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Bellows shake

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Glenn

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Accordionitas,

I have a technical playing question that some of you may be able to help me with.
Do any of you have a knack of the "bellows shake" action?
I do not appear to be able to get any rhythm into it, or any velocity.
Is it a question of a certain balanced bellows position or simply a lot of shoulder and arm energy and tension.
Tips welcome
 
If done often enough, is it possible to shake an accordion to bits ?. Bellows seals, etc.
 
I am not great at it but I think shoulder and arm energy and tension may detract rather than help, especially when you're getting started. This is what worked for me (though as I say I am not great at it at all). I think if you start with the bellows closed and move the bellows slowly in and out from the forearm and wrist with as little tension as possible, a small movement, as little as possible movement in the instrument overall, and sort of pulling back at the end so there is no collision on the way in - try something like that, although I have not described it very well. Then if you want to increase the volume, you are talking about the same thing but increasing the distance that your wrist moves through. I practiced scales shaking in and out on each note but I think a good way to practice it is playing a tune you know and building in a shake on a few notes only, that way you have to keep control. A good balance on the instrument and being well strapped in, and having the straps so that you can move your left arm freely and move the bellows in and out perpendicular not at an angle, all these things make it easier I think.

That's what I have learned/experienced anyway, or to be honest more what I've seen others do. I am learning one tune that is half shaken at the moment and getting to grips with it has involved putting in less and less energy, not more. But if you look at some great "shakers", they are not necessarily shaking the instrument hard.
 
One member on this forum used to do a fine bellows shake in triplets, I wonder if they read this whether they might have anything to add. ;-)

Two other things: some have criticised a bellows shake as just showing off, but I don't think it is, I just think it is a particular sound to use like any other, no different from fast back and forth bowing on a string instrument (not suited to every style of music obviously) and it does have an intense sound even when quiet. I played a duet (Oblivion) with a young lad who often uses the bellow shake but just on a couple of notes at a time, for an extra kick.

The other thing: goldtopia, I don't know if you can shake a box to bits but I did pull a Hohner bass accordion in two live on stage by playing too loud. (It was quite little, I'm not very.) Perhaps I told you that already, I don't have many funny stories.
 
The bellows shake when done properly will not result in harm to a quality accordion. There are two very good publications if you care to learn --- Palmer&Hughes Bellows Shake Book and The Mastery of the Bellows Shake. You should be able to find them on Amazon. JIM D.
 
I think there can be some confusion between the technique of bellows shaking and that of bellows pulsing. The former , which I'm not at all keen on seems to consist of very definite and visible shaking of the bellows and there are a number of youtube instructional vids on how to do it.

Bellows pulsing is quite different and consists of subtle ''movement within movement'' of the bellows so as to generate an extra layer of rhythm in addition to that played on the treble and bass ends of the box. It is done entirely by fine movement of the wrist at the same time as the arm is getting on with the normal bellows movement in and out.

An easy way to get the hang of it is to hold down a treble note and whilst opening or closing (it doesn't matter which) pulse in a gentle 3/4 rhythm - something on the lines of PULL pull pull etc etc. When that is working try the pulsing in time with um pa pa on the bass. Finally try a waltz with the pulsing on ;top of whatever bass or treble is being played.

Pulsing can also of course be used to provide additional 4/4 ,6/8 or whatever rhythm you require.

Sir Jimmy Shand made good use of it!

Like all bits of embellishment it should be used sparingly and never throughout the proceedings!

george
 
The pulsing technique is very nice. Just to be clear then, all my comments above relate to bellows shaking.
 
Matt Butcher said:
One member on this forum used to do a fine bellows shake in triplets, I wonder if they read this whether they might have anything to add. ;-)

Im not that member since this is only my second post, but I do bellow shake in triplets. How did I develop the technique you ask? It just came to me one day playing in my polka band and thought it was cool, so I figured out how to do it consistantly. I find that the bellow width (how much the bellows are opened?) has to be just right as you are relying upon the bellows to slap (I know that sound rash, but the accordion can take it) on the case to make it sort of bounce at the right frequency. Not sure if its the right explanation, but it works.


Matt Butcher said:
Two other things: some have criticised a bellows shake as just showing off, but I dont think it is, I just think it is a particular sound to use like any other, no different from fast back and forth bowing on a string instrument (not suited to every style of music obviously) and it does have an intense sound even when quiet.

If you are playing US Eastern Style Polka Music you must bellow shake when the brass or reeds are taking the lead. As you point out its a lot like a fiddle player adding that amplitude modulated chord sound to the group. You can even take a nice waltz and add some soft bellow shaking to give a fuller sound. (As opposed to just holding chords)

Matt Butcher said:
I played a duet (Oblivion) with a young lad who often uses the bellow shake but just on a couple of notes at a time, for an extra kick.

The other thing: goldtopia, I dont know if you can shake a box to bits but I did pull a Hohner bass accordion in two live on stage by playing too loud. (It was quite little, Im not very.) Perhaps I told you that already, I dont have many funny stories.

Ive never had an accordion that was shaken to bits. Normal maintenance only.

Walt
 
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