africa, and for tango and polka music.

The concertina has been popular among people who travel a lot because of its small size. It was often used by soldiers, sailors, and cowboys. One concertina was taken on Robert Peary’s 1891 expedition to Greenland. Although the concertina is sometimes linked to the Golden Age of Piracy in pop culture, it was invented about 100 years after piracy was most common in the North Atlantic.

Systems

Concertinas are hand-held musical instruments that use bellows to move air over reeds, creating sound. These instruments come in different types, each with unique keyboard designs and ways of producing notes. Some buttons (keys) play the same note whether the bellows are pushed or pulled (called unisonoric), while others change notes based on the direction of air pressure (called bisonoric).

Concertinas were developed around the same time in England and Germany, leading to three main types: English, Anglo-German, and German. A person skilled in one system may find it hard to play a concertina of a different system.

The English concertina and the Duet concertina share similar histories and designs. Both use a chromatic scale (a scale with all musical notes) and are unisonoric. They are smaller than German concertinas and usually have a hexagonal shape, though some have 8, 10, or 12 sides. The English system uses both hands to play notes alternately, making fast melodies easier. The Duet system places lower notes on the left and higher notes on the right, allowing players to create layered harmonies and melodies.

Sir Charles Wheatstone is credited with inventing the English concertina, which he patented in 1829. He also patented the Duet concertina in 1844.

German concertinas are larger than English ones and are usually bisonoric. They use "long plate" reeds and are often square-shaped. Some German concertinas have more than one reed per note, creating a vibrato effect if the reeds are slightly out of tune.

German systems share common features and keyboard layouts. In the United States, the term "concertina" often refers to the Chemnitzer concertina, a bisonoric instrument related to the bandoneon but with a different keyboard and design. The Chemnitzer is popular among polka musicians in the American Midwest, especially those who play like Li'l Wally. A related model is the Carlsfelder concertina, created in 1849 and displayed at the 1851 London Industrial Exposition.

The bandoneon is a German concertina system with a bisonoric layout designed by Heinrich Band. Originally intended for church use, it became linked to tango music in Argentina after the late 19th century. Most bandoneons are bisonoric, but some unisonoric versions were developed in the 1920s. These instruments often have multiple reeds per button, tuned precisely to avoid vibrato. The bandoneon is a key instrument in Argentine tango orchestras.

The Anglo or Anglo-German concertina is a mix of English and German designs. It uses the same button layout as early German concertinas but is bisonoric. German concertinas became popular in England, Ireland, and North America because of their affordability and ease of use. English manufacturers later created their own versions with different reeds, button pivots, and hexagonal shapes, leading to the modern Anglo concertina.

The "Franglo" system concertina was developed by C & R Dipper and Emmanuel Pariselle. It combines the structure of a concertina with the button layout of a melodeon (a type of diatonic instrument). The name "Franglo" blends "French" and "Anglo."

Gallery

• The Blind Girl (1856)
• American Woman Playing a Concertina (1860)
• Sailor's concertina
• The Anglo concertina and the bandoneon

History

In the mid-1830s, concertinas were made and sold in Germany and England. Each country developed its own type of concertina. As the instrument became more popular, both systems changed over time to become the modern versions we know today. The cost differences and how each type was used created a difference in social class between the two. German or Anglo-German concertinas were often seen as less respected, while English concertinas were considered more suitable for middle-class people. English concertinas were most often used in homes for playing classical music, while German concertinas were more commonly used for popular dance music.

In the 1850s, the Anglo-German concertina’s ability to play both melody and accompaniment led English makers to create new systems called duet systems. The Maccann system became popular near the end of the 19th century. At the same time, German makers produced concertinas with more than 20 keys for local sale. Three keyboard systems for German concertinas became widely used: Uhlig’s Chemnitzer system, Carl Zimmerman’s Carlsfeld system, and the Bandoneon’s Reinische system. German makers tried to create one standard keyboard system for all German concertinas, but this was only partially achieved by the end of the 19th century. The Chemnitzer and Carlsfeld systems merged into a unified concertina system, and a unified bandoneon system was also created. Despite these new standards, older systems remained popular into the 20th century.

The concertina was widely used throughout the 19th century. The Salvation Army in England, America, Australia, and New Zealand often used concertinas in their musical groups. Concertina bands and musicians performed across the English-speaking world. German immigrants brought their Chemnitzers and bandoneons to the United States and Argentina, where these instruments became popular in those regions.

In the early 20th century, the concertina’s popularity declined as demand for accordions grew. Mass production of other instruments, such as the piano, also increased. These instruments were better suited for music styles like blues and jazz that use a wide range of notes. By the middle of the 20th century, few concertina makers remained, and most used accordion parts and inexpensive, unreliable keyboard systems. However, different types of concertinas survived in certain areas: Anglo concertinas in Irish traditional music, English and Anglo concertinas in English Morris dancing, Anglo concertinas in Africa among Afrikaners and Zulus (who call it a "squashbox"), Chemnitzer concertinas in the United States for polka music, and bandoneons in Argentina as part of tango music. Between World War I and World War II, many concertina and bandoneon bands existed in Germany, but these groups disappeared with the rise of the Nazi regime.

The folk music revival of the 1960s led to a small increase in the concertina’s popularity, especially the Anglo type. More recently, the concertina has become more popular again, especially the Anglo type in traditional Irish and English music. Interest in tango since the 1980s has also increased the use of the bandoneon. American musician Willi Carlisle has introduced the concertina and button accordion into American country and folk music, showing a general return to accordions in American music.

In the 21st century, traditional music continues to be played in many parts of the UK, often using English and Anglo-system concertinas. Concertinas are now mass-produced in Italy and China, and made by individual workshops in Europe, South Africa, Australia, and North America. Modern concertinas vary in quality and traditional design. The most expensive instruments use traditional concertina reeds, while less expensive models often use cheaper accordion reeds.