Sharing my accordion instruments

[Jaime_Dergut]

Hello everybody,

today I wanted to share with you the accordions I currently own.

First, I have my fold accordion and preferred busker partner, a Hohner Arietta llM.

Relatively light weighted. I had a lot of fun with it walking through the streets of Chicago.

Next, my wonderful Petosa SM-200.

Curious thing about this is that I paid far less for my Petosa than for the Hohner, which I got from a Canadian store (Tempotrendmusic).

However, I got this Petosa from my friend and mentor Jerry King, who was kind enough to give it to me for a good deal, and had hopes that I would become a great accordionists one day with it. Is a specially dear instrument to me.

Very high quality. I can see that Petosa accordions were really well made, in comparison to my Hohner. It gave me the chance to experience what a top end accordion feels and sounds like. This is the instrument that I use to learn new songs or when I want to perform indoor.

Last, but not least, is my little companion and faithful partner for Irish sessions and also busking. My Anglo Concertina Wren 2, from McNeela instruments.

Dry tuned. Lovely instrument. I am ashamed to say that I haven't given too much attention to it these days.

Well, that's pretty much it. I still want to acquire a dry tunned accordion as an upgrade for my Petosa. We will see what fate has in store for me.


Thanks for your time and attention.

 

[Tom]

Very cool, Jaime, thanks. I could see this turning into a dangerous thread!

 

[JCarl]

But for us, newbies, what does busking mean?

 

[Dingo40]

what does busking mean?

See here:

to busk meaning - Google Search

 

[Siegmund]

But for us, newbies, what does busking mean?

It's a little early yet... but it's a common summertime phenomenon in city parks and street corners.

Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote a song about in: June is buskin' out all over!

Sure, people say they will busk sooner... but April cried and stepped aside, and May was full of promises but didn't keep 'em...

I have been saying I will try it in a few months for over a year now, myself.

 

[Jaime_Dergut]

But for us, newbies, what does busking mean?

Busking means going out and exposing yourself to all kinds of street abuse!

But ideally, it means that you are going out and have some fun playing on the streets. Some people might attempt to give you money for it.

 

[Tom]

Many people on here have busked successfully and honorably, as have I. It is playing your accordion in a public place (generally not as a scheduled performance) for tips. This is quite common and generally appreciated in touristic areas or other locations of large congregations of people.

Unfortunately, the act of busking can be given a bad name when it is done by someone who doesn’t know how to play, and is using the instrument as a prop, the act then becoming panhandling rather than busking. When the person is unclean or pushy, it’s even worse. It’s unfortunate in our day and age that people feel the need to resort to this, but it’s a fact, and these people need help, not derision. Rant over.

 

[JCarl]

Busking means going out and exposing yourself to all kinds of street abuse!

But ideally, it means that you are going out and have some fun playing on the streets. Some people might attempt to give you money for it.

Wait, so to play accordion I have to expose myself?

 

[Jaime_Dergut]

Wait, so to play accordion I have to expose myself?

Yes! And people will love you, hate you, send the cops after you, and sometimes, rarely, will even give you some money!

It is a nice way to develop strong self esteem and confidence!

But with all seriousness, busking means going out, find a nice bench to sit down in area that is car free, has people walking around, and play some music there.

it is a wonderful way for community engagement and to make people happy.

 

[Tom]

Last year I averaged $10 / hour. Not bad if it was 1985. This year I’m going to “seed” my case with $5 dollar bills, on the theory that people give what they see. We’ll see if it makes a difference!

 

[Snoopz]

In most bigger cities in Germany, busking requires a license, which is often assigned on a day-by-day basis and you have to pay for. In Munich for example, there are ten busking licenses per day (5 in the forenoon and 5 in the afternoon!) that allow 4 hours of busking and cost around 20 Euros.
I wonder what they do with people that just play and don't collect money.

 

[Dingo40]

From our city council:

Busking

All you need to know about busking, either as an individual or a group, within the Adelaide city and North Adelaide.

www.cityofadelaide.com.au

I can recall some outstandingly talented buskers, including a Peruvian folk group, a ukelelist-singer (all original material) from New Guinea, and a Chinese single string (erhu?) "violinist".

 

[Xiane]

Wait, so to play accordion I have to expose myself?

Yes. This is the main reason accordions fell out of favor.

 

[Xiane]

In most bigger cities in Germany, busking requires a license, which is often assigned on a day-by-day basis and you have to pay for. In Munich for example, there are ten busking licenses per day (5 in the forenoon and 5 in the afternoon!) that allow 4 hours of busking and cost around 20 Euros.
I wonder what they do with people that just play and don't collect money.

And for some reason it always ends up being those Peruvian dudes with their flutes and whatnot. Also, this seems very Munich, but given something like Oktoberfest, it makes a lot of sense, too.

 

[dak]

Wait, so to play accordion I have to expose myself?

Yes. This is the main reason accordions fell out of favor.

I think it isn't fair to place the whole blame for the decline of the accordion on @JCarl .

 

[Jaime_Dergut]

Yes. This is the main reason accordions fell out of favor.

Not really. Musical instruments in general are losing ground because of a decline of interest from the general public.

Since music is "free" and easily available on the internet, people give it for granted, especially in North America. Most of them don't even know what live musician is.

If anything, accordions are loved, especially by teenagers, if played correctly.

 

[dak]

Not really. Musical instruments in general are losing ground because of a decline of interest from the general public.

Since music is "free" and easily available on the internet, people give it for granted, especially in North America.

One just sees a bunch of young people sitting around a campfire and taking turns letting their smartphone play music in order not to run out of battery charge, and handing round a powerbank for everyone's phone to take a sip. Let's assume they know how to start a fire other than puncturing a lithium battery.

 

[Jaime_Dergut]

Just a fun anecdote:

I was playing in one of the concrete beaches in Chicago, and I noticed that a couple of people in front of me (with a blue haired woman among them, mind you) were showing gestures of clear disgust of me for playing nearby there.

Minutes later, I keep getting approached by people passing by who can't stop complementing my music.

One of them asked if I could play Kalinka since his parents were Russians, so I played that, and they said, out loud:

"The accordion is the coolest instrument in the world, man. Who could hate such a beautiful instrument? You are the best!"

Ha! I loved that. The faces of the blue haired woman and their friends was so satisfying.

Almost as if it was meant to be.

I am going back there this summer!

 

[Jaime_Dergut]

In most bigger cities in Germany, busking requires a license, which is often assigned on a day-by-day basis and you have to pay for. In Munich for example, there are ten busking licenses per day (5 in the forenoon and 5 in the afternoon!) that allow 4 hours of busking and cost around 20 Euros.
I wonder what they do with people that just play and don't collect money.

Things like these makes me feel grateful that I live in the USA, where freedom of artistic expression is protected by first amendment.

I find it absurd that you have to pay to play in the public streets, let alone ask for a permit.

 

[OuijaBoard]

Things like these makes me feel grateful that I live in the USA, where freedom of artistic expression is protected by first amendment.

I find it absurd that you have to pay to play in the public streets, let alone ask for a permit.

Actually, it is untrue that you can just set up and play on any public street in the United States. Especially for money.

In many if not most localities, at least in the big cities--yes, you absolutely must get a license. It is usually a bureaucratic formality and a nominal fee, but can be difficult when the street or walkway you desire has a lot of foot traffic and potential "paying audience" members--such as a "hot" shopping or restaurant district, or outside a desirable museum or auditorium or other tourist/sightseer site. Those spots are highly desired by buskers and if they're all taken you have to wait your turn to be authorized. If you do not have the license you can be cited and told to pack up and move along.

This is also true in most of the big-city subway systems--in NYC you definitely must be registered and authorized to play in the underground.