Long-term piano accordionist newly learning CBA - experiences?

[vivdunstan]

Would it be possible to scan two or three pages, so I could see, how do excercises look like?
I'd hate to buy it and realise that it doesn't agree with me. It's 25 € after all ...

Have a look at this link and you’ll see some of the pages.

Exercices techniques - Gammes

Find the score of Exercices techniques - Gammes by MAUGAIN Manu on www.henry-lemoine.com, as well as all our Accordion catalog.

www.henry-lemoine.com

I’m really impressed by how much it crams in. Including compact variant fingerings for many exercises.

 

[Lenart]

C system would be correct for you? I see your location listed as Slovenia and that might mean more prevalence of B system I think?

C system by all means. B is used more for Balkan tunes. I'm Oberkriner guy who just wants to learn to play different type of accordeon

 

[Lenart]

Have a look at this link and you’ll see some of the pages.

Exercices techniques - Gammes

Find the score of Exercices techniques - Gammes by MAUGAIN Manu on www.henry-lemoine.com, as well as all our Accordion catalog.

www.henry-lemoine.com

I’m really impressed by how much it crams in. Including compact variant fingerings for many exercises.

I saw those pictures but I find them too small. I can't see proper. Maybe I'm spoiled.
I would really like to see, let's say, three pages out of that book - for example pages 18, 36 and 48 to get a better insight.
Oh, and most important - is fingering for CBA or PA?

 

[dunlustin]

" is fingering for CBA or PA?"
As there are indications above and below the notes, I guess he gives both

Edit: logical but wrong - thanks to Vivd in next post

 

[vivdunstan]

I saw those pictures but I find them too small. I can't see proper. Maybe I'm spoiled.
I would really like to see, let's say, three pages out of that book - for example pages 18, 36 and 48 to get a better insight.
Oh, and most important - is fingering for CBA or PA?

I’ll see what I can do.

But the fingering is just for CBA. C system. That is all the book teaches.

The fingering above is counting from thumb as 0, numbers below count from thumb as 1 (2 different notation formats - I use the latter).

 

[vivdunstan]

Just recorded a version to share of the tune I played for my Mum this afternoon on the chromatic button accordion - no piano keyboard - that I am still figuring out where all the notes are This tune is Sous Le Ciel De Paris. I promised to play this for her, learning it afresh on my CBA.

Given I was feeling really light headed today (thanks neurological illness!), and was also struggling to read the sheet music by the time I recorded this version after we got home I am very happy with that!

This tune really stretched me in my CBA learning, and was one I dearly wanted to learn. It was the very first thing I played on unpacking the French squeezebox last year, playing some bars by ear, goodness only knows in what key! And it's also one of my Mum's all time favourite tunes. I am going to continue challenging myself with tricky tunes, alongside working on more fundamental repeated exercises.

P.S. Played on this instrument:

 

[dak]

Just recorded a version to share of the tune I played for my Mum this afternoon on the chromatic button accordion - no piano keyboard - that I am still figuring out where all the notes are This tune is Sous Le Ciel De Paris. I promised to play this for her, learning it afresh on my CBA.

Given I was feeling really light headed today (thanks neurological illness!), and was also struggling to read the sheet music by the time I recorded this version after we got home I am very happy with that!

This tune really stretched me in my CBA learning, and was one I dearly wanted to learn. It was the very first thing I played on unpacking the French squeezebox last year, playing some bars by ear, goodness only knows in what key! And it's also one of my Mum's all time favourite tunes. I am going to continue challenging myself with tricky tunes, alongside working on more fundamental repeated exercises.

P.S. Played on this instrument:

That certainly is a stylish instrument for that tune! And it's clear from your recording that your fingers are accustomed to playing some keyboard instrument since they pull off the trills and other ornaments quite smoothly. For the triplet passages, you'll need to develop your group-by-group reading skills so that the fingers don't need to move but just fall in place like your ornaments do. One does notice that you are held up by keeping ahead of the individual notes.

By the way: I'd try playing the bass notes (not the chords) a touch longer with a softer release to make them appear less mechanically similar to the chord buttons. Things like that aren't as fiddlesome as getting all your notes in a row, and they pay off pretty well compared to the effort.

 

[vivdunstan]

Thanks @dak! Great tips. Much appreciated.

 

[LibraryJoe]

Thank you for sharing with a fellow noobie to CBA. Fun, isn’t it?

 

[Pipemajor]

Congratulations Vivdunstantan,
that was great. Especially more so considering your health problems.
Triumph over adversity springs to mind.
Your mum will be very proud

 

[cestjeffici]

Can you tell me the model number of this accordion?

 

[vivdunstan]

Can you tell me the model number of this accordion?

It’s a Maugein Dauphin in “Rouge Passion” colours. It is one of their Chroma 2.37-60 boxes with 2 treble registers, 37 treble buttons and 60 basses. They built it for me from scratch last year. I agonised over musette tuning or swing, but decided because I was newly learning that swing would be by far the safer for my ears, as I played dodgy notes and repeated exercises at great length!

 

[Nico.nico]

So nice reading the journey of someone else learning CBA! Thanks for sharing, it took me a while but I read the whole thing. Congrats on your improvement and perseverance @vivdunstan.

I'm also starting with the CBA. New to the accordion and to CBA, so a clean slate here. I've played chromatic harmonica for a few years, but was really hoping to pick a polyphonic instrument and the accordion checked all the boxes for me

I have my accordion for about 2 weeks now, it's a Roland FR-1Xb (I love to practice with headphones where otherwise I would be too worried about making much noise, specially when giving my first steps). Been deciding what method to follow lately. Got myself the first from Medard Ferrero series, it looks packed with material, but I worry it's more intended to be followed guided by a tutor, given it doesn't have much explanations in it.

Second method I got is another Manu Maugain series, also in 3 volumes:

- Initiation à l'accordéon en 3D
- Pratique de l'accordéon en 3D
- Improvisation jazz à l'accordéon en 3D

All 3 volumes are available as Books with CD + DVD or downloadable PDF + MP3 and videos, so they felt like a great way to start for a self-taught like me. It doesn't have cute animals like the original Maugain series though. Nice thing for those not fluent in French is that you can translate the PDF text if reading it from a Kindle or Ipad.

I will start another post as I progress in my edeavours as well.

 

[LibraryJoe]

Welcome to the forum! I've been playing CBA for just about a year now, after playing the piano accordion for over 50 years--though still only an intermediate player. It's a bit of a disappointment to start fresh again with simpler pieces, though like Vivdunstan, we're both happy with our progress.
The Palmer Hughes Accordion series might be something you'd find helpful, despite it being written for piano accordion. It does present instruction in an increasing order of difficulty, though you would have to ignore the suggested fingering after Book 1, and provide your own.

 

[vivdunstan]

Welcome @Nico.nico and thanks for the lovely comments! It sounds like you are very well set up for learning. I think the key thing is to find what works for you. And persevere! It’s probably good to keep going at a fairly regular pace too, to help you pick up the new skills. But above all have fun! I wish you all the best on your squeezebox journey. And yes, please update us on your progress.

 

[stickista]

So nice reading the journey of someone else learning CBA! Thanks for sharing, it took me a while but I read the whole thing. Congrats on your improvement and perseverance @vivdunstan.

I'm also starting with the CBA. New to the accordion and to CBA, so a clean slate here. I've played chromatic harmonica for a few years, but was really hoping to pick a polyphonic instrument and the accordion checked all the boxes for me

I have my accordion for about 2 weeks now, it's a Roland FR-1Xb (I love to practice with headphones where otherwise I would be too worried about making much noise, specially when giving my first steps). Been deciding what method to follow lately. Got myself the first from Medard Ferrero series, it looks packed with material, but I worry it's more intended to be followed guided by a tutor, given it doesn't have much explanations in it.

Second method I got is another Manu Maugain series, also in 3 volumes:

- Initiation à l'accordéon en 3D
- Pratique de l'accordéon en 3D
- Improvisation jazz à l'accordéon en 3D

All 3 volumes are available as Books with CD + DVD or downloadable PDF + MP3 and videos, so they felt like a great way to start for a self-taught like me. It doesn't have cute animals like the original Maugain series though. Nice thing for those not fluent in French is that you can translate the PDF text if reading it from a Kindle or Ipad.

I will start another post as I progress in my edeavours as well.

You may also want to consider adding Accordina to your arsenal.
Its portability gives you a quality CBA instrument that you can always have with you, and the basic 3 row layout assures that you are developing skills in all 3 positions and not relying on the cheater rows.
I highly recommend either the Pedro or Carbon models.

Accueil | Accordinas

www.accordinas.com

 

[Nico.nico]

You may also want to consider adding Accordina to your arsenal.
Its portability gives you a quality CBA instrument that you can always have with you, and the basic 3 row layout assures that you are developing skills in all 3 positions and not relying on the cheater rows.
I highly recommend either the Pedro or Carbon models.

Accueil | Accordinas

www.accordinas.com

Thanks for all the welcome posts.

The accordina is actually one of the instruments I was looking even before getting the accordion. I love the harmonica and I also got myself a fancy melodica (the Hammond version) some months ago. The accordina seems the missing link now…. Or maybe is just me justifying buying another nice instrument.

 

[Jim2010]

Thanks for all the welcome posts.

The accordina is actually one of the instruments I was looking even before getting the accordion. I love the harmonica and I also got myself a fancy melodica (the Hammond version) some months ago. The accordina seems the missing link now…. Or maybe is just me justifying buying another nice instrument.

Like @stickista. I recommend the accordina. I bought my first one with the idea that it would be a stepping stone to a CBA accordion. But I decided to stick with it as my main free reed instrument. Jerry mentioned the Pedro and Carbon models. I have the Miroir, the Grilles Traditionnelles Satiné and the Grilles Traditionnelles Satiné Brillant. All are excellent.

You can hear the different sounds here.

Ecoutez les différents modèles | Accordinas

www.accordinas.com

 

[stickista]

Thanks for all the welcome posts.

The accordina is actually one of the instruments I was looking even before getting the accordion. I love the harmonica and I also got myself a fancy melodica (the Hammond version) some months ago. The accordina seems the missing link now…. Or maybe is just me justifying buying another nice instrument.

There is no instrument I enjoy playing as much as my Accordinas.

 

[Rodney]

Re size I'd want to get a box less than 6kg in weight. 72 bass is my long term piano accordion but it's nearly 7kg and I find my 5.5kg or so 48 bass second box much easier to manage now with my illness. Though it is a compromise on notes on both treble and bass sizes. If I get a CBA I'd be really keen it is similarly compact for me to manage, but with CBA being more compact I could get some extra treble and bass keys, which I would appreciate.

Although I have no knowledge of CBAs, I have an experience that might be useful for you. During the 1970’s I played a 41/120 PA and on returning to accordion last January, bought a brand new Roland FR-8x which I absolutely love. However, now 78 with the appropriate ailments I discovered that the 19kg is a bit too much for me to handle and bought a K&M 147 accordion stand, which is just brilliant as it takes all the weight. I practice twice a day for an hour each time without problem, apart from some arthritis in my left hand and Ketoprofen gel helps a lot. (see my thread: Review: K&M 174 Accordion Stand for my Roland FR-8x for details on the stand and on an adjustble seat I bought to go with it)

Hope this helps, good luck