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Strapping your piano accordion onto yourself

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wirralaccordion

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Given that you've decided to play standing up, how difficult do you find this? Do you need someone else's assistance?
I was at a concert recently and one of the soloists seemed to take forever as he had buckled the straps together first and he then proceeded to pass the whole harness over his head with the accordion mounted on a chair and in doing so he had to kneel on the floor.
 
I went to accordionbackstrap.Com and I'm glad I did. No, this is not a commercial, just reporting! I recommend the thinner version. With this backstrap you can hook it yourself without the gymnastics mentioned above. There are probably other brands out there. I also have a pair of the neotech, but I prefer using my heavier duty original straps with the backstrap. I also have the Konig Meyer stand which I like for practicing at home but doesn't work in all occasions out.
 
wirralaccordion post_id=60470 time=1529768494 user_id=2229 said:
Given that youve decided to play standing up, how difficult do you find this?

Not difficult at all. Ask this guy from Brazil. Just try to always keep the accordion two feet above the floor, and be careful you dont fall off the stage when you lose your bearings with that big hat on. He actually has a pretty substantial webbed back strap, but it has a quick release fastener on it for when you fall through a first floor window!

 
I personally don't find it difficult, it's how I've done since the beginning, but of course it all depends on the size and shape and physical condition of the player, and the size and weight of the accordion.
 
Ok, lets say that I have decided to play standing up... I *still* remain seated when I put on the accordion, this was a habit I picked up as a 13-year old trying to put on a 35 pound Morino, and I continue it today. Even when I was in my 20's and playing, I had a small stool near-by for my own use so that I could easily put on and take off the accordion. A lot depends on the person and even more depends on the accordion. I continue this habit even with the much lighter FR-8X and the flyweight Hohner FB 36. My backstraps are not connected and I take the time to connect/disconnect them myself.

"...had buckled the straps together first and he then proceeded to pass the whole harness over his head with the accordion mounted on a chair and in doing so he had to kneel on the floor."

I assume he puts on his shirts that way too? :lol:

Barring a health or physical issue, I think it a little ridiculous, especially to submit an entire audience to watching this. At the very least, do it off stage and walk on... it is discourteous to the people you are playing for to make them wait that long and it makes you look foolish, IMHO.
 
I went to accordionbackstrap.Com and Im glad I did. No, this is not a commercial, just reporting! I recommend the thinner version. With this backstrap you can hook it yourself without the gymnastics mentioned above. There are probably other brands out there. I also have a pair of the neotech, but I prefer using my heavier duty original straps with the backstrap. I also have the Konig Meyer stand which I like for practicing at home but doesnt work in all occasions out

Thanks Tom but I was assuming that it would be the case that back strapping was already in place and my question was more to do with the action of fitting it without help from another person. Personally, I find it impossible.
 
When you see Richard Galliano do it it looks quite easy. I went to a solo concert by him and he always plays while standing and he puts down the instrument between each piece. He has regular straps, no special hooks. He leaves the standard straps on the instrument all the time and just picks it up by the straps and puts it on.
 
Hi Phil,

I can count on the fingers of one finger (not one hand) the number of times I have played in a standing position. I didn't like it, and I will never do it again.

Being honest, I have never come across a situation which actually required me to stand up and play my accordion. I never will, because I would simply refuse to do it.

They say "who pays the fiddler calls the tune", which really sums up the dilemma. Those accordionists (or fiddlers) who are being paid to entertain have, I suppose, a contractual obligation to obey requests from the person or organisation paying them.

As nobody pays me for playing, nobody is going to tell me how I should play.

Kind Regards,

Stephen.
 
If I'm using a backstrap, I find it easier to fasten the two ends if I put one foot on a chair, such that my thigh sort of lifts the accordion up a bit and gives me some extra slack.
 
John Kirkpatrick tells the story of putting on an accordion on stage and a woman from the audience saying, "why don't you put it on backwards and then swivel it round...." ;)
 
I usually play the Pidge seated to prevent backache, but even so, I always use a scarf as a backstrap (the Karen Tweed method!) as it stops the box moving around. The simple ready-made backstrap doesn't work well for me on the big box for some reason. The scarf is quite an elegant solution, definitely better than the one described in the original post!

For Morris, I always play standing up, and find it a tad tricky fastening the backstrap (proper one, not a scarf) over my shoulder blades, so I a) often get someone else to clip it up for me, and b) usually keep the Hohner Amati on between dances, unless I need to play the fife instead of the squeezebox.
 
wirralaccordion post_id=60493 time=1529826690 user_id=2229 said:
I went to accordionbackstrap.Com and Im glad I did. No, this is not a commercial, just reporting! t

Thanks Tom but I was assuming that it would be the case that back strapping was already in place and my question was more to do with the action of fitting it without help from another person. Personally, I find it impossible.

The straps that came with the accordion are the standard variety, ie, you cant fasten and unfasten them, you would have to do that strange gymnadtics. The add-on backstrap allows you to clip and unclip it easily while standing. I find that the backstrap helps a lot if I want to stand and play for an hour. But, hey, lets face it, Im not getting any younger and I also use a smaller format accordion to stand a long time. At some point I may consider going to a 72 or 96 lighter accordion but I dont know. I watched Dick Contino playing shows in his late 70s with his giant Petosa and he also put down the accordion between songs. Its a battle.
 
I have always played both seated and standing in roughly equal proportions. I use wide padded shoulder straps (4inch) and very rarely use a backstrap.

I also keep exactly the same strap adjustment for seated and standing on all size of box from 120 bass down two little 2 row diatonic.

the strap adjustment is :
1. start with right strap longer than left so the body of the treble end is roughly under the chin

2.adjust both straps by equal amounts so that the top of the treble end is roughly a stretched hands width below the chin when standing "to attention" with back straight and shoulders set slightly back rather than drooping forward and looking straight ahead.

depending on individual anatomy this should alsos put the bass of the box on left knee when playing seated.

Obviously the basic 'starting point ' adjustments need fine tuning for the individual.

these settings also have the advantage of enabling the right arm to be more or less down your side rather than flapping in the wind as if trying to take off!

As to back strap the one I have is permanently connected to the left shoulder stap and by reaching behind yourself is pulled round the right strap and press studded to itself which can be done fairly easlily by reaching round your back with both hands.

george
 
I think it is just a bit of a silly/lazy way to put on an accordion.

As mentioned, unless you have a physical restriction that prevents you from putting on an accordion the way it was designed to be, slipping it on over your head, backstrap(s) in place is rather ridiculous, more so if you are a professional and make people wait while you make yourself look completely ridiculous as you do this in front of an audience.

I find attaching the straps and backstrap on my 35 lbs, 185 bass Hohner Morino VI N no more difficult than doing so on my ~25lb FR-8X, neither is hard to do while seated, both I do in the "normal" way... and I turn 58 years old in July.
 
JerryPH post_id=60548 time=1530007411 user_id=1475 said:
I find attaching the straps and backstrap on my 35 lbs, 185 bass Hohner Morino VI N no more difficult than doing so on my ~25lb FR-8X, neither is hard to do while seated, both I do in the normal way... and I turn 58 years old in July.

A 35 lbs accordion. My god! My 20 lbs one, at one time, seemed light but now I only play it sitting. I am currently searching for a 15 or less pound accordion for strolling and as a light weight take along
 
Yeah those big monsters are only meant to be played sitting down... though in my younger days, I used to often play that thing standing all night (6-7 hours), not the most comfortable and not something that I can even consider doing today. :)
 
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