The stereo effect of producing two simultaneous tones (muffled and clear) and of double-octave style playing are both essential techniques. John uses them--as well as the legato capabilities of cross-fingering and a focus on bellows work--to illustrate that developing various skills makes it possible to play one melody in several different ways.

The catchy "Jimmy Ward's Jig" provides a great opportunity to use the air button, master the alternate C pattern, and begin to add a few simple ornaments. Switching to another concertina, John examines the popular session tune "Kesh Jig," using it to introduce new buttons and give advice for better tone production.

John teaches chords, triplets, pick-up notes and more ornaments, then illustrates the common practice of playing jigs in sequence. When his note-for-note breakdown of "Bobby's Casey's Jig" (in A minor) is complete, John performs this string of jigs so you can hear how they sound together at a moderate pace. He completes this thorough concertina overview with a rousing reel, "Last Night's Fun," which introduces additional notes used when playing in the key of D.