Self-teaching the button accordian
SueCellier
as a present to myself for Christmas, instead happened upon a good
deal in a button accordian. If I'd had my choice in keys - I might have
looked for D/G or an Irish box to play more folk tunes, but the price was
right and I ended up buying this one, a G/C/F.
I have a great love of Celtic music, and have so far been able to play
some
tunes on the right hand from a song book when they were in the right key,
and transpose when they weren't. But I've been playing only row at a time
(depending on what key I'm in), and I'm thinking I ought to be taking
advantage
of the other rows, sometimes. Also, I haven't figured out what to do with
my
left hand.
What are some good instructional books out there? Or some good books
with easy tunes appropriate for this instrument?
Thanks for any help,
Sue Cellier
rasauer
Actually I'm a piano and PA player and my wife bought a beautiful
three-row Hohner (she felt she might get disheartened if she picked an
instrument that I could already play better). Morris dance music is not
challenging, and the key to the left hand is that you can play on the
same two buttons the whole time and it will switch between the tonic and
dominant chords for you as you change direction! Of course, there are
times another chord might sound more interesting (like the 4 chord) but
those Morris musicians who are also dancers are often happy enough. The
fancy chords can come later.
By the way, the Hero accordion instruction refers to the octave bass
button as the "Boong" and the chord bass button as the "Sah." Nice,
concise terms. I suggest you practice going
boong-sah-boong-sah-boong-sah-boong repeatedly with your left hand and
then add the melody to that. Works great for Morris.
--
Rodney Sauer
ras...@dash.com
RDD Consultants, Inc. (Technical editing, writing, composition,
illustration)
Pianist and Director of the Mont Alto Ragtime and Tango Orchestra
http://www.csn.net:80/~stermitz/CH/MA/MA_Home.html
GJU...@aol.com
>I have a great love of Celtic music, and have so far been able to play
some
>tunes on the right hand from a song book when they were in the right key,
and transpose when they weren't. But I've been playing only row at a time
>(depending on what key I'm in), and I'm thinking I ought to be taking
advantage
>of the other rows, sometimes. Also, I haven't figured out what to do with
my
left hand.
>What are some good instructional books out there? Or some good books
>with easy tunes appropriate for this instrument?
It sounds like you have a 3-row Hohner, probably a G/C/F Corona II.
It's fairly easy to play with the left hand bass buttons. Take a tune that
you have learned the melody for that is in 2/4 time (like a Polka.) Let's say
you're going to play on the 'C' or middle row of your G/C/F. On the left hand
side there are pairs of buttons that go with each row. If you were holding
the accordion the buttons would look like this
Notes and chords sounded while pushing (squeezing) the bellows:
chin (top of keyboard)
G E <Chord
G E <Single note
----------
C A <Chord
C A <Single note
---------
F Bb < Chord
F Bb <Single note
----------
If you look at the upper groups of 4 buttons you will see that the left hand
buttons are the tonic note and chord of either the G,C or F row. As long as
you stay on the left hand buttons corresponding to the row you are playing on
with your right hand it is difficult to play a wrong note. That's because
the push notes on the right hand C row are CEGC and the pull notes are DFAB,
meaning you are playing notes from a C chord with both the right and left
hand while Pushing the bellows and notes from a G or G7 chord (except for
the A) when Pulling the bellows. This is one of the main advantages,
particularly for beginners, of a diatonic accordion.
Notes and chords sounded while pulling the bellows:
chin (top of keyboard)
D A <Chord
D Am <Single note
--------
G D <Chord
G Dm <Single note
--------
C Bb <Chord
C Bb <Single note
So just get on there and OOM-PAH away! (OOM is C note, PAH is C chord)
A waltz(3/4 Time) would be OOM-PAH-PAH.
As to using different rows for melody notes. You can go to other rows for a
couple of reasons. One is to get the Bb in the F row or the F# in the G row
(or those acccidentals up by your chin). A second is to allow you to play a
sequence of notes without having to change bellows direction. The third that
comes to mind is convenience. Sometimes a note is closer on a neighboring row
than the one you're on.
Here are some useful books. The best in my opinion is Yann Dour's "3
Temps"(meaning 'waltz time'). It's available from the Button Box and maybe
HMTrad. It comes with a cassette tape and covers French Cafe music, Cajun,
Tex-Mex, Scandinavian, Italian and Irish and a few other types of ethnic
music. These tunes are for a 2-row box, using fingerings covering both rows.
They can of course be played on a three-row box as well. There is a Tablature
system using numbered buttons if you don't read music. The text is in French
but the book is usable without needing to read the text. Highly recommended.
Another excellent book, particularly for beginners, is Roger Watson's
'Handbook for Melodeon' also available from The Button Box. Tablature.
When using just one row, there is 'Traditional Irish Music from the Repertory
of William Sullivan' available from Sampler Records. Great arrangements of
one-row tunes. Unfortunately, the tunes are all in the key of D so it's
necessary to transpose. No tablature.
Traditionally, of course, in learning ethnic or folk music you'd just use
your ear and pick out tunes on your box until over time it became second
nature.
I'm interested in Tex-Mex music, which is generally not written down.
What I did was find some local people and videotape them giving me lessons.
Then I watched it 20 or 30 times until I could figure out (In some cases at
least) what the heck they were doing. The next time I had a lesson I then
worked on it with them until I had it down. I found that this method helps to
speed up the 'folk process'.
The Button Box
9 East Pleasant St.
Amherst, Ma. 01002
(413) 549-0171 Be sure to get a catalogue, They've got lots of good
stuff.
For 'Traditional Irish Tunes'
Andy's Front Hall
PO Box 307
Voorheesville, NY 12186
(518) 765-4193
Wendy Morrison
HMT...@aol.com
House of Musical Traditions
7040 Carroll Ave Takoma Park MD 20912
301-270-9090 LD 800-540-3794 fax 301-270-3010
Best Wishes,
Greg Urban
Sushiqueen
[...]>
> HMT...@aol.com
> House of Musical Traditions
> 7040 Carroll Ave Takoma Park MD 20912
> 301-270-9090 LD 800-540-3794 fax 301-270-3010
>
>
> Best Wishes,
> Greg Urban
>
Thanks for the mention, Greg. We have a new email address for mail order
inquiries, hmt...@aol.com . The other aol address above isn't used
anymore, although the account is still active.
My email address is hmt...@hmtrad.com (for accordion inquiries & general
squeezebox advice).
Wendy
Sushiqueen, Wendy's Home for Wayward Accordions
http://www.hmtrad.com/hmtrad
1996 is the Year of the Accordion
Laurie
>
> I'd always wanted to buy a concerntina, and while looking for one
> as a present to myself for Christmas, instead happened upon a good
> deal in a button accordian. If I'd had my choice in keys - I might have
> looked for D/G or an Irish box to play more folk tunes, but the price was
> right and I ended up buying this one, a G/C/F.
>
> some
> tunes on the right hand from a song book when they were in the right key,
> and transpose when they weren't. But I've been playing only row at a time
>
> (depending on what key I'm in), and I'm thinking I ought to be taking
> advantage
> of the other rows, sometimes. Also, I haven't figured out what to do with
> my
> left hand.
>
> What are some good instructional books out there? Or some good books
> with easy tunes appropriate for this instrument?
>
> Sue CellierSue, I share your interest in instructional resources for the three row
button box. The GCF box you have is popular in Tex-Mex (aka Tejano or
Conjunto) music. One advantage to the three rows is the ability to play
scales (i.e. melodies) on the draw or squeeze lending a certain fluidity to
the rhythm not found when playing a single row. Also, it lends itself to
playing in thirds as many adjacent buttons share that interval. There is an
instructional video with Flaco Jimenez available from Homespun Tapes which
shows some of the techniques. I recently ordered a book from Heritage
Musical Traditions which includes 2 row tabulature for an assortment of
French, Scottish and Irish tunes but have yet to receive it. I hope someone
out there knows of some resources as I have found too few.
Scott Ferguson