Tuesday, March 31, 2009
a first accordion
Right now I'm looking at 48 bass PA or chromatic button accordions -- but am also considering a larger accordion if the price is good -- I have my eye on an 60 bass Weltmeister right now....
I have played the less expensive starter accordions - priced around $300 - they are noticably different from the higher quality, more expensive instruments - they feel and sound chintzy.
I'll bide my time and hope a good quality Hohner or Weltmeister comes along -- otherwise, I'll probably buy a new Hohner...
We'll see....
I have played the less expensive starter accordions - priced around $300 - they are noticably different from the higher quality, more expensive instruments - they feel and sound chintzy.
I'll bide my time and hope a good quality Hohner or Weltmeister comes along -- otherwise, I'll probably buy a new Hohner...
We'll see....
the hunt is on
I'm looking for a 48 bass student accordion to learn PA on -- for both me and the girls -- I know they'll take to it really quickly with their solid piano background.
Here's a great link for info on the various bass layouts:
http://www.klezmusic.com/sbx-info/sbx-size.html
I'm looking for either a 4x12 48 bass or a 5x12 60 bass
Here's a great link for info on the various bass layouts:
http://www.klezmusic.com/sbx-info/sbx-size.html
I'm looking for either a 4x12 48 bass or a 5x12 60 bass
Monday, March 30, 2009
Hello fellow free reeders!
Hello fellow free reeders -
Regarding learning the button box - I think the best thing to do is to just get the notes under your fingers and begin by learning tunes by ear -- Perhaps practicing C, G, D and E and the chromatic scale would be a good initial exercise -- just to train your ear and hands to hear the notes and get a feel for where the notes are -- you develop a sense for what notes are pull notes and what notes are push notes --
sing the notes along with what you are playing - ie: D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D - or chromatically - singing each of the notes as you ascend and descend by 1/2 steps.for the left hand, I think you have to develop an ear for the basses and when you can throw them in.
I always felt kind of guilty about not playing accompaniment but I have realized since starting to play the piano accordion, the basses on a button box are extremely limiting because we are constantly pressing/drawing and with the basses you really need to have a system like the stradella bass system on PAs
I'm just starting to kind of get the drone style of using the basses that John Williams talks about -- the illian pipes sound -- good enough for me -- with the button box, most of the time you'll be playing with other instruments and you'll want to blend in with the fiddle or a flute anyways, so you really won't need the basses, except very sparingly
Take care!
Ted
Regarding learning the button box - I think the best thing to do is to just get the notes under your fingers and begin by learning tunes by ear -- Perhaps practicing C, G, D and E and the chromatic scale would be a good initial exercise -- just to train your ear and hands to hear the notes and get a feel for where the notes are -- you develop a sense for what notes are pull notes and what notes are push notes --
sing the notes along with what you are playing - ie: D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D - or chromatically - singing each of the notes as you ascend and descend by 1/2 steps.for the left hand, I think you have to develop an ear for the basses and when you can throw them in.
I always felt kind of guilty about not playing accompaniment but I have realized since starting to play the piano accordion, the basses on a button box are extremely limiting because we are constantly pressing/drawing and with the basses you really need to have a system like the stradella bass system on PAs
I'm just starting to kind of get the drone style of using the basses that John Williams talks about -- the illian pipes sound -- good enough for me -- with the button box, most of the time you'll be playing with other instruments and you'll want to blend in with the fiddle or a flute anyways, so you really won't need the basses, except very sparingly
Take care!
Ted
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