Bellows control

[losthobos]

Thats a rather hurtful comment, Losthobos.

Sorry Panya, no offence intended... merely a pun that George and Jim spotted... Lost in translation...

 

[JIM D.]

Never a problem - as here 99% of our members here have a sense of humor and take our post's for what intended.
And of course there are always the 1% that fail to see or understand the meaning or intention of the post itself. :tup:

 

[Panya37]

Thanks Losthobos. I did spot the pun but as it followed immediately after my comment it just seemed a bit pointed...obviously I was being over-sensitive. No problem! :ch {}

Oh dear it's snowballing; I've just seen your post Jim D. I can't understand why you felt you had to add that divisive comment. I think I'll be reconsidering being a member of this forum at this rate.

 

[JIM D.]

As I just posted - there will always be the 1% that will take a comment on this forum or any other reason weather the intent is helpful , informative , or humorous will take a negative instead of a positive intent of the post.
Since the inception of this Forum the members here (past and present) have always bantered back and forth with a reasonable sense of humor. Sometimes comical and in most all cases informative and educational. :tup:

Musically Yours; JIM D.

 

[Panya37]

Jim, Just repeating a divisive comment doesn't actually improve the situation. I feel it is very unjust to publicly portray me as the humourless, negative 1% who has no sense of humour. You really don't know me at all. I am not going to go on here and turn this into one of those ugly squabbles I so hate to see on forums; I won't be commenting again.

 

[JIM D.]

Just sent you a PM.

We seem to be off the thread here. :tup:

 

[Pianoman1]

Re belllows control - I am currently having lessons - the main emphasis of my teacher is smooth and correct use of the bellows to a timed beat I am too jumpy apparently and to rough! I can hear the difference in the sound I produce already

 

[george garside]

practising playing very quietly is a very good way to get the hang of smooth bellows control. Playing quietly is something a great many box players never do!

In real world playing to get the best dynamics most of a tune should be played around mid volume (of a particular box) so that you can go louder or QUIETER as required to go to town on the dynamics. Unfortunately there are those who only know how to go louder - and then stay there forever!

george

 

[Jim the box]

I've always had trouble phrasing using the bellows, I'm either changing direction too soon or if I leave it a while too late and end up trying to pull my arm back in along with all the bellows. Then this all changes with dynamics or coupler choice. :hb

There’s probably already a thread on this :?:

 

[george garside]

with really smooth bellows control there should be little or no audible indication of a change in bellows direction and direction can be changed mid phrase, although the purists will probably frown on so doing!.

Good players of the British chromatic system do it regularly and and anybody not watching the ins and outs wouldn't be able to pick out where they occur. The key to this is to keep the bellows as tight as possible as you have far great control than when they are unnecessarily waving around in the wind!

It is also possible to 'feather' a change of bellows direction with a quick dab on the air button!

george

 

[Jim the box]

with really smooth bellows control there should be little or no audible indication of a change in bellows direction and direction can be changed mid phrase...

That sounds like me, though I think it looks better it the bellows move in and out to a rhythm - say every 4 bars :?:
At least this is what I am trying to achieve. :tup:

It is also possible to 'feather' a change of bellows direction with a quick dab on the air button!

I must admit that I haven't heard of that one before :?

 

[JIM D.]

What George mentions here is the main purpose the air button was designed for. :tup:

 

[Jim the box]

I think that I'm going to have to have a play with this concept tonight.

 

[JerryPH]

It is also possible to 'feather' a change of bellows direction with a quick dab on the air button!

That is very accordion specific. On a bandoneon or concertina, this is a common technique (one that albeit makes "regular" accordion players frown and ask why they cannot play music when pushing as well as pulling... lol), but on accordions like mine for example, it's physically impossible. My hand is so deep that it is not the wrist that is against the bass strap, but mid forearm (visualize the thumb touching the middle of the Stradella bass area). Unless I could grow the thumb an extra 10 or more inches and bend it back enough to touch the forearm while playing, this technique is never going to happen, so I have to depend on more traditional techniques.

 

[george garside]

Jerry, you could always have the air button converted to an air bar as on the British Chromatic, usually something in the region of 5 or 6 inches but some prefer it even longer. A 5 inch bar can be reached quite naturally when playing in Ab

george

 

[Bill V]

The only time I use the air button is to get the accordion in its case.

 

[JerryPH]

Jerry, you could always have the air button converted to an air bar as on the British Chromatic, usually something in the region of 5 or 6 inches but some prefer it even longer.

I suppose that could be an option for those that have the issue, for me, it was never an issue and its not that important anymore... maybe in my conservatory days it was worthy of my attention, but now, who really cares if I partially cut a note, most of the time I do pretty well, all things considered.

The only time I use the air button is to get the accordion in its case.

Not even after playing a song and preparing for the next one? {}

 

[george garside]

The only time I use the air button is to get the accordion in its case.

does that mean you always start playing on the pull from the bellows closed position?

george

 

[Soulsaver]

Generally I dont find it difficult to avoid inappropriately timed bellows direction changes.. so I think it must becomes near 2nd nature if you put in some effort to avoid it. It is usually the most obvious error in self taught players... I cant believe how good this guy is and still ...

 

[Bill V]

I have not noticed before that I automatically use my thumb on it after strapping it on, same as between tunes,of course being 80 I do lapse into a dream world occasionally , at least my wife thinks so.