Advice on playing more gently

[Jaime_Dergut]

Hello dear accordion community,

I hope you are all doing okay.

Recently, I found this sheet music online for free, and I remember it is a well know song written by Ludwig Van Bethoven.

Beethoven, Ludwig van - Ode to Joy (Beginners) for Accordion - Free Sheet music for Accordion | 8notes.com

Download print and play Beethoven, Ludwig van Ode to Joy (Beginners) Free Sheet music for Accordion | 8notes.com

www.8notes.com

Now, I noticed that, while the score suggest keeping a sustained note on the bass, I find it somehow unpleasant and overwhelming for the treble side, if I do it most of the time.

I found out it kind of sounds more gentle if I play using brief beats on the bass instead of keeping it sustained, but what are your thoughts about playing scores like this?


Thanks for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Jaime, a lucky man.

 

[Tom]

I would agree with you that the shorter bass notes would sound better. Maybe try to do half notes, or combination of half and quarter notes in the bass in some sort of musical fashion, like ascending, descending, etc. that make sense with the treble melody. For example, in the last 3 measures half notes of G, E, C, E, G, C or some such. Good luck!!!!

 

[Scuromondo]

It might depend on which bass register is being selected. I would not use Master for playing something like this, but it might be worth trying another register that has fewer simultaneous noted being played; such as soft bass or tenor.

 

[niels]

It would be a bit much to my taste as well... Personally I would mix it up, maybe emphasize some bits with sustained notes.

 

[debra]

Here is what we played long ago...
Song of Joy
It's in A major, but it has different bass notes.
As for registration, it is indeed best not to use the Master bass register but something like LM(M), and if the bass overpowers the treble you can play the treble in something like LMH or Master and play it 8va.

 

[dak]

Hello dear accordion community,

Beethoven, Ludwig van - Ode to Joy (Beginners) for Accordion - Free Sheet music for Accordion | 8notes.com

Download print and play Beethoven, Ludwig van Ode to Joy (Beginners) Free Sheet music for Accordion | 8notes.com

www.8notes.com

Now, I noticed that, while the score suggest keeping a sustained note on the bass, I find it somehow unpleasant and overwhelming for the treble side, if I do it most of the time.

I found out it kind of sounds more gentle if I play using brief beats on the bass instead of keeping it sustained, but what are your thoughts about playing scores like this?

I hear that more in the vein of piano than harmonium. Now if you are not confined by the lack of fantasy of electronic accordion manufacturers (but for those, you can just use a plucked bass sound), your accordion is an analog instrument. Nobody forces you to confine the use of your bass buttons to "on" and "off" which means that you can play them percussively, with a definite note start and an indefinite decay where the note fades out instead of persisting as a drone. Here is an example (I mismanaged my sound recorder, so all you get is the camera sound)

 

[Joakim Monsen]

Good question, Jaime — and I think your instincts are spot on.

In fact, that version of Ode to Joy isn’t really arranged for accordion — not in a way that takes the instrument’s dynamics and balance into account. It looks more like a simple melody-and-bass sketch, not a musically satisfying accordion version.

A lot of “beginner” sheet music online misses this — they often borrow piano habits (like sustained bass notes) that can make accordion playing feel awkward or even discouraging.

Using shorter, articulated bass notes or even reworking the bass line to fit the phrasing more musically often gives a much more natural result. I’ve helped several learners work through similar pieces where we reshape the accompaniment to feel more playable and musical on accordion.

If you’re experimenting, try using lighter bass registers or creating your own left-hand patterns that breathe more with the melody.


Joakim