How to Play Ballydesmond Polka No. 1 on Anglo Concertina
Published on HivePostify by @organduo · Tue Sep 01 2026
In this tutorial, we dive into the famous Ballydesmond Polka No. 1, a staple of Irish session music. I’ll walk you through this tune step-by-step, covering both the right and left-hand parts so you can master it on your Anglo Concertina. Whether you have a 20-button or a 30-button instrument, this lesson is designed to be accessible and easy to follow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0zWMezyIUY
We’ll break the tune down into eight simple steps, covering Section A and Section B, before putting it all together for a full playthrough.
If you're working on other Irish tunes or have questions about your concertina practice, let me know in the comments—I’d love to help you get unstuck\!
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00:00 - Introduction to Ballydesmond Polka No. 1 01:02 - Getting Started & Hand Positions 01:27 - Step 1: Right Hand & Left Hand Basics 01:56 - Step 2: Left Hand Focus 02:24 - Step 3: Continuing the Melody 03:03 - Step 4: Completing Section A 03:30 - Section A Full Playthrough (with repeats) 03:57 - Step 5: Starting Section B 04:32 - Step 6: Developing the Phrase 04:51 - Step 7: Fingering Tips for E 06:37 - Step 8: Final Phrases 07:27 - Full Playthrough: Ballydesmond Polka No. 1 08:42 - Playing on 20-button vs. 30-button Concertina 09:32 - Closing Thoughts & Subscriber Community
--- Originally published on YouTube by Vidas Squeezebox.
Tags: #music#accordion#concertina#folk#youtube