ConcertinaXL-Anglo Concertina 4+

C/G Anglo Concertina

Michael Eskin

    • 5.0 • 1 Rating
    • $2.99

Screenshots

Description

ConcertinaXL is an easy to play, authentic sounding virtual Anglo Concertina in the most popular key of C/G and may be transposed +/- one octave in semitone increments.

ConcertinaXL is an easy to play, authentic sounding virtual Anglo Concertina in the most popular key of C/G and may be transposed +/- one octave in semitone increments.

It is played using the exact same fingerings as the real instrument.

The layout is based on a common modern variant of the standard Jeffries layout, with three C# notes on the first two buttons of the right side top row.

The Anglo Concertina is commonly used for playing traditional Irish dance tunes, and is a much-favored instrument in County Clare, Ireland.

The instrument is bisonoric, meaning the instrument plays a different note for each button depending on whether you are pushing or pulling on the bellows.

A C/G tuned instrument has the middle row in the key of C on the press, and the bottom row in the key of G on the press. The top row consists of the accidentals missing from the other two rows and alternate direction notes for notes on the other rows.

ConcertinaXL is the perfect app for someone interested in the Anglo Concertina to have an experience of playing the instrument and become familiar with the button layout without the expense of purchasing a real concertina.

For experienced players, it can serve as a practice aid when it might be impractical to play the real instrument.

In the app, to play, place your iPhone or iPad on your leg and simply tip the device to the left for a bellows push note, or to the right for a bellows pull note, and press a button.

Since you may want to play chords with more than 3 or 4 fingers, you'll need to turn off "Multitasking Gestures" in your iPad's Settings, under General/Multitasking Gestures.

When the app first runs it will ask you to set the tilt center. Place your iPhone or iPad in the position you will be playing it and touch OK.

The Blue/Red display on the top of the screen shows which direction the bellows is moving. Blue on the left represents PUSH, Blue on the right represents PULL.

You may reverse the bellows while pushing a button simply by tipping in the opposite direction.

On the iPad, touch the diamond area at the center bottom of the screen for tremolo effects. The higher up on the diamond, the greater the effect.

Multiple buttons may be pressed at the same time to play chords.

Touch the "?" on the upper left corner to show/hide the button note names. The note names track the push/pull tilt.

Touch the "i" on the upper right corner to show/hide the tilt sensitivity, transposition, and calibration controls.

You may transpose the pitch up or down up to one octave in semitone increments.

Touch the number to the right of the transpose slider to reset the transpose to zero.

For a Bb/F concertina, set the transpose to -2, for an A/E, set the transpose to -3.

For a Bass Baritone concertina, one octave lower than a standard C/G instrument, set the transpose to -12.

When transposed, the note labels do not change, just the pitch produced.

Touch "Calibrate" to reset the home position for tilting.

All settings are saved when the app exits.

The button layout and spacing on the iPad screen exactly matches a real 30-button instrument.

Uses extremely high-quality per-button audio samples recorded from my personal concertina collection.

Please visit the app website for more information about playing the Anglo Concertina.

What’s New

Version 6.0

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.

You may now transpose the pitch up or down up to one octave in semitone increments.

Touch the number to the right of the transpose slider to reset the transpose to zero.

For a Bb/F concertina, set the transpose to -2, for an A/E, set the transpose to -3.

For a Bass Baritone concertina, one octave lower than a standard C/G instrument, set the transpose to -12.

When transposed, the note labels do not change, just the pitch produced.

Ratings and Reviews

5.0 out of 5
1 Rating

1 Rating

Lawhistle ,

Not just a novelty

This week I learned four tunes on concertina xl for the iPad. The Green Gowned Lass in a Tanner's coffee while waiting for my dog to get a bath at the groomers next door. The Poitin March in a hospital room while hanging out with a friend who was sleeping after surgery. The Mountain Top in my condo at 10:30pm, while my family and my upstairs neighbor remained blissfully unaware, and a newly composed Josephine Marsh tune while I was recovering from a strained shoulder from practicing to much actual concertina. Concertina xl for iPad is so responsive, working out ornaments, alternate fingerings, chords and octaves easy. After a couple of days of wrapping your brain around the layout, it transfers extraordinarily easily to the real instrument. The most amazing is the ability to put slowed down tunes on the iPod function and play concertina xl with them. I've nothing more to add, other than I'm never watching a meaningless sitcom while stuck in bed sick again, and there really ought to be a sixth star in this rating system for apps that are seriously and amazingly useful.

SanJuanIslander ,

My Travel Concertina

I love to play concertina but it's now too expensive to carry my real concertina on business trips -- it would mean checking another bag. So I use ConcertinaXL on the plane and in hotel rooms. I love it with headphones and I don't disturb anyone. The layout is just like my Wheatstone and Edgley concertinas. It sounds very realistic and I enjoy using the drone occasionally.

The problem is kinetic memory. I find songs I know on the real concertina hard to transfer to ConcertinaXL and visa versa. Apparently the motion of my hands and fingers is part of learning a tune and that part just doesn't transfer well. I'm hoping that, with more practice on this app, that the transfer will work better.

I giving ConcertinaXL 5 stars because the app works perfectly and cannot be blamed for the transfer memory issue.

Jfleetwo ,

Great tool

This product delivers! The sound is great. The tilting movement allows you to have as close an experience to the real thing as possible on a 2D screen. I think it is a legitimate practice tool short of hauling your box around all the time. Go for it!! Remember, as the developer says, read the instructions and the app will be all you can hope for on an iPad.

App Privacy

The developer, Michael Eskin, has not provided details about its privacy practices and handling of data to Apple.

No Details Provided

The developer will be required to provide privacy details when they submit their next app update.

Supports

  • Family Sharing

    Up to six family members can use this app with Family Sharing enabled.

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