Switching between ( your own ) accordions

[wirralaccordion]

I guess that there are many reasons for having more than one accordion, not least there being the option of choosing between tunings for several different music genres. However, I myself find that if I practice/play on only one accordion over a period of time, say 1 week, that when I pick up any other one of my other ( 3 ) accordions, I am almost always unable to play that accordion as accurately for a limited time. Do others find that switching accordions affects their playing ability?

 

[Rosie C]

Yes, although I'm only a beginner on the instrument - I have two accordions that are almost identical, but one has a 20mm longer keyboard than the other and that takes a while to adjust to when I change instruments.

 

[PhiliGol]

Yes that can be a challenge.
Since quite a while I'm playing on 2 accordions - though both were same brand, same key width (20mm) they came with different keystroke and "key feeling".
Then I decided to sell off one of them and it was sure I won't buy just another of the same brand.
So I was searching and testing for quite a while until I found the perfect instrument meeting all my buying criteria (mainly it should be lighter and easier to handle than my 34lbs Morino I decided to sell because of it's weight) and you guess what:
Finally I ended up with a "compact" instrument featuring a reduced keyboard size (19mm white keys).
I tested this instrument for several hours at the shop, I liked its sound and handling from the very beginning and decided to buy it right away.
Only at home I discovered it came with the reduced keyboard width.
Surprisingly I don't feel difficulties to switch between this very 2 different instruments and definitely love them both.

 

[JerryPH]

I think everyone is going to be a bit different. The only time I have difficulty playing the same song across on another accordion is only when it is new to me. The exception to that for me was the first time I put on the Beltuna Leader V. I was "at home" near the moment I put it on.

The first time I played the Imperator, it was almost challenging, I had to work hard mentally to get it to play for me, the same for the Gola, it was almost foreign to me... but that lasted about 3-4 hours since it was brand new to me after all. After that I can transition back and forth without near any issues... perhaps a minute or two to regain the "feel" of that accordion, then its all good from there.

I can transition easily from my Elkavox to my small Hohner FB36 to the Beltuna and to the Morino without thought. I just run scale or chording or two and I am good to go. The Gola is the accordion that I have played the least, but already started to get comfy before I sent it off for it's checkup. When I get it back (hopefully before Christmas), I should not need more than a couple minutes before feeling fully at home again.

With 14 accordions in my collection, one would think that it takes a lot of time to get comfy with them all, but no, not really. In general when its a new to me accordion, 3-4 hours before its like wearing my own skin (I have to REALLY like the accordion to form my bond with it!), and after that, only a couple minutes if I have not played it a month or more. If its like a few days or a week, no acclimation time needed.

 

[PhiliGol]

With 14 accordions in my collection, one would think that it takes a lot of time to get comfy with them all, but no, not really.

Jerry, you're playing in a very different league - maybe on a different planet
I can not even think of transitioning between so many instruments of such different sizes and categories.

Folks don't get fooled by such talent - Jerry really is an exception.

I can perfectly understand that some struggle when transitioning between their various instruments.
Though it's almost 40 years ago I remember transitioning from the Imperator V to Morino V was quite a change and fortunately I didn't have to switch back and forth. Also I once in a while play on a Victoria Poeta and I must say it would take me a way longer familiarisation phase. Maybe it would challenge me a lot more to switch between this one and a Hohner Gola.
Maybe a(n unconscious) buying criteria when I looked for a 2nd instrument to replace my Morino was that it feels "comfortable" to not experience too much hassle playing on this one or the Gola.

 

[debra]

It's always a bit of adaptation to a different instrument, but the biggest challenge is when the keys of a PA have different width or the buttons on a CBA a different diameter and/or spacing.
I struggled to play anything on a Morino IV M and quickly realized that it has significantly wider keys than newer piano accordions.
And between the CBA accordions we have there are three different button sizes/spacing. The difference from largest to smallest is 25%. That means that a sixth (C-A) on the largest size is the same distance as an octave on the accordion with the smallest buttons.
I play the bass accordion (with the largest buttons) most of all, but this week I played all accordions quite a bit (to make recordings) and after that I needed some time to adjust to the distances on the bass accordion again...

 

[losthobos]

I jump between two, one has larger buttons but is only LM so really light and normal stradella bass...I use this to learn the voicings and shapes of a tune on....
then I switch to an LMM box with Cassotto and 3x3bass deeper box, which is not as lazy to play but on this box I can learn the nuances, flavour and dynamics to a greater degree...
So I jump between two totally different boxes frequently...one to learn the tunes and then delve deeper to learn expression...

 

[wirralaccordion]

I jump between two, one has larger buttons but is only LM so really light and normal stradella bass...I use this to learn the voicings and shapes of a tune on....
then I switch to an LMM box with Cassotto and 3x3bass deeper box, which is not as lazy to play but on this box I can learn the nuances, flavour and dynamics to a greater degree...
So I jump between two totally different boxes frequently...one to learn the tunes and then delve deeper to learn expression...

Terry,
Is your LMM box with cassotto a button accordion then? If so, can you get LMM boxes in piano accordion form?

 

[losthobos]

@wirralaccordion ...I'd imagine so. ..but to be clear only the L is in cassotto....I think this is quite a standard configuration... but I think a lot of things that aren't always so ...

 

[Tom]

Takes me 15 or 20 minutes to adjust between between different key sized accordions.

 

[JerryPH]

Jerry, you're playing in a very different league - maybe on a different planet
I can not even think of transitioning between so many instruments of such different sizes and categories.
Folks don't get fooled by such talent - Jerry really is an exception.

I don't think my playing is all that hot, but I was doing some thinking... maybe one of the reasons I can transition a bit easier is *possibly* because I've played so many different accordions? Between the accordion museum and other locations, I must have played 200+ different accordions from $500 to priceless irreplaceable one of a kind museum pieces. That number of boxes over the years, that has to count for something?

 

[JerryPH]

One would think this guy has anxiety PERFORMING with 15 different accordions, but nope... lol

 

[CC_PDX]

When I switch between boxes, the radical size weight difference between them is jarring, as is the differing bellows capacity. Switching between stradella and Darwin bass requires an awkward half hour of getting reoriented and very deliberate concentration.

 

[Dingo40]

I try to give my six various accordions a run each week, my intention being to learn to play "the accordion" not "a specific accordion ".

 

[debra]

When I switch between boxes, the radical size weight difference between them is jarring, as is the differing bellows capacity. Switching between stradella and Darwin bass requires an awkward half hour of getting reoriented and very deliberate concentration.

That's indeed a very valid point. Bellows capacity and air consumption sometimes catch me out as well. For instance, my Hohner Artiste X S has the largest bellows but also the largest air consumption so I run out of air on it more often than even on the very small Bugari 540/ARS/C...

 

[saundersbp]

Do others find that switching accordions affects their playing ability?

I find it improves mine by playing different instruments because I don't over rely on muscle memory for jumps and instead depend more on feeling my way for big jumps.

My main instrument is the least portable on the planet and every organ has very different ergonomics so it's important to adapt quickly to a variety of keyboard heights, widths and shapes for both hands and feet!

Interesting the comments about air consumption. Perhaps it depends on the make of accordion as I find the bellows extension on the littlest converter (Pigini B2) not a million miles away from my full sized accordion. I'm a big fan of the little Pigini accordions as they have enough notes to cover a vast amount of repertoire whilst being light enough to put in a rucksack and travel with.

 

[Tommaso B]

I think everyone is going to be a bit different. The only time I have difficulty playing the same song across on another accordion is only when it is new to me. The exception to that for me was the first time I put on the Beltuna Leader V. I was "at home" near the moment I put it on.

The first time I played the Imperator, it was almost challenging, I had to work hard mentally to get it to play for me, the same for the Gola, it was almost foreign to me... but that lasted about 3-4 hours since it was brand new to me after all. After that I can transition back and forth without near any issues... perhaps a minute or two to regain the "feel" of that accordion, then its all good from there.

I can transition easily from my Elkavox to my small Hohner FB36 to the Beltuna and to the Morino without thought. I just run scale or chording or two and I am good to go. The Gola is the accordion that I have played the least, but already started to get comfy before I sent it off for it's checkup. When I get it back (hopefully before Christmas), I should not need more than a couple minutes before feeling fully at home again.

With 14 accordions in my collection, one would think that it takes a lot of time to get comfy with them all, but no, not really. In general when its a new to me accordion, 3-4 hours before its like wearing my own skin (I have to REALLY like the accordion to form my bond with it!), and after that, only a couple minutes if I have not played it a month or more. If its like a few days or a week, no acclimation time needed.

You have 14 accordions!?? How do you determine which one to play when?

 

[JerryPH]

You have 14 accordions!?? How do you determine which one to play when?

I do... please its not meant to show off, just as validation to comment on the topic.


The latest one is my Hohner Gola 459:


Over the course of a month 11 in particular are played, even if it is just to run through every note pushing and pulling and drawing out the bellows for 10-15 minutes and using all available registers. The ones that I play the most are the ones that I want to play a particular style with (usually they are the bigger ones... I love my 5/5 accordions!), those I play the most and even do a few videos with.

The ones not played are the ones in the bottom left shelf (inherited from the family), as they need some repairs. I am going to get more in to repairing in the coming new year and I will get them all to playing condition!

 

[McSqueeze]

Over the years I've literally had hundreds of accordions through my hands, most of which I've sooner or later passed on. I currently have eight accordions, one of which I've had for 50 years and another of which I've had for only 3 years, and every period in between. They range in size from a very compact 2 voice 60 bass Brandoni to a heavy bulky Elka Classique, and I can choose any one of them and begin playing comfortably right away.
Every accordion is subtly different. Years ago I was visiting a dealer I knew when twelve accordions, of the same model, arrived from Italy. I had the opportunity to play all of them one after the other and found each one was different.
So, being a simple soul, I've long since stopped trying to work out why I like an accordion, or not, and have come to accept that I simply either like it or I don't. However, I expect a lifetime of playing has some influence in this regard.

 

[JerryPH]

...and I can choose any one of them and begin playing comfortably right away.

Whew, I was starting to think that I was something strange... lol
It's not like immediately, but I need a few seconds to kind of acclimate to what I am holding.