The Duet concertina is a type of concertina that differs from others because it produces the same note when the bellows are pushed or pulled (unlike the Anglo concertina). It also has lower notes on the left side and higher notes on the right side (unlike the English concertina).

Duet concertinas are the most recent advancement in the instrument's history and are less common than other types. These concertinas are designed to make it easier to play a melody with an accompaniment. They use button layouts where each button plays a single note, with lower (bass) notes on the left hand and higher (treble) notes on the right hand. These layouts often overlap, similar to an organ with two sets of keys.

History

Sir Charles Wheatstone was the first person to patent a Duet concertina in 1844. This came after he patented the English concertina in 1829.

One of the earliest known concertina players was Alexander Prince. In 1906, he was recorded playing his Maccann-system Duet concertina on the Zonophone label. Another performer, Percy Honri, also played the Maccann system.

Although the Anglo concertina was the most common type, the instrument was used in a small way by the Afrikaner people of South Africa in their music tradition called Boeremusiek. They called the Crane and Maccann duet systems the 5-ry ("five row") and 6-ry ("six row"), respectively.

Types

The most common key layouts in the Duet system are:

• Maccann system (or McCann), the most widely produced older Duet system. It improved upon Wheatstone's earlier Duette system. It was patented by "Professor" John Hill Maccann in 1884 and licensed to Lachenal & Co.

• Crane system. This system was patented in 1896. It was originally called the “English Combination Concertina” by the musical instrument seller Crane & Sons Ltd. In 1912, the Salvation Army used it under the name “Triumph.” It is said to be "easier to learn than the McCann or Jeffries" systems.

• Jeffries system. This system is less common than the others. Though it plays only one note at a time, the button arrangement looks like the Anglo concertina. The note placement is described as "splendidly haphazard."

• Hayden system. Invented in 1963 and patented in 1986, this system arranges all scales and intervals in a uniform way. Later, it was found that a similar layout was patented by the Swiss designer Kaspar Wicki in 1896. Since the 1980s, most new Duet concertinas are made using the Hayden system.

Other types of Duet concertinas exist but are much rarer. A 1983 article mentions patents from Sharp (1890), Hank (1896), Huish (1901), and several by Dr. Pitt-Taylor (1916–1924). Duet concertina designer Brian Hayden also noted the Linton, Chidley, and Piano systems. The Piano system includes variations like the Rust system and Jedcertina. From 1951, Wheatstone made a few instruments in the Chidley system. This system looks similar to the Maccann system but has a more regular note pattern.

Play

To hold a duet concertina, each hand is placed through a leather strap. The thumbs are positioned outside the strap, and the palms rest on wooden bars. The largest duet concertinas can play very low bass notes, such as the C that is below the stave. A skilled player can perform solo piano music with only small changes.