Hello fellow Accordionists!

[HjST]

Hello fellow Accordionists!
I am currently a frustrated injured accordion player who overdid it some four months ago, and is in need of help from an AA (Accordions Anonymous) group!

I have been playing for around 15 years (I think), but I feel I have only greatly improved in the last couple of years since playing for morris and meeting a lot of new people through that!
Folk music is what I play: anything from English to bits of Scottish, Irish, Welsh & more from further afield (not that I know where everything comes from). I have also been picking up more French tunes more recently.
My preferred method of learning is by ear, but my music reading skills are catching up...

Here are some recordings: – although whenever I listen to them back, I think Im sure I can play that better than that!.

 

[Anyanka]

Hi & welcome! I'm always especially happy to see a fellow folkie on here. I'm just listening to your soundcloudery. NICE.

PS Schottische a Bethanie - WOW. I've played that with my French dance band, and really struggle with it at speed. Hats off.

 

[Jim the box]

Welcome HjST, can I echo Anyankas comments about a fellow folkie and just add that I liked "MaDe Schottische" on SoundCloud and it is well played. :tup:

 

[HjST]

I did also mean to say "Hi, I'm Humphrey" but that seemed to slip by... as did being from Leicestershire.

Thank you, I learnt The Plane Tree first because I liked it, then I heard Schottische a Bethanie and I liked that even more so! It is such a great tune, but it was with tunes like this (with the bass I like to play going all over the place) that caused me to do my left hand in (thumb tendon)

If anyone should have any tips for large repeated jumps without injuring oneself - they would be greatly appreciated. (Although not attempting to do so much in one week would have been a better start)

Thank you Jim – That was a tune I learnt, but then couldn't remember how or where I'd learnt it as I couldn't remember hearing anyone play it! (I have found I can play it pretty well on a three B-System button accordion too, despite the dodgy reeds – I want to spend some time with a full five row B-system before any spending money)

 

[Jim the box]

Thank you Jim – That was a tune I learnt, but then couldnt remember how or where Id learnt it as I couldnt remember hearing anyone play it! (I have found I can play it pretty well on a three B-System button accordion too, despite the dodgy reeds – I want to spend some time with a full five row B-system before any spending money)

Speaking as the owner of a 5 row B system and one who started on piano accordion (pa), I can say that changing was the best thing that Ive done.

You wont regret spending the money and it will help you with those jumps. :tup:

 

[Soulsaver]

Hi Humphrey - I can never get onto SC straight away, so after the ovation you've got from some I'll be sure to get over there when I have a min... but welcome from me too.

 

[HjST]

Ah except that changing the right hand won't help my left hand much...
I had tried picking up a melodeon before I was lent the 3row B-system, but found some tunes wouldn't play under my fingers.

Take MaDe Schottische for example, I go from Bm to C major and back to B or E minor, but often I'm down the G end and want the minor chord of B (counter-bass doesn't quite cut it, although it has made me look at c-b B with Dmaj giving an effective Bm7)

I have been wondering about shifting the reeds in the reed block along one, causing the buttons to move round two — logic tells me it should work. (60 Bass accordion)
For most tunes I'm between the chords of C and B but occasionally I will stick in Eb/Bb/F (Horses Bransle comes to mind - I think the recording on soundcloud shows that, but it will have been when I was first trying out those chords) so having C and F in the counter-bass above C# & G# may be of more use to me.

Basically, I like to jump around a lot, and managed to overdo it one week – so it was probably the playing too much that caused my problems more so than the jumps...
As for a jolly jumpy[rh] tune – take a look at Bluebell Polka, the B part took some figuring out of the fingering to reach all the notes!

 

[jarvo]

Hello Humphrey ...had a listen to some of the tunes on your page, some very nice things there....I am not particularly a "Folkie" like Jim Box and Anyanka but do dip a toe in the genre to try out different styles and techniques....I belong to the school of Conservatory and Garden Shed Crap...and don't take myself too seriously ...but have been known to launch a dolly or two out of the pram !!

Welcome aboard....I was originally from next door county ,Notts but cleared off......

Jarvo

 

[Glenn]

Hi Humphrey. Welcome indeed.
Very nice recordings on your sound cloud. How many attempts did it take to get them recorded?
Also hear nice tones from your accordion. What are you playing at the moment?

You mention your injury is due to too much playing. Is it an RSI type problem?
I think some other members of the forum have similar issues. Maybe worth starting a thread that discusses how accordionist can overcome this frustrating disability.

 

[Jim the box]

Ah except that changing the right hand wont help my left hand much...
I had tried picking up a melodeon before I was lent the 3row B-system, but found some tunes wouldnt play under my fingers.

Take MaDe Schottische for example, I go from Bm to C major and back to B or E minor, but often Im down the G end and want the minor chord of B (counter-bass doesnt quite cut it, although it has made me look at c-b B with Dmaj giving an effective Bm7)

I have been wondering about shifting the reeds in the reed block along one, causing the buttons to move round two — logic tells me it should work. (60 Bass accordion)

Ah the old left had thing? A lot of posts on this site are dedicated to the old left hand thing, you are not alone.

I certainly do not recommend changing the reed blocks (what happens when you want to change your box?) I know it is a pain jumping but there are other ways (using counter bass), although in the end it just comes down to practice. {}

Listening to SoundCloud it sounds like you are changing bellows direction in random places? Can I make a small suggestion that you try to change direction at the end of an eight bar phrase instead?
Again something else to practice, sorry. :hb

 

[dunlustin]

Welcome, I really enjoyed your playing.
Your enthusiasm for the "box" comes through - and your curiosity - plus a confidence in the performance (Thanks to Morris?)
As to the 5-row a lot of people seem to end up on that slippery slope even if only as a secret pleasure.
It took me about 40 years - Crabb 40 keyAnglo, Hohner ADG 3row, Casali BCC# +Stradella, C-system CBA.
I do wish it hadn't taken so long!

 

[HjST]

Thank you dunlustin, I think playing for morris in the the last few years has certainly helped, and the feeling of improvement pushed me to improve further. I actually started out in street theatre, so have always been playing in front of people, and I enjoy watching people dance whilst I play!

My current box is 60 bass 30 treble 3 voice Luciano (although I now understand it to be a re-branded Weltmeister) – I got it because it's light enough for performing standing up.

Jim, I don't quite follow what you mean about when I change box...
When I changed to this smaller 60 bass, I already had one tune that forced me to jump instead of relying on the counter-bass, which has led to the more varied chords I like to play today. What I would now like is to have the option of using those chords up there when I need, not because I want to be lazy. (It may also help to relieve some of the strain when I am using the buttons at the top end)
Fair comment about the bellows – I have never given it much thought, and I don't think that the person I learnt from originally ever gave any thought (but then the accordion only played a small part in his bigger picture).
I quite like the quote : "Amateurs practice until they get it right; professionals practice until they no longer get it wrong." — I have a number of skills where I know I am an amateur; but my aim, by this definition, is to be professional.
I think this forum should be a great help in nudging me in the right direction, although you will have to bear with me whilst I can't play in full: but in the meantime I hope I can be of some help to others!

Hi Glenn, as I'm not so fond of recording myself, I would play through the same tune a few times and pick the best one afterwards – I find playing out to be much less daunting than recording, where each and every mistake can be replayed immediately.

RSI : tendinitis of the thumb tendon on the left hand (quite how, when I'm not consciously using it!) — I was out playing almost every night the week before, and practising for hours during the day in preparation for a gig at the weekend. Six days in I had to stop playing the left hand and wore a brace for a while. On the bright side, my right hand has become ever more sharp on the keys and I've started to actually look at where my fingers are going!
I will start a topic (after searching what others have said): although at the moment, I'm still simply trying to recover - as I can't play for longer than ten/fifteen minutes before I have to stop.

Also, thank you jarvo and soulsaver: I must say I'm not entirely sure how or why I ended up here, but I'm sure all will become clear eventually!

 

[donn]

Jim, I dont quite follow what you mean about when I change box...

Buy, borrow or steal an accordion other than the one to which youve become accustomed, I think he meant.

 

[Jim the box]

Buy, borrow or steal an accordion other than the one to which youve become accustomed, I think he meant.

I couldnt have put it better myself donn :tup:

 

[HjST]

Whenever picking up a different box, don't you always take a moment to get your bearings?

 

[jarvo]

I have to do that just standing up ...never mind strapping on a different box !!

But I know what you mean .....I have to take a brief time to adjust between my own Roland Vee 1 (Spawn of Satan to some here !) and my Scandalli 80 Firewood.....and the ukulele completely baffles me !! Picking up someone elses instrument (by their leave of course ) of any sort and I am all at sea.....

J

 

[Jim the box]

I have to do that just standing up ...never mind strapping on a different box !!

But I know what you mean .....I have to take a brief time to adjust between my own Roland Vee 1 (Spawn of Satan to some here !) and my Scandalli 80 Firewood.....and the ukulele completely baffles me !! Picking up someone elses instrument (by their leave of course ) of any sort and I am all at sea.....

J

When strapping on someone else’s box its always the straps that I find take time to get used to as they are never adjusted how I would like them (too tight, too loose or with older accordions too thin).
Then there is the different sound, the different feel, the different size, the different colour etc. etc.

If its any help the ukulele completely baffles me too :lol:

 

[HjST]

The most recent box I picked up that wasn't mine had a number of things wrong: So I start playing a tune and a some of the chords aren't really all there, and the same with the right hand, some of the key notes were lacking oomph. I can't remember the description given to me by the owner - other than it had got a little wet recently... So I'm playing a tune with this box that's not all there and the straps start falling off my shoulders. I played until the end of the tune, but it was absolutely terrible!

 

[Jim the box]

The most recent box I picked up that wasnt mine had a number of things wrong: So I start playing a tune and a some of the chords arent really all there, and the same with the right hand, some of the key notes were lacking oomph. I cant remember the description given to me by the owner - other than it had got a little wet recently... So Im playing a tune with this box thats not all there and the straps start falling off my shoulders. I played until the end of the tune, but it was absolutely terrible!

Been there myself HjST, :hb it does make you appreciate what you have got though. :tup: