Being Part of a Team Because the accordion is such a portable instrument, it is used in many types of musical groups, from rock bands to orchestras. Tuning The reeds are fixed in tune for each individual accordion, but can be made higher or lower by a trained repairer to suit the preferred sound of the player.
The Accordionist. Benefits of Learning the Accordion. The Beginner. Care of an accordion. The right teacher will help you choose the correct accordion for the style of music you want to play, adjust the straps correctly and get the student in the correct playing position. A teacher is also important to ensure lessons continue, and even if some practice is not done, improvement can still be made. Practice To improve, however, it is important that regular, thorough practice is done between lessons.
This practice should be based on quality rather than quantity. For beginner students, short, regular practices are far more worthwhile than irregular, longer practices. This is when bad habits may begin, which are frustrating to fix later on. Seating Position For most people, sitting down is the most comfortable way of playing. There are various seating positions and preferences. You should always take care when bending down from a seated position, however, so you do not damage your back.
Having the straps adjusted to fit your body shape is very important, not only for ease of playing, but also to reduce any chance of injury. Points to remember when playing: Keep your back straight When sitting, choose a seat so that your feet can touch the floor, otherwise you will not have full control over the accordion. Your right elbow should be kept out to enable a good hand position. Fingers should be curved over the keys, to enable you to play with the tips of your fingers.
Sitting is the most common position to play in. Accordion Music For the treble side of the accordion, music is written in the treble clef. The bass is written in the bass clef, except for stradella bass.
So the probability of finding a good teacher who can teach you how to play accordion is quite slim. For starters, here are 7 tips that will speed up the time it takes for you to learn how to play the accordion:.
To learn the accordion quickly and in a more enjoyable manner, it is important to buy an accordion that is best for you, depending on different factors.
These factors include your height, budget, age, as well as the musical style you want to play. If you know how to play a piano, then it will be easier for you if you get the piano accordion. See my article on choosing piano or button accordion , to learn more about deciding between a piano or button accordion. An accordion with fewer buttons and treble keys will, of course, be easier to learn than an accordion with more buttons and keys.
Below are some accordions that are great for beginners. They are lighter in weight, more affordable, and built to last. Any of the below accordions will make your journey to learn the accordion that much faster and more enjoyable. This can be your perfect partner while you are still beginning because of its light weight and user-friendly design. The Wal Front Beginner key, 8 Bass Piano Accordion as the name suggests, is highly suitable for beginners due to the ease by which you can play it.
This accordion, which has 22 keys and 8 bass buttons, is made up of light maple wood and comes in different colors such as blue, red, and green. This accordion weighs only about 7. This accordion also comes with double-strap brackets to help you support its weight 9 lbs. It weighs about 15 lbs with 26 keys, 48 bass buttons, two-tone colors, two treble registers, and four standard bass voices.
With this accordion, the musical styles you can play are definitely not limited. After buying your accordion, make sure that you are familiar with the structure of your instrument.
To do this, try to search for available resources such as videos on the internet, or books about techniques, or instruction manuals on how you can learn to play accordion easier. Bellows are said to be the soul of any type of accordion. These are the folds on the accordion that are usually made up of paper, cloth, or cardboard with either leather or metal used for strength. The main function of bellows is to supply air making it possible to produce sounds.
Melody is produced by either squeezing the buttons or pushing your keys present on the right side of your accordion. Usually, a switch is present on both sides of your accordion. Button keys on the left side of your accordion are the ones that make the harmony you hear whenever you are playing or listening to an accordion.
Although some prefer playing the accordion while standing, this manner of playing could tire you easily, especially with a heavy accordion. The most important thing here, however, is choosing the position that allows you to easily control your accordion while being comfortable.
Invest in a backstrap — a strap that connects the shoulder straps on your back to avoid a heavier accordion from slipping off your body.
Learn to feel where the buttons are using your ear to tell you if you are on the right button. Find the note C. This button is usually a bit buried or recessed, but can be found on the top rows of buttons 8,12, 16, 24, 36 of all bass instruments.
If your accordion is a larger model, then look for the note C in the second row. It may have a mark, jewel or indentation.
We'll try the piano keyboard later. For now, your only concern should be getting comfortable with your instrument's bass buttons. Focus on the first columns of bass buttons [7] X Research source. Regardless of how many bass columns your accordion has, you'll only be looking at the first two or three columns. If you have a small beginner accordion, there may be only one column of bass buttons and then columns of chord buttons.
In contrast, a big bass accordion has two columns of bass buttons and four chord columns. If you have a bass instrument, the bass column second from the front is called the "fundamental bass"; it is your main bass column. For now, you don't need to use the first column on your bass section.
Place your index finger on the C note. Then, tuck your thumb under your index finger and push on the button right beside the bass note C, the C Major chord. This button will be right beside and off-center in an upwards direction from the C bass button that your index finger is pressing Note: all references to "beside" or "upwards" are in regards to an accordion in playing position, strapped on your chest. Pull the bellows out.
Then, press the two buttons alternately C bass note and the C chord to generate a sort of of oom-pah sound. Try to pull the bellows smoothly for the best sound effect. Attempt a Waltz rhythm. The beat for the Waltz goes 1, 2, , 2, 3. This sounds like "oom-pah-pah". Play the C note on the first beat, and push the button right beside the C the C Major chord button on the second and third beats.
As mentioned earlier, play all the notes staccato. Play the corresponding two bass buttons above and below the two you've just learned to play. The bass button below is F. The bass button above the C is G. With the F, you play the bass note F and the F Major chord button.
For the G, you play the G bass button and the G Major chord. Usually, each chord is repeated several times before changing. This is how you can generate a simple accompaniment, or vamp.
With just these three bass notes and chords, you could accompany hundreds of simple folk tunes and popular melodies! Add the bellows. Now try to pull the bellows in as you alternately press the buttons you just learned. Repeat this several times to practice.
Practice the right-hand keyboard with little exercises. The note C or Do is the white key beside and above the two black notes. Let's try a keyboard scale exercise that will help you produce your first, controlled sound sequence [9] X Research source : Expand the instrument's bellows. Softly and evenly push it back together, and hold the 1st C key down.
Keep pressing the note key while you change directions by pulling the instrument in opposite directions. Go to the next key, push in and pull apart. Try a right-hand chord exercise.
This keyboard exercise has a chord, and you can leave your fingers on the keyboard. Place your thumb on the C, and pinky on the G: begin with the third finger on the E [10] X Research source. Continue practicing at a steady tempo. Rhythmic time-keeping is one of the key roles of the accordion. One way to get steady rhythm is to practice with a metronome. Try to play bass buttons and right-hand chords at the same time. Play a C bass note alternating with a C Major bass button chord until it is smooth and easy.
This right-hand chord can be sustained, or it can go along with the bass button chords. Coordination of both hands might seem a little difficult at first, so it's important that you become very familiar with the necessary movements.
Repeat the above exercise until you feel confident and can move on to more advanced songs. Keep it in a cool place and never, never in sunlight or near high heat sources. There is a waxy substance for every key stop internally. Always keep it in its case when not in use. Not Helpful 1 Helpful Several places online will play a specific note to aid in tuning; match the note played with that on your accordion. Not Helpful 9 Helpful In a piano accordion, the bass buttons are organised according to the circle of fifths - so for example, the button above C is G a fifth higher , and the next one is D another fifth higher.
The button below C is F a fifth lower. On each horizontal row, you have several different variations of the same chord except for the first column. For example, on the C row, the second button is a plain C note, the third is a major C chord, the fourth is a minor C chord, the fifth is a dominant 7 C chord, and the sixth is a diminished 7 C chord.
It goes this way for all rows. Not Helpful 5 Helpful Unless you know what you're doing or are willing to risk ruining your instrument , you will need to take it to someone who knows how to repair them. It's likely that the old wax will need removing, reed leathers need replacing and reeds re-set in their blocks.
It isn't a small job, and it isn't a cheap one. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 6. The accordion still plays a note when the air valve is pressed. It plays B4 no matter which other notes I press. How can I fix this? The easiest thing to do is to take it to someone professional for fixing. You can also open the trug yourself and press the air valve while pulling the bellows. And then you might see what is wrong and you can try to fix it by moving the clapper inside the instrument a little.
But if you don't know how to do it properly, then do not even try. Not Helpful 1 Helpful 6. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
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