Bass registers...

[losthobos]

Ok, we often talk about treble registers and voicing LM.. LMMH.. CassottoLMM etc
What can anyone tell me about the bass registers... And how many notes sound ie is a c chord three notes from one octave or are more layered on from other octaves....
Enlighten me please... Seems sometimes there are more voices on the bass end than to treble...
Is there a descriptive chart perhaps
Thanks

 

[Glug]

Here's the bass registers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stradella_bass_system#Register_switches

So a C major chord is C+E+G played in up to 3 voices (Contralto, Alto, Soprano), so up to 9 reeds.
On old accordions (50's I think) the 7th chords can be 4 notes.

C bass can be 1 to 5 voices.

 

[losthobos]

Cheers Glug... Just what i wanted to see...
Now i want to hear....
Was only considering this question as if I was to have an accordion custom made id wanna do away with the expense and weight of any reeds thst i wouldn't use....
Ps... I live in a fantasy world with endless piles of time and cash...

 

[debra]

Cheers Glug... Just what i wanted to see...
Now i want to hear....
Was only considering this question as if I was to have an accordion custom made id wanna do away with the expense and weight of any reeds thst i wouldn't use....
Ps... I live in a fantasy world with endless piles of time and cash...

No need to live in that fantasy world. Smaller accordions that have just two bass registers typically only have a 4 voice bass system which is lighter and is really all you need. A 5 voice bass gives you more choices, involving a higher 5th voice, which you often do not want on the bass side. The 5th voice (and registers) makes the accordion heavier and more expensive. Even most large heavy Russian bayans just give you a 4 voice bass (but the chords are made up of notes from a single octave which is a bit of a bummer.

 

[Glug]

Yep, my Hohner Lucia has 4 bass reed sets (contralto missing) and 3 bass registers.
I mostly use 'soft bass' / 'bass piano' because it balances with RH violin better and you can hear the treble clearly.

 

[losthobos]

Exactly Glug... So I'm assuming soft bass/piano setting is actually only using 3 sets of reeds rather than 4...and there is the weight loss... Perhaps
If anyone could verify.... Thanks

 

[Glug]

Hohner Lucia IV P (1959) bass: four banks of Hohner 'T' reeds, each of which is G to F# (so bass is G1-F#2, no contralto).

Low register: bass = bass+tenor+alto, chord = alto
Master register: bass = bass+tenor+alto+soprano, chord = alto+soprano
High register: bass = tenor+soprano, chord = soprano

So I use 'Low' mostly which I think is the equivalent of 'Soft Bass'.