Complete beginner

[marksi]

Hello,
I'd like to start learning the accordion and am especially interested in continental music such as musette, Slavic and also tango and jazz. I live in France and it seems here that many accomplished accordionists use a button chromatique accordion. I already play piano so a keyboard is not new to me but I'm not sure whether to start on a P.A. or tough it out and learn the buttons. One person told me that here the button technique allows for a "lighter" or "quicker" feel required in more advanced playing. Maybe it doesn't matter for a beginner but I can only afford to buy one accordion and I''d like it to be one that I'll have for a long time. Any help advice would be greatly appreciated!

marksi

 

[dunlustin]

I'm biased as I don't play PA.
That said, I suggest CBA ( chroma) for many reasons:
- much more choice of instrument/learning/repair and maintenance.
- easier to find other players
- the more compact layout must have some impact on the music, eg 4/5 finger chords less of a challenge
Also, playing piano is not necessarily all positive - you may be unlearning some aspects + it doesn't help at all with the bellows and not much with the left hand apart from reading (solfege)

 

[maugein96]

Hi marksi,

I'm guessing that although you live in France you may have moved there from elsewhere?

I am Scottish but have mainly played French chromatic button accordions (as an amateur player only). You'll see button accordions referred to as "CBA" (Chromatic Button Accordion) on this forum, and those with piano keys are known as "PA" (Piano Accordion).

Although I am naturally biased towards CBA accordions, as Glenn says you need to make up your mind about which version will suit you best.

With regard to French musette, it can be played on either type of accordion, although most of the old style musette "standards" were composed and written to be played on the CBA. Virtually all of the older musette tunes only use a handful of different CBA fingering patterns and chord progressions, and would be arguably easier to play on a CBA for that reason.

The musette style has changed quite a bit in France over the years, although the CBA accordion has always been the most common instrument there, as you know. The only modern French teaching method I know of that covers both CBA and PA is the book by Richard Galliano (CBA) and his father Luciano (PA). Luciano is Italian and both he and Richard play and teach their respective instruments according to Italian methods.

Most common modern CBA tutor is a set of 3 volumes by Manu Maugain, from the Pontarlier area of France. He teaches modern French style and also has a downloadable method which you need to learn from videos and mp3 files without any book to study. The older French method books are freely available, although they are possibly less suitable for people converting from piano keyboard to CBA.

If you live in the very north of France you may come across the Belgian bass system and two different versions of the chromatic B system on the treble side (on CBAs). These are very specialised instruments, and finding method books and/or teachers might be difficult.

Several forum members have successfully changed over from piano keyboards to button accordion, and you'll obviously have a greater choice of instruments if you go for CBA.

However, there is no need to change over to CBA if you are more comfortable with piano type keyboards. The choice, as they say, is yours.

Bonne chance

 

[JerryPH]

There is not much really to tough out at the beginning. In France you likely have access to more/better CBA than PA, and for people starting out IMHO that is the way to go, however, if you have a knack for PA, want to start PA or have experience with PA, then that is what you proceed with. I myself started with PA and am going to likely die playing PA. :lol: