G'day again Zhenya,

I probably should have added that my first Anglo concertina was in Bb/F. This got a lot of work accompanying the singers in The Selectors - a bush band I worked with in the 1980s/'90s. Most of the songs were done in either of those major keys because our singer /songwrite /guitarist played a 12-stringer that was tunes a tone low to ease the string load ... and that put the simple chords (nominally C and G chords) into Bb and F.

Sadly, that concertina was stolen a decade back - but it had its alternate G/D reed pans in it ... and I am also reminding myself to finish renovating another Anglo body to house the Bb/F reed pans ... so I will have concertinas to accompany (myself or others) in the major keys of: Bb, C, D, F and G - plus their related modes.

Since I arrange a lot of music for my Workshop groups, most of it is set in the commonly played keys ... mostly C, G and D (and their modes) ... for the benefit of instruments and instrumentalists ... and I used to having to fit my rather lugubrious vocal tonalities in with others ... but I find a lot of songs that I'm happy with in those keys (and the Bb / F will let me sing happily in those items others would prefer in C or G!).

In theory, the chromatic English System would let me play with equal facility in any key ... but I have grown up with the great fun and harmonic joys of playing diatonic instruments - and playing the English will just be plain hard slog for a long time.

Hell ... if the only criterion was total chromaticity ... I might as well play a piano accordion (pace Foolestroupe) ... but I'm in this for fun!

Regard(les)s,

Bob Bolton

Regards,

Bob Bolton