Hear yourself as others hear you!

[Dingo40]

Ever wonder how your accordion sounds to your audience??
Aside from having someone else playing it, try this.
Sit yourself facing into a corner where two plain walls meet at a right angle, about 2 metres
( yards) out from the actual corner.
Now play!
That's pretty much it: it should be close to how you sound to a listener.

 

[debra]

Ever wonder how your accordion sounds to your audience??
Aside from having someone else playing it, try this.
Sit yourself facing into a corner where two plain walls meet at a right angle, about 2 metres
( yards) out from the actual corner.
Now play!
That's pretty much it: it should be close to how you sound to a listener.

That's a good tip! Thanks. This also helps people who think their bass side isn't loud enough as with the reflection from the walls the balance will be more even and more realistic.
The only thing that won't match how you sound to a listener is that left and right are reversed. Someone listening from closeby (sitting opposite to you) will hear the keyboard side on the left and the bass side on the right.

 

[Dingo40]

Paul,
"The only thing that won't match how you sound to a listener is that left and right are reversed. Someone listening from closeby (sitting opposite to you) will hear the keyboard side on the left and the bass side on the right."
I'm not so sure ?
Since the walls are at 45 degrees to you, the left hand sound is reflected across the angle of the corner, hits your right hand wall at 45 degrees and is then reflected back at you from the right hand side.
The same thing happens to the right hand( in reverse).
Hence, the "polarities" should be reversed, and (allowing for some contamination) you should now hear your right hand with your left ear and your left hand with your right ear.
Anyway, this principle works very well if wanting to see how your face looks to your friends: just look into the corner formed by two mirrors held at right angles to each other!?
(Of course, with the accordion, there's contamination with the sound coming directly from the instrument to your ears by the shortest route)

 

[Pipemajor]

You could always plug one ear then play one handed to check

 

[debra]

You could always plug one ear then play one handed to check

Or "replace" your ears by microphones, record and afterwards check the balance on the recording.

 

[JIM D.]

You can record your accordion and play it back, or listen to it in certain areas but while wearing the accordion and listening by
your self is deceiving. There is an old tried & true method of determining the volume & quality of your accordions sound.
The method requires 2 accordionists and the results will somtimes be rewarding and somtimes a disapointment.
you will need another accordionist for this method. 1 of you to play & 1 to sit at least 10 feet away and listen to the box.
You then reverse positions and repeat a the performance. In all cases your accordion will sound much different than while its
worn.

 

[JeffJetton]

Ever wonder how your accordion sounds to your audience??
Aside from having someone else playing it, try this.
Sit yourself facing into a corner where two plain walls meet at a right angle, about 2 metres
( yards) out from the actual corner.
Now play!
That's pretty much it: it should be close to how you sound to a listener.

Good tip. I'll have to try it!

Do you have any tricks for going the other way around and making the audience hear what I think I sound like?

 

[oldbayan]

Playing in front of a corner is too hot! It's always 90 degrees... ?