Common Concertina Mistakes to Avoid

Every instrument has its particular pitfalls — the habits and misunderstandings that slow a player down, or quietly colour the music in ways they don't intend. The concertina is no different. What follows is a gentle catalogue of the most common ones, offered not to discourage but to help you see them coming, and perhaps to feel a little reassured that they are, to a person, very normal.

Mistake 1: Choosing the Wrong Type for Your Musical Goals

This is the foundational error, and it's worth mentioning first precisely because so many people make it. The three main concertina types — Anglo, English, and duet — are quite different instruments, each suited to different musical contexts and calling for completely different techniques.

The most common version of this mistake is buying an English concertina because it seems more "logical" or accessible, when the player actually wants to play Irish traditional music, which is almost universally done on the Anglo. The English concertina is a wonderful instrument, but it will not produce the characteristic swing and drive of Irish session playing — the music asks for a different tool.

The remedy: Be honest about the music you love. Listen to recordings and find out what instrument the players are using. The concertina community is happy to help you work this out before you spend money.

Mistake 2: Starting on an Instrument That Fights You

A very cheap concertina — one in the £50–£100 range from a non-specialist seller — can have such heavy button action and inconsistent reeds that even a good teacher can't diagnose whether you're making progress or the instrument is simply unworkable. Players sometimes spend months concluding they have no talent, when in fact they're struggling with a poor instrument.

The remedy: Spend at least £150–£200 on a starter concertina from a recognised name (Rochelle, Jackie). Better still, contact a specialist dealer and explain what you want to play — they will steer you appropriately. The money spent on a decent starter instrument is far less than the time wasted on a bad one.

Mistake 3: Gripping the Bellows Too Tightly

Many beginners clench the concertina firmly against their hands, squeezing the bellows as they change direction. This produces uneven, jerky sound and creates tension in the wrists that makes fast playing nearly impossible. The concertina's bellows should move with a steady, controlled pressure — more like guiding than forcing.

The remedy: Practise long, slow notes on individual buttons, focusing entirely on keeping the pressure even as the bellows change direction. This is the single exercise that improves bellows control more than any other, and it can feel very different from how most beginners naturally play.

Mistake 4: Learning Tunes by Tab Without Developing Ear

Tablature and button diagrams are genuinely useful starting tools — they let you play a tune before your ear is developed enough to work one out. The mistake is staying in tab indefinitely: reading button numbers rather than hearing the music and knowing where your fingers should go. Tab-dependent players often find sessions and playing with others quite difficult, because the music doesn't stop for you to read.

The remedy: Once you can play a tune from tab, set the tab aside and work on playing it from memory. Then, slowly, begin trying to pick up simple phrases by ear — starting with tunes you already know well. It's uncomfortable at first and then it opens into something else entirely.

Mistake 5: Neglecting the Maintenance of Your Instrument

Concertinas are more delicate than they look. The leather pads that cover the holes beneath the buttons can harden and crack over time, causing airtightness to deteriorate. Reeds can shift or become sluggish if the instrument is stored in a very dry or very damp environment. Most players notice something is wrong when notes start sounding late or inconsistently — by which point the issue has often been present for some time.

The remedy: Store your concertina in a stable, moderate environment — not in an unheated car or near a radiator. Have it serviced by a specialist repairer every few years, or more frequently if you play regularly. Preventative maintenance is significantly cheaper than a full restoration.

Mistake 6: Rushing the Tempo Before the Tune Is Solid

This is common across almost all folk instruments, but the concertina's bisonoric nature (for Anglo players) adds an extra dimension. Playing an Anglo tune at full speed before the bellows direction is fully internalised produces a kind of stumbling quality — technically correct notes in approximately the right order, but missing the smooth phrasing that makes the music feel inevitable.

The remedy: The folk musician's proverb applies here as much as anywhere: learn it slow, then learn it fast. Play the tune at a speed where every bellows change feels controlled and every note speaks cleanly. The speed follows naturally from the solidity, not the other way around.

For a broad understanding of what the concertina is and how it works, see our Concertina Explained guide. If you're still choosing your first instrument, the buyer's guide will help you navigate the options. And if you're at the very beginning, the beginner's guide covers those first essential steps.

The Bottom Line

The mistakes above are not signs of failure — they're the normal texture of learning a less-common instrument without much initial guidance. The concertina community is generous with its knowledge, and most of these errors are easily corrected once you know to look for them. Play slowly, listen carefully, and be kind to the bellows.

Frequently Asked Questions