Left side: range c-c3 (chromatic)

Charles Wheatstone's first Concertina was unisonoric and with alternating sides, on which you have to change from one manual to the other after every scale step (or two chromatic semitone steps). Notes that are on staves are on the left manual with their alternations, all notes in between are on the right.

This meant that only melody playing was possible, as with string and wind instruments, but no bass or chord accompaniment to the melody.

The latter was not the goal, but a melodic instrument like the violin.

Right side: range g1-g3 (chromatic)

In order to remove the playing restrictions of the alternating sides of Concertina, Wheatstone and others later tried to develop a Duet Concertina, but their systems did not become widespread.

Duet means: in contrast to the alternating Concertina, two independently playable manuals, which made it possible to play a bass and chordal accompaniment to the melody. "The concertina can thus play a duet with itself."

(German Concertinas were able to do this from the very beginning, but as a result of the bisonoric system they are dependent on the bellows).

It was not until decades later that the young musician John Hill Maccann patented a successful duet keyboard system in 1884 and licensed it to Wheatstone's competitor Lachenal & Co.

(detailed with tone assignment: concertina.com)

The English concertina is constructed completely differently from the Deutsche Konzertina.

The reeds are not housed in reedplates, but in radially arranged chambers.

Two equally tuned reeds in each chamber.

The reed, which is recognisably fixed with two screws, sounds on draft when air flows into the bellows through the outer cover.

The second one is at the back (hidden by the light-coloured leather valve ) and responds when air flows in the opposite direction. (The glued-on leather strip is intended to prevent unnecessary air escapes through the respective mute tongue).

Case label inside:

"C. Wheatstone & Co; Inventors, Patentees & Manufacturers; Concertinas & Aeolas; West Street, Charing Cross Road, London"

C. Wheatstone was mainly a researcher and inventor. He dealt with subjects, e.g. electric telegraphy, invented the stereoscope and was also active in business.

A lifelong friendship connected him with the electrophysicist Michael Faraday (1791-1867). Wheatstone was concerned with musical instruments mainly because of the acoustical questions and less out of artistic interest.

Wheatstone & Co did not use Maccann's keyboard system until 1898 after the patent expired, which is why this instrument can be dated to after 1898.

Charles Wheatstone was the first to invent a wind instrument called a Symphonium, which is blown through the mouth hole in the middle.

By replacing the human lung with a cardboard bellows, he developed the English Concertina from the Symphonium. The alternating sides tones assignment of the Symphonium was adopted.

A concertina orchestra in London around the middle of the 20th century.