Chickers
Active member
A comical story of learning the accordion.
Basically, I had little to no-experience in playing any musical instrument, but a few years ago, I decided that I wanted to learn to play the accordion.
I am a senior adult that loves music, and dance, of all sorts, so after a friend of mine who is quite a musician allowed me to try on his accordion. I was hooked. Wow, it was like an awakening--so I thought. The accordion felt natural, sounded great, and was a instrument of beauty.
After searching various places for used accordions, I located a very attractive Ferrari 41/120 accordion. Priced right for a beginner,so I was set.
I soon discovered that playing a musical instrument of any type is a dedication, and requires practice, practice, practice.
I tried self-teaching for a while, and found that as I began to learn, I realized there was soo much more that I did not know.
I live on Northeast Ohio, home to many good musicians, polka bands, rock bands, classical orchestras, on and on.
I would think that accordion teachers would be easy to find. Well, it turns out that these fine musicians are not teachers, and don't want to be teachers.
After months of searching I finally located a teacher that seemed quite accomplished, personable, and wanted to teach accordion. By my second lesson
I found that he was teaching so far over my head, and at a skill level I was far below, I determined this wasn't going to work for me.
I also was able to find several accordion teachers that were not interested in teaching adults---especially a senior adult.
Thinking I knew a way to get around this, and since there were many piano teachers of all sorts in my area, I thought I could take piano lessons, and transfer
many of those skills to the accordion.
With that goal in mind, I purchased a used Casio keyboard. A nice 42 key unit. Gee that was really limited, and way too small, and most people I talked with
suggested I needed a full 88 key instrument to learn on.
I was able to find and purchase a nice used 88 key Yamaha keyboard, and proceeded to make arrangements to start piano lessons.
Whoa !! I was asked if the Yamaha had weighted keys / What the heck are weighted keys ? That keyboard I bought did not have weighted keys.
So back to the market for a nice keyboard, a full 88 key unit with weighted keys. I purchased a New Yamaha P-125 with all the features I needed.
I was now ready to begin my lessons.
Within a couple weeks of buying the new Yamaha keyboard I got a tip of a good accordion teacher.
Lo and behold, and friend gave me a number of a good local accordion teacher, so now I'm back to my original goal.
One heck of a quest to learn to play the accordion.
At this point, because of COVID-9 my lessons have been suspended, and for a period before that, I had several distractions (perceived distractions as they
may have been) I am back to self teaching.
It's been fun, it's been frustrating, it's been aggravating, but I'm still at it, and love it
CHICKERS
Basically, I had little to no-experience in playing any musical instrument, but a few years ago, I decided that I wanted to learn to play the accordion.
I am a senior adult that loves music, and dance, of all sorts, so after a friend of mine who is quite a musician allowed me to try on his accordion. I was hooked. Wow, it was like an awakening--so I thought. The accordion felt natural, sounded great, and was a instrument of beauty.
After searching various places for used accordions, I located a very attractive Ferrari 41/120 accordion. Priced right for a beginner,so I was set.
I soon discovered that playing a musical instrument of any type is a dedication, and requires practice, practice, practice.
I tried self-teaching for a while, and found that as I began to learn, I realized there was soo much more that I did not know.
I live on Northeast Ohio, home to many good musicians, polka bands, rock bands, classical orchestras, on and on.
I would think that accordion teachers would be easy to find. Well, it turns out that these fine musicians are not teachers, and don't want to be teachers.
After months of searching I finally located a teacher that seemed quite accomplished, personable, and wanted to teach accordion. By my second lesson
I found that he was teaching so far over my head, and at a skill level I was far below, I determined this wasn't going to work for me.
I also was able to find several accordion teachers that were not interested in teaching adults---especially a senior adult.
Thinking I knew a way to get around this, and since there were many piano teachers of all sorts in my area, I thought I could take piano lessons, and transfer
many of those skills to the accordion.
With that goal in mind, I purchased a used Casio keyboard. A nice 42 key unit. Gee that was really limited, and way too small, and most people I talked with
suggested I needed a full 88 key instrument to learn on.
I was able to find and purchase a nice used 88 key Yamaha keyboard, and proceeded to make arrangements to start piano lessons.
Whoa !! I was asked if the Yamaha had weighted keys / What the heck are weighted keys ? That keyboard I bought did not have weighted keys.
So back to the market for a nice keyboard, a full 88 key unit with weighted keys. I purchased a New Yamaha P-125 with all the features I needed.
I was now ready to begin my lessons.
Within a couple weeks of buying the new Yamaha keyboard I got a tip of a good accordion teacher.
Lo and behold, and friend gave me a number of a good local accordion teacher, so now I'm back to my original goal.
One heck of a quest to learn to play the accordion.
At this point, because of COVID-9 my lessons have been suspended, and for a period before that, I had several distractions (perceived distractions as they
may have been) I am back to self teaching.
It's been fun, it's been frustrating, it's been aggravating, but I'm still at it, and love it
CHICKERS
