New CBA user

[Simon Max]

Hi,
I'm from the Holy Land. I played PA for over thirty years.
I own couple of regular accordions, but I just bought a Roland FR-1 button accordian.
I just recently realized the importance of using the bellows as a way of accentuating different parts of the note/ song, so I now have a triple challenge ahead, learning the CBA, choosing the keyboard layouts and learning to control a fake\electronic bellows.
Simon

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

Hello Simon,

Welcome to the forum.

I know nothing about CBA's, and even less about electronic accordions, but good luck with your challenge.

Kind Regards,

Stephen.

 

[dunlustin]

Welcome
Is it FR1 or FR1X ?
Either way, you can now play when and wherever you wish without disturbing others.
I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
In the West, C system is probably the one with most back up but then again if you're into Eastern Europe stuff there's lots of B system too.
There is a book for PA players who are converting - it has had + comments here.
Can't recall the name - someone will.

 

[Simon Max]

Thanks Stephen and dunl..
I had decided on the C system based on the fact that Galliano and another french player play that.
There were other considerations. Since I ordered the accordion over two months ago, I practiced for about 50-100 hours on my Tablet button accordion app. That was with the C griff system 1. I also planned to learn all minor songs on the a minor scale using the middle three rows. That way i could adjust to any key by moving my starting point. It seemed to work out better in the C griff system 1.
My FR-1 (not X) came with the C griff system 2, so I changed it.
I am not sure I will stick to it. It depends if I want to start practicing free bass.



Simon from the Holy Land

 

[WilliamKErickson]

Hey Simon, welcome aboard!

Like you, I've recently acquired a Roland CBA (Roland FR-1Xb in my case) after a long career on the PA, and am enjoying the challenge of learning it.  I'm also settling into using C system, after experimenting with the various alternatives (I *love* the ability to re-program the keyboard layouts to different systems that the Roland provides).

One thing to keep in mind with the FR1b series and free bass:  because of the limited number of buttons (72), there's a gap in note coverage between the bass notes covered by the first two rows (which retain the same note assignment as the Stradella setup) and the re-assigned former chord buttons.  It's kind of annoying if you're trying to use an extended range of notes on the bass side. I also sometimes find that if I want to limit my bass playing to using just the former chord buttons only (to avoid the gap), the pitch of the free bass notes is too high -- wish they had provided some way to shift the octave pitch on the bass side...

But despite that, I'm really enjoying the Roland.  The headphone feature is great so you don't disturb family while trying to figure out the note layout.  

 

[Tom]

Welcome Simon!

 

[maugein96]

Welcome to the forum, Simon.

Seems like the Roland FR1 xb has attracted quite a few players to CBA. 

I wouldn't worry too much about what treble system you use. Galliano happens to play standard C system, as do most other modern French players. However, there was a time when a good number of French musette players from the north of the country played two different types of B system, and all three systems were used to play the same tunes from the same sheet music. As has been previously suggested, the Russian styles tend to focus on B system. As for Balkan music, the only country where CBA is the most popular accordion is Serbia, and their B system accordions have 6 rows of treble buttons, which obviously cannot be replicated on a the FR1 XB. They are available in the Serbian version of the FR8 XB, but unless Serbian is your bag then they are pretty specialised instruments.   

Most PA converts tend to use C system, as it is believed to be the most logical for players changing over from PA. I wouldn't know, as I've never played anything other than CBA. 
I also know nothing at all about digital accordions. They seem to be loads of fun to experiment with, although many players struggle with the settings when they try and make them sound like acoustics. I do believe that "patches" are available that do all the tweaking for you, and it's just a case of deciding what you want. 
CBA is no more difficult to play than any other accordion, and Galliano himself is a convert from PA to CBA. I'm not a big fan of his music, as some of we older musette types feel he has taken the genre from being fairly simple and straightforward into a level where only the gifted need apply. However there is no denying his virtuosity, and if he even encourages just one person every year to have a go then he is to be commended. 

Above all enjoy your playing and don't get too bogged down with all the technical stuff. With CBA there are often different options to play the same phrase. No one of those is "correct", apart from the one that suits you best!

 

[Simon Max]

Hey Simon, welcome aboard!

Like you, I've recently acquired a Roland CBA (Roland FR-1Xb in my case) after a long career on the PA, and am enjoying the challenge of learning it.  I'm also settling into using C system, after experimenting with the various alternatives (I *love* the ability to re-program the keyboard layouts to different systems that the Roland provides).

One thing to keep in mind with the FR1b series and free bass:  because of the limited number of buttons (72), there's a gap in note coverage between the bass notes covered by the first two rows (which retain the same note assignment as the Stradella setup) and the re-assigned former chord buttons.  It's kind of annoying if you're trying to use an extended range of notes on the bass side. I also sometimes find that if I want to limit my bass playing to using just the former chord buttons only (to avoid the gap), the pitch of the free bass notes is too high -- wish they had provided some way to shift the octave pitch on the bass side...

But despite that, I'm really enjoying the Roland.  The headphone feature is great so you don't disturb family while trying to figure out the note layout.  

Hi William,
Thanks for the input. I've been studying the free bass layout, and came to realize that the two base rows are useless in the free base mode. I haven't a clue as to why Roland would do a thing like that.
I really love the instrument, and I'm sure i haven't scraped the surface yet.
All the best,

---

Welcome Simon!

Thanks, Tom

---

Hi Maugein,
I fully agree with you.
Thanks for the advice.

 

[Simon Max]

So it's almost a month since I go my Roland, and I am enjoying every minute of it. The headphone feature is the biggest advantage. I get to play almost every day, something I have not done in almost 20 years.
I took up the advice that I got here to concentrate more on playing and less on the technical aspects.
Most of the songs I play are in the Minor scale, so I went through my 20 best played songs using A minor.
I was tempted to use 4 rows at some spots, but refrained from doing so. I want to have the ability to play with my sons on any key, and the best way to do that, at least at first, is to restrict yourself to three rows.

Instead of fighting the urge to cheat, I changed the layout to one of the Finish layouts, so the whole A minor scale is on the first three rows.
I was very surprised that this minor adjustment was no simple matter. I'm glad I made the change sooner than later.
I still get mixed up sometimes, especially with songs that have a scale change in the middle, but all in all I'm having a great time.
Wishing you all a great day, and happy Purim (for those who celebrate it),
Simon.

Simon from the Holy Land

 

[maugein96]

So it's almost a month since I go my Roland, and I am enjoying every minute of it. The headphone feature is the biggest advantage. I get to play almost every day, something I have not done in almost 20 years.
I took up the advice that I got here to concentrate more on playing and less on the technical aspects.
Most of the songs I play are in the Minor scale, so I went through my 20 best played songs using A minor.
I was tempted to use 4 rows at some spots, but refrained from doing so. I want to have the ability to play with my sons on any key, and the best way to do that, at least at first, is to restrict yourself to three rows.

Instead of fighting the urge to cheat, I changed the layout to one of the Finish layouts, so the whole A minor scale is on the first three rows.
I was very surprised that this minor adjustment was no simple matter. I'm glad I made the change sooner than later.
I still get mixed up sometimes, especially with songs that have a scale change in the middle, but all in all I'm having a great time.
Wishing you all a great day, and happy Purim (for those who celebrate it),
Simon.

Simon from the Holy Land

Hi Simon,

Glad you are working out how to get the best out of your Roland. I don't know the logic behind the Finnish C system, but any time I watch Finnish players using it their right hands appear to be in a more comfortable position than those of us who use the standard C system with C in the first row. They possibly use different fingering patterns, but I just don't know.  


In France and Italy early CBA players never used their thumbs on the treble keyboard, but Finnish system would appear to make that quite difficult on a five row instrument. 

Good thing is you are obviously enjoying it.

Never heard of Purim, but be sure to enjoy it. 

John from the Hell known as south west Scotland.

 

[Dingo40]

John,

According to the web,

[font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif]Purim[/font][font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif], (Hebrew: “Lots”)English [/font][font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif]Feast[/font][font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif] of Lots, a joyous Jewish [/font][font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif]festival[/font][font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif] commemorating the survival of the Jews who, in the 5th century bce, were marked for death by their Persian rulers. The story is related in the [/font][font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif]biblical[/font][font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif] Book of Esther.[/font]

[font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif] [/font]

 

[maugein96]

John,

According to the web,

[font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif]Purim[/font][font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif], (Hebrew: “Lots”)English [/font][font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif]Feast[/font][font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif] of Lots, a joyous Jewish [/font][font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif]festival[/font][font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif] commemorating the survival of the Jews who, in the 5th century bce, were marked for death by their Persian rulers. The story is related in the [/font][font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif]biblical[/font][font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif] Book of Esther.[/font]

[font=Roboto, HelveticaNeue, Arial, sans-serif] [/font]

Dingo,

Thanks for that. My religion wasnt invented until the 16th century. Calvinism in various forms caused a lot of unrest, and some of my ancestors fled to Scotland from Mecklenburg in Germany. They had to flee again to Ireland in the 17th century to avoid further persecution by the Scottish Catholic monarchy of the time, and continued in their beliefs and their hatred of Roman Catholics for generations, until my father married an Irish Roman Catholic. 

After that the problem for my sister and I was solved. As children of a mixed marriage we were hated by everybody, and the only thing I now celebrate annually is my exodus from the place where I was brought up 47 years ago. 

It occurs on 16th October every year, and is known as Offski Day. It is celebrated by hundreds of thousands of us all over the world, who were fortunate enough to leave one of the most socially deprived areas in western Europe, although the date depends on the individual concerned. 

Dont know if there is a Hebrew word for it.

 

[Seisiuneer]

Which CBA tablet app did you practice on?

 

[Simon Max]

Which CBA tablet app did you practice on?


Button Accordion by Egert

Simon from the Holy Land

 

[Seisiuneer]

Cool. I developed the iPad CBA app for Hohner:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hohner-chromatic-accordion/id1024782356

 

[oldbayan]

Hi. I too play a FR-1xb along with acoustic instruments. I like MIDI boxes for gigs as you can just plug it into an amp or sound system. It is true that a Roland does not have the same feeling as an acoustic but nevertheless offers lots of sonic possibilities.

Happy playing!