Concertina Technique

Irish Concertina with Francis Cunningham
Join Francis Cunningham, one of Clare’s finest young concertina players, as he guides you through this 13-lesson course designed for learners who want to build both solid technique and a repertoire of great Irish tunes.

Francis teaches in the traditional phrase-by-phrase style, with plenty of repetition to help you absorb the music naturally by ear. Each lesson introduces a new tune while progressively adding technical skills: alternative fingering, chords, triplets, bellows control, rolls, ornamentation, and the use of the rich low notes of the concertina. His lessons are packed with valuable tips for hand position, finger placement, and rhythm, ensuring you develop a strong foundation from the very beginning.

Alongside the video tutorials you’ll have access to sheet music, ABCs, diagrams, and multi-speed backing tracks, making it easy to practise at your own pace.

By the end of the course, you’ll have a repertoire of jigs, reels, hornpipes, a set dance, and a barndance — all taught with the style and lift of Clare tradition.

Tunes in this course include: