I finally have an accordion

[dhbailey52]

I'm a professional musician, teacher, conductor, trumpeter. I teach and repair all woodwind and brass instruments, and also play guitar, bass, mandolin, violin, piano (not very good at that). I have long been in awe of accordionists and had just decided to investigate the world of accordion when I was visiting my son (also a professional musician and teacher). I mentioned I was thinking of looking into accordions and he said "Do you want one? I've got one you can have!" He plays in an early jazz group and the clarinetist/leader had sold him a Marca D'Oro 120-bass accordion so my son could learn it for a few of the pieces they perform. My son was going to start learning but he quickly realized that his life was already too full and that he would never have the time so it just sat in the closet for a few months. Now it is sitting in my house waiting for a new case and new shoulder straps and I plan to learn it. Which brings me to my membership in this forum -- I'll be reading for hints/tips on playing, practicing, learning as well as for suggestions about books and other web-sites to learn from. I've seen the FAQ message already and am investigating those links. I'm excited -- I've always loved the sound of the accordion and have always been in awe of those who have mastered the bass section and can coordinate both hands to create amazing music. I know it will take a lot of time, but I'm willing and ready and now I finally have an accordion!

 

[Glenn]

Welcome to the forum. You clearly have a lot of musical experience to bring us here. Maybe the posts on learning multiple instruments may be of interest to you (if you haven't seen them already). Look forward to your participation.

 

[Happy girl]

I’m excited for you too dhballey52.

With your enthusiasm you have won half the battle already, &, as a professional musician, the rest should be relatively easy for you.

You will soon be tinkering with your newfound acquisition to the extent that repairing & fixing them will become an added string to your bow.

I predict that your accordion will bring you lots of joy; you will get the hang of it in no time & you will want to assert to your fellow musicians all the virtues & wonders of your ‘new best friend’.

Good luck, best wishes & let us know if you have won any converts amongst your group.

 

[Geronimo]

Im excited -- Ive always loved the sound of the accordion and have always been in awe of those who have mastered the bass section and can coordinate both hands to create amazing music. I know it will take a lot of time, but Im willing and ready and now I finally have an accordion!

Youll be delighted to hear that the accordion is such a versatile instrument that I am currently working hard at uncoordinating both hands to create amazing music. Of course, on a piano playing four-part music (like the well-tempered clavier) requires, when excellently done, uncoordinating four voices even when the execution requires some of them to switch the hand in charge in midstream. I am sort of glad that the physical sections in an accordion have more or less fixed assignments to different voices: making them sound different is probably a bit less of a brain-twister than on a piano.

I think as a beginner you are likely not bad off focusing on music typical for the accordion as it tends to yield the best return of investment for your time as long as this corresponds reasonably well with music you can enjoy playing.

 

[dhbailey52]

Thanks for the warm welcome everybody! I did see the thread about multiple instruments andpkan to jump in later tonight or tomorrow morning. My new shoulder straps arrived and I’ve begun playing, putting what I’ve been reading to use and fuguring out a C major scale with the bass buttons. I’m happy that with my reading and an off-hand discussion withan accordionist a week ago the bassbuttons actually make sense to me. Lookout world here I come!

 

[maugein96]

Hi DH,

Welcome to the forum. I played quite a few instruments here in Scotland, before I took up the accordion, but my preference is for French musette so I went onto CBA (Chromatic Button Accordion) and had to teach myself. I did two years on trumpet at school, but the teacher told me to go and find a jazz band, as I kept swinging the classics to the utter disgust of the school music teachers. The Brass teacher thought it was funny as he played in a jazz band, and I'm sure the music teachers thought he had led me astray. The school took their trumpet back and I never played one again.

The very little music theory I was taught was rapidly forgotten, and unless I can start the beginning of a tune off more or less by ear I don't even try to play it. I use the scores to work out the bits where my ears aren't clever enough. Personally I find that playing tunes when sight reading is like running a marathon with an anvil tied to your ankle.

Turns out I never made much of a job of the accordion. I can play a bit, but the consistency just isn't there. I really needed a teacher, but CBA teachers are about as common as Eskimos in the Sahara here in Scotland.

With your musical knowledge and experience it should be a bit easier. Bellows control is difficult at first, as are the bass buttons, which you obviously cannot see. I've never played a piano keyboard, but those who have say there is a difference in touch between piano and accordion keys. No doubt you'll find your way. My problem was that, being fairly competent on the guitar, I had trouble holding myself back and just wanted to pick the box up and play it without learning the basics.

Playing treble keys in unison with the basses whilst working the bellows is a bit like the old rub your stomach whilst you pat your head exercise, but you'll get there.

I am hesitant to dare to offer advice to somebody as well qualified in music as you are. All I'll say is that most of us take several years on the accordion before things start to come naturally. It took me maybe 5 years before I could start to experiment with putting embellishments into tunes. After 10 years I realised I was destined to be a lifetime amateur. A standalone French musette repertoire is just not viable in Scotland, where people expect to listen to Scottish traditional music whenever an accordion is produced. I've played on and off for over 30 years, since I was 32, and have had a lot of pleasure playing in my own little world. Most of my enjoyment these days comes from listening and reading about French and Belgian players in whatever media I can find.

With your musical contacts I would imagine you'll be in a vastly different position, so don't wear those bellows straps out too quickly!

 

[Geronimo]

Personally I find that playing tunes when sight reading is like running a marathon with an anvil tied to your ankle.

Reminds me of the late Ueli Steck, a Swiss mountaineer famous for running up Himalayan mountains without artificial oxygen and being down again before height sickness had a chance to take hold. He practiced in the Swiss mountains by dragging up a lorry or tractor tire he called the beast. I would expect that meeting him either in the Alps or the Himalaya would have been a frustrating experience.

Sight readers are less of a unique sight, I guess.

Turns out I never made much of a job of the accordion. I can play a bit, but the consistency just isnt there. I really needed a teacher, but CBA teachers are about as common as Eskimos in the Sahara here in Scotland.

So take a PA teacher. An accordion teacher who feels the most important thing to learn on an accordion is piano fingering patterns is a piano teacher in disguise anyway. There is so much else to get a hang of in order to get better results than from a cheap electronic keyboard.

 

[Anyanka]

Welcome to the forum, DH, and congratulations on entering the Wonderful World of Accordions. As a professional & multi-instrumentalist, you'll have a head start with the instrument. What kind of music do you play (professionally or for pleasure)?

 

[JeffJetton]

Congrats and welcome, DH! {}

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

Hello DH,

Firstly, a warm welcome to the forum.

Your musical aptitude will doubtless make your journey easier and shorter, and I wish you good luck with your endeavours.

You have arrived at the accordion by a circuitous route, but it is great that you have finally made it.

The accordion is an incredibly expressive instrument, as you know, and I feel sure that you will be delighted by the sounds you will soon be able to make with it.

Kind Regards,

Stephen.