Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn the concertina
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
The concertina is a small bellows instrument, and the three main kinds work so differently that choosing one is the first decision. Players' groups, festival workshops and beginners' days, some with concertinas to borrow, make it easy to try before you buy.
Moderate£100 to £500 / $130 to $650MonthsIndoorsAlone or with othersUK and US
Someone who has done it
These are real people who did this, as reported by the outlets named. We opened each one before linking it. None of them is connected with this site.
Which concertina to learn
| Type | How it works | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| English | Fully chromatic, 48 keys, range similar to a violin; same note pushing or pulling; a scale alternates between hands | Expressive melody, bands and ensembles, song accompaniment |
| Anglo | Each button gives two notes, one on the push and one on the pull; a basic Anglo has 20 keys in two rows | Irish traditional music, Morris and other dance music, song accompaniment |
| Duet | Fully chromatic, about 35 to 80 keys; melody on the right hand, accompaniment on the left; four keyboard systems (Maccann, Crane, Jeffries, Hayden) | Playing tune and accompaniment together; the association says a duet may suit someone who has learned the piano as well as any other system |
The International Concertina Association says a vintage concertina in reasonable condition costs several hundred at least, and new vintage-style instruments cost in the thousands. Hayden is the only duet system in which student models are currently made.
Ways in compared
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| The Stables (UK) | Day-long Anglo concertina workshop for beginners aged 15 and over; no music theory needed; concertinas to borrow | Fee not shown on the page |
| Common Ground on the Hill (US) | A 4pm class during a summer Traditions Week (June and July 2025 runs); English concertina, beginners and advanced beginners; a very limited number of loaner instruments | Fee not shown on the page |
| Northeast Squeeze-In, Litchfield, Connecticut | Informal weekend for free-reed players (September 2026 run); take or give a workshop; no paid teachers; beginners welcome | Fee not shown on the page |
| West Country Concertina Players weekend, Halsway Manor, Somerset | Residential weekend, 19 to 21 March 2027, Anglo, English, duet and concertina band tutors; for intermediate and advanced players | £185 non-resident to £340 single en-suite full board |
In the UK, regional groups such as Chiltinas in Bedfordshire and the Central and Southern Scotland Concertina Group say they welcome absolute beginners, and the Royal Concertinas group at Dungworth, Sheffield, runs a session aimed at beginners and note readers.
How to start
- Read the International Concertina Association's guide to English, Anglo and duet concertinas and decide what music you want to play.
- Book a beginners' workshop that lends instruments, so you can try one before spending several hundred pounds.
- Find a regional players' group near you through the association's list; several welcome beginners.
Where to go
- International Concertina Association: What kind of concertina should I get?
- International Concertina Association: Regional groups (UK and US) UK
- Common Ground on the Hill: Beginning English Concertina US
- CDSS: Northeast Squeeze-In (Litchfield, Connecticut) US
We opened these links on 11 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Two ways to plan it.
Plan it yourself Free
The links you need to book it, get there, find somewhere to stay and eat, and see what else there is to do nearby. They are searches for you to run; nothing is saved.
Show the links
Plan it with dates
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
Which concertina is easiest for a beginner?
The International Concertina Association does not name one. It says the choice depends on the music you want to play, and that a duet is no harder than any other system for someone starting from scratch.
What is the difference between an English and an Anglo concertina?
An English concertina gives the same note whether you push or pull the bellows. An Anglo gives two different notes from each button, one on the push and one on the pull.
How much does a concertina cost?
The International Concertina Association says a vintage concertina in reasonable condition costs several hundred at least, and new vintage-style instruments cost in the thousands. New Anglos are made at all price levels.
Can I borrow a concertina to try?
Some beginners' workshops lend them. The Stables' beginners' day has concertinas to borrow, and Common Ground on the Hill has a very limited number of loaners for its English concertina class.
Where this comes from: International Concertina Association, What kind of concertina should I get?; International Concertina Association, Regional groups; International Concertina Association, About us; The Stables, Concertina Beginners; Common Ground on the Hill, Beginning English Concertina with Wayne Morrison; CDSS, Northeast Squeeze-In; Halsway Manor, WCCP Weekend 2027; Radio Canada International, Canadian gives new life to an old instrument-Frank Edgley Concertinas. Opened 11 November 2026.
Read next
From the Latest Music Bar to the hospital lab: Angi Mariani's first in biomedical science
How a Brighton music-bar owner and TV presenter took a part-time science degree alongside a hospital lab job, what national figures say about who keeps learning, and how to find a course or a way into laboratory work.
“Education has no expiration”: Virginia Ordaz and her mother finished their degrees in the same class
How a retired fire dispatcher from Stockton, California, finished the degree she started in 1989, and how her mother finished hers more than 40 years after her last class. How to find out what your own old credits are worth, in the US and the UK.
More like this
Moderate
Learn to play the accordion
Moderate
Go to a ceilidh or contra dance
Demanding
Learn the violin or fiddle
Demanding
Steward a music festival
Moderate
Learn an instrument and play one piece for an audience
Moderate
Learn an endangered heritage craft