Bellows

A squeezebox for iPhone Duo, where the hinge is the bellows.

What it is

Bellows turns the iPhone Duo into an accordion, harmonica or harmonium. Hold the open phone with bass and chord buttons on the left pane and melody keys on the right. The hinge is the bellows: opening and closing the phone makes the air, and how fast you move it sets the loudness and brightness of the reeds. On any other iPhone you make the air by rocking the phone, by dragging the bellows strip between the panes, or with the AIR knob.

How to use it

• Play: hold the phone sideways, top to the left. This works with rotation lock on. Hold a melody key to sound its note and release it to stop.
• Air on iPhone Duo: open and close the hinge while you hold keys. Small, slow movements are enough, and the bellows keep a little air in reserve.
• Air on other iPhones: rock the phone toward you and away, or drag up and down on the bellows strip between the two panes. Rocking can be turned off in Options.
• AIR knob: tap it for a steady breath, for playing on a table. Hold it to open the air valve and move the bellows without sound.
• Bass and chords: the left pane is a grid of bass, major and minor buttons arranged around the circle of fifths.
• Instrument: tap one of the three register tabs above the AIR knob to switch between accordion, harmonica and harmonium. Your choice is remembered. On the harmonica, push and pull give different notes.
• Cover: when the Duo is closed, the outer screen shows the three instruments as cards. Swipe to choose one, tap a card to hear it, and open the phone to play. On other iPhones, the cards button under SONGS and REC shows the same cards.
• Songs: SONGS opens six tunes to play along with. The next key lights up and waits for you. Tap play to hear a tune first.
• Record a take: tap REC to record the screen and the instrument's sound. The microphone is never used. When you tap STOP, close the Duo or show the cards, iOS shows a preview where you choose to save the video to Photos or share it. If you close the preview without doing either, Bellows asks before the take is thrown away. Recording starts only when you tap REC.
• Options: the sliders button opens a mirrored layout for left-handed players, the rock-to-pump switch, and the privacy policy.

Support

Something not working, or a question? Email StephenLThorn@gmail.com and say which iPhone and iOS version you are using.

Privacy

Bellows collects nothing. Read the privacy policy.