Hi from South Devon

[BobM]

Hi, I'm Bob M from South Devon. I've been a professional musician for over 40 years but am new to the Accordion (two and a half years). I got into the Accordion by chance and am now really enjoying the challenge and the new musical life.
I had very little right hand keyboard skills apart from MIDI data entry, but I've taken to the Stradella side much quicker, due to years of reading chord charts and overlooking keyboard players etc.
I play a Brandoni 38 LMMM with a "lopsided" tuning on the "Ms", and a Weltmeister Achat.

 

[Matt Butcher]

Hi Bob, good to see you on here, I have picked up a lot of good tips and ideas from your postings on other forums.

 

[Glenn]

Hi Bob,
Welcome to the forum.
I had to think a bit as to what LMMM meant.
Now I've sussed it:
LMMM = Musette tuning
LMMH = piccolo tuning

I have a Ballone Burini 46C LMMH as I wanted to play jazz at some point and thought it may give me more options.

By the way, is the lopsided musette tuning a concious choice or has it just happened that way?

 

[BobM]

Hi Bob,


By the way, is the lopsided musette tuning a concious choice or has it just happened that way?

I was being a bit sloppy there..

Because I’m in no way a purist, ie, I don’t see myself playing ALL Musette or Scots etc, I’ve gone for a tuning whereby I can have “incremental” register changes.
I’ve got the M+ set tuned 16% up and the M- tuned -5% down, the Mid is A440. I worked it out the the ‘pooter, and took a gamble that it would work and I’m very pleased with it.
Briefly, I’ve got a swing tuned M set, a soft Musette M, a Bandoeon x3, and a teeth rattling M +/M- no mid, and a few in between.
The outcome is that the changes in register are less extreme and a little more “modern” to my ears.

Am looking forward to some good threads on here.

BobM.

 

[Soulsaver]

Hi Bob Good to see you here. If you did the tuning y'self I'd welcome your input when I start a thread of 'how do you get started tunin''

 

[Glenn]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the explanation.
I had often thought of such a solution myself but never thought that it could be done unless I did it myself.
I also have an Accordiola Piano V which is (as the name suggests) a 5 voice instrument (ie LMMMH).
At present the MMMH musette is quite (wet) and choosing -MM or -MMH where the upper M is less detuned would be a nice option.
How on earth could that be achieved on a 30 year old instrument without writing a blank cheque

 

[BobM]

Hi Bob,


How on earth could that be achieved on a 30 year old instrument without writing a blank cheque

Er, I took the blank cheque option and had bought new, specifying the tuning. A big risk, it took a month of fiddling around on the computer to work it all out going through the octaves etc.
Like I said, the purists may not like it, but as I’m unlikely to achieve a fast right hand it does enable me to “paint” an arrangement, moving through octaves and registers etc.

I wouldn’t have a go at tuning myself, as I’m quite close to Southwest Accordions..

 

[Glenn]

I too have already tried the blank cheque option for my new BB accordion.
To do it again for large overhaul of the Accordiola may stretch my wife's patience beyond its natural limits.
The idea sounds good though.
Do you have any recording of your accordion so we can hear the result of all that computer calculation?

 

[jarvo]

I too have already tried the blank cheque option for my new BB accordion.
To do it again for large overhaul of the Accordiola may stretch my wifes patience beyond its natural limits.
The idea sounds good though.
Do you have any recording of your accordion so we can hear the result of all that computer calculation?

Sorry.....can I just read that again..........Wife....Patience, Natural and Limits........blimey do those words belong in the same paragraph ,never mind the same sentence .....or you are very lucky.................shes behind me isnt she ?! :shock:

 

[jarvo]

Hi bob.....greetings....I did not realise you were devon based....I look at old Buneliks web page for SouthDevon accordions quite often.....and wistfully :mrgreen:

 

[BobM]

Do you have any recording of your accordion so we can hear the result of all that computer calculation?

I haven’t got anything just yet. I’m wary about putting stuff out at this stage, because I still play other instruments professionally. I could maybe do an .mp3 and pm it to you.

 

[Glenn]

Understood.....
Maybe a short .mp3 demo would satiate my curiosity as to what can be done with your idea.