Jambalaya - Don't Be Cruel

[JerryPH]

I woke today finally kind of disgusted with myself.  Its been months that I last played/practiced, though I did put on the accordion for about 15 minutes twice in the last 2 months (just to hear the newly tuned Hohner Morino of mine), but short of that... nothing.  This all thanks to having an insane work schedule, cancer operation, dental surgery (a couple days ago), and all other kinds of excuses... and honestly, thats all it really is... excuses.

Here is a video I made in ONE take, no practice and all mistakes left in the video, using 2 cameras and a QSC TouchMix 8 to capture.  I was using the Roland FR-8X and BK-7m arranger.

This video is going to be the benchmark that I use to set my level, and to motivate me to get off my backside and practice... and doing it on December 31st is perfect... 2020 is going to be an accordion year for me, and with promised changes coming for me in work, by mid-January I am going to not have a single excuse to not practice regularly and get better, post more videos and basically really enjoy the accordion once again as much as I can!

So, go ahead, check it out, put bad things in the comments to motivate me to do better in 2020... lol

[video=youtube]
Thanks to TOM for kick-starting my motivation a bit with his video with the same song name.

P.S. - This is not a New Years resolution, as we all know how those end up... lol

 

[Bella]

Oh......wow! What mistakes? Wanna give me some lessons?

As a complete beginner, I'm not tuned in enough to hear anything wrong with that at all. I don't know what to say - I thought it was brilliant. I had just put down my own instrument because my shoulder was aching, but quite pleased with what I had achieved. Baby stuff though.

Hopefully someone else can give you constructive feedback. I hope you'll post some more sometime soon.

Edited to add: scuse my ignorance, but how does a Roland accordion work? I have a Roland keyboard, and know perfectly well it doesn't have hammers that strike strings - so do the bellows actually push air over anything, or are they for show or what? What actually makes the sound?

 

[Tom]

Wow, that was awesome Jerry (as usual)!! I sure hope 2020 turns out wonderful for you and you can put a lot of those troubles behind you.

For the uninitiated of us, are the sounds all native Roland and the backing track comes from the BK-7? Anyway, thanks!

Be careful Bella, with your shoulder. A properly adjusted set of straps and backstrap are essential for your longterm health, as well as your comfort. Please post what you are using and ask for advice because we want you around here for a long time.

 

[JerryPH]

Oh......wow! What mistakes? Wanna give me some lessons?

As a complete beginner, I'm not tuned in enough to hear anything wrong with that at all. I don't know what to say - I thought it was brilliant. I had just put down my own instrument because my shoulder was aching, but quite pleased with what I had achieved. Baby stuff though.

Hopefully someone else can give you constructive feedback. I hope you'll post some more sometime soon.

Edited to add: scuse my ignorance, but how does a Roland accordion work? I have a Roland keyboard, and know perfectly well it doesn't have hammers that strike strings - so do the bellows actually push air over anything, or are they for show or what? What actually makes the sound?

Thanks for the kind words.
A little known fact about me... I am an educator at heart, been an IT trainer/instructor most of my life but the one thing that I will never do is teach music... strange, yes?  It probably stems from my firm belief that I am simply never going to be good enough in my eyes, so I do it now for my own pleasure (when I can) and have a great time.

The bellows are there for the same reason as on an accordion in the sense that as on an accordion (pull more, things get louder), but it also controls the volume of other instruments like organs, strings, etc...  Basically, there is a sensor in the accordion that registers air pressure based on how hard you push-pull and it raises/lowers the volume based on this.

Digital accordions are an acquired taste, some like them, some don't. 

---

Wow, that was awesome Jerry (as usual)!!  I sure hope 2020 turns out wonderful for you and you can put a lot of those troubles behind you.

For the uninitiated of us, are the sounds all native Roland and the backing track comes from the BK-7?  Anyway, thanks!

Be careful Bella, with your shoulder.  A properly adjusted set of straps and backstrap are essential for your longterm health, as well as your comfort.  Please post what you are using and ask for advice because we want you around here for a long time.

Thanks Tom, for more than just your kind words... for the push that motivated me to get moving too. 
Yes 100% native to the Roland accordion and the backing track is 100% factory original BK-7m.

Bella, sound advice from Tom.  If things are not sitting right, you add strain on the shoulders in ways that can hurt you.  Look in to this. 

 

[Dingo40]

Hi Jerry,
Just great! And without recently practicing!

 

[Bella]

I can't get the quote thingy to work.

Shoulder ache - thank you for your concern. I suspect it is mostly down to a shoulder op some years ago. It always aches with unaccustomed exercise (bellows in this case). I won't go into more detail here as this is Jerry's thread. Will find somewhere more appropriate.

Jerry - I can perfectly understand not wanting to teach music. What I can't understand, in the light of your experience as an educator, is why you think you have to be some out-of-reach standard to educate others in music. Surely your work experience has shown you time and again that students frequently learn best from someone who isn't necessarily that far ahead of them. They will learn from other, slightly more advanced students. Or they will learn from someone who motivates them and encourages their enthusiasm. You can be the best teacher in the world, and the one thing you've been trying to get across they end up picking up from a book, or the internet or something.

People learn how they learn, and all the teacher can do is offer what they have. If it's not enough, or not right for the student, point them in another direction. I taught adults for many years. I know from whence I speak.

I'll get off my soapbox now.....
PS happy New year - not long in from party. Bedtime now.

 

[JerryPH]

3.5 hours away from party time here, and a great way to lead up to the new year.

In case I cannot make it on at midnight... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

[Dingo40]

Happy new year to you too, Jerry and to everyone!

And

Bella, I've found, for the welfare of one's shoulder,  it's helpful to keep your elbow low and close in to your side when manipulating the bellows whilst playing 

Jerry, we've had the party: it's midday on New Year's Day here.
The fireworks were louder, more numerous, and lasted far longer than previous years

 

[Tom]

Happy New Year everyone!

And, although Jerry answered about the bellows, for the uninitiated, the Roland digital accordions are like the keyboard, there are no reeds, there is a computer, sounds synthesizer, amplifier and speakers right in the accordion, controlled in part by the movement of the bellows.

 

[Keymn]

I woke today finally kind of disgusted with myself.  Its been months that I last played/practiced, though I did put on the accordion for about 15 minutes twice in the last 2 months (just to hear the newly tuned Hohner Morino of mine), but short of that... nothing.  This all thanks to having an insane work schedule, cancer operation, dental surgery (a couple days ago), and all other kinds of excuses... and honestly, thats all it really is... excuses.

Here is a video I made in ONE take, no practice and all mistakes left in the video, using 2 cameras and a QSC TouchMix 8 to capture.  I was using the Roland FR-8X and BK-7m arranger.

This video is going to be the benchmark that I use to set my level, and to motivate me to get off my backside and practice... and doing it on December 31st is perfect... 2020 is going to be an accordion year for me, and with promised changes coming for me in work, by mid-January I am going to not have a single excuse to not practice regularly and get better, post more videos and basically really enjoy the accordion once again as much as I can!

So, go ahead, check it out, put bad things in the comments to motivate me to do better in 2020... lol

[video=youtube]
Thanks to TOM for kick-starting my motivation a bit with his video with the same song name.

P.S. - This is not a New Years resolution, as we all know how those end up... lol

Keep motivated...Like your video skills too!

 

[Rudzio]

Jerry,
Very NIce