96 vs 120 bass
Toby Hanson
In article <32721E...@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca>, mko...@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca
wrote:
>I want some opinions here:
>
>I find that a 72 bass is a bit limiting, but essentially does anyone
>actually _need_ a 120 bass accordion instead of the 96 bass.
>
>The 96 bass is lighter.
>
>The 120 bass has more bass keys, but do any of the players in this group
>actually play many pieces beyond F# major or below A-flat major? I know
>I haven't.
>
> Michael John
Among other things, I often work with different vocalists and on occasions
I have used Ab and F#, Ab far more often than F#. What I find is more
common is needing notes from the outside ends of the bass manual: a Cb or
a Bx (double sharp) when I'm putting together snazzy bass runs. That
allows me to have tri-tone subs or minor thirds in the subdominant chord
availible for bass lines. Rarely do I actually use the chords that far
out, just the bass notes.
--
-Toby Hanson
jtha...@halcyon.com
http://www.halcyon.com/jthanson/main.htm
"Remember趴e may not all be Scandinavian, but we're all Smilin'!"
Michael John Kozak
Michael John Kozak
Hillebrand van der Veen wrote:
>
> Michael John Kozak wrote:
> >
> > I want some opinions here:
> >
>
> D-flat and G-flat. But apart from that: I have an accordion with (what we
> in Holland call:) 5 choruses at the right hand side, and I wouldn't know
> where to fit those in a smaller instrument. By the way: I play an italian
> Excelsior with free-bass-system. Perfect instrument, and half the price
> of an Hohner out of the same (!!!) factory.
5 choruses--hmm...unsure about that one. Is 96 keys really limiting you
that much on a stradella system? I should have mentioned that I'm
referring to stradella in the original post. I don't know much about
the free bass system and doubt I'll ever learn it in my future.
Michael John
Accordion Music Appreciation Page Maintainer
http://www.ualberta.ca/~mkozak/accordion.htm
Hillebrand van der Veen
Michael John Kozak wrote:
>
> I want some opinions here:
>
Hello out there! And yes, I sometimes do use C# en G#, and (though rarely
D-flat and G-flat. But apart from that: I have an accordion with (what we
in Holland call:) 5 choruses at the right hand side, and I wouldn't know
where to fit those in a smaller instrument. By the way: I play an italian
Excelsior with free-bass-system. Perfect instrument, and half the price
of an Hohner out of the same (!!!) factory.
Greetings to you all,
Hillebrand, Woerden, Holland.
Dt Bray
I had a full size 120 bass which was too big for me (I could barely get my
chin to rest on the top when I played sitting down). So I bought a 96
bass. It weighs the same because I have musette tuning in my 96 which
means additional reed banks. However the size is better. This is important
if you want to keep full-size keyboard keys. As for playing the outer
limits of a 120 bass, it will be years before I advance to that level and
meanwhile, I can play my 96 bass in comfort. If you are a relative
beginner, you might benefit from the ease of handling a 96 bass, and then
as your need for expanded expression grows, you can switch.
Enjoy. Good on ya,
Dina
Hans Palm Z/ET
Michael John Kozak wrote:
>
> I want some opinions here:
>
> actually _need_ a 120 bass accordion instead of the 96 bass.
>
>
> The 120 bass has more bass keys, but do any of the players in this group
> actually play many pieces beyond F# major or below A-flat major? I know
> I haven't.
general compared to a 120 bass. The number of bass reeds is the same (I
assume we're discussing Stradella). You'll have 24 more bass buttons and
some more hardware in the bass mechanism in a 120 bass compared to a 96
bass, but the same number of reeds and valves. Maybe the box sizes are
different but perhaps not without reducing the right-hand side in a 96
bass. Is the weight diffrence between 96 and 120 bass boxes with the
same treble range significant?
Hans Palm
Sweden
Hans Palm Z/ET
Dt Bray wrote:
>
> I had a full size 120 bass which was too big for me (I could barely get my
> chin to rest on the top when I played sitting down). So I bought a 96
> bass. It weighs the same because I have musette tuning in my 96 which
> means additional reed banks. However the size is better. This is important
> if you want to keep full-size keyboard keys. As for playing the outer
> limits of a 120 bass, it will be years before I advance to that level and
> meanwhile, I can play my 96 bass in comfort. If you are a relative
> beginner, you might benefit from the ease of handling a 96 bass, and then
> as your need for expanded expression grows, you can switch.
> Enjoy. Good on ya,
> Dina
I'm playing a five row chromatic and they are smaller in general
when compared to PA:s since the treble keys are smaller and closer
together.
It's very easy to transpose a tune on a five row chromatic - just
select another starting position for the right hand (you could keep
the fingering you've learned before in the original key).
You must also select another starting position for the left hand.
I think that a five row chromatic player in general uses the extra
bass buttons on a 120 bass more frequently than a PA player since
playing in Ab, Db, Gb... (or F#,C#, G#...) is as easy as playing in
the key of C.
If you're interested in learning more about the wonderful
features of the five row chromatic, please visit
http://home1.swipnet.se/~w-10674/diskant.html
(or http://home1.swipnet.se/~w-10674/s_diskant.html
if you're able to read Swedish...)
Hans Palm
Sweden
Hans Palm Z/ET
Thomas Norulak
Michael John Kozak wrote:
>
> I want some opinions here:
>
> I find that a 72 bass is a bit limiting, but essentially does anyone
> actually _need_ a 120 bass accordion instead of the 96 bass.
>
> The 96 bass is lighter.
>
> The 120 bass has more bass keys, but do any of the players in this group
> actually play many pieces beyond F# major or below A-flat major? I know
> I haven't.
>
playing for contra dances on a semi regular basis. It's lighter and
easier to play for 3 hours at a stretch. Most dance tunes are in either
G, D, or A and sometimes C. F or Bflat for some. So I never have any
problem with missing bass keys. I like the smaller one.
Tom
Arthur & Suzanne Welch
> I agree. One interesting question is how much lighter a 96 bass is in
> general compared to a 120 bass. The number of bass reeds is the same (I
> assume we're discussing Stradella). You'll have 24 more bass buttons and
> some more hardware in the bass mechanism in a 120 bass compared to a 96
> bass, but the same number of reeds and valves. Maybe the box sizes are
> different but perhaps not without reducing the right-hand side in a 96
> bass. Is the weight diffrence between 96 and 120 bass boxes with the
> same treble range significant?
>
> Hans Palm
> Sweden
>
A typical 96 bass comes with 37 treble keys rather than 41 for a 120 bass.
We have found that the weight difference is approximately 2 to 3 pounds
average. This is for accordions with the same number of reed sets and
switches i.e. 4 treble sets, 5 bass sets, 11 treble switches, 5 bass
switches. This 2 to 3 pounds can be significant if the player does a lot of
strolling or stand up performances.
Arthur Welch, Accordion Connection E-mail: acc...@grolen.com
Loudon, NH 1-800-328-5227
Hillebrand van der Veen
Michael John Kozak wrote:
>
> 5 choruses--hmm...unsure about that one.
In Holland when we speak about a "chorus" we mean a row of reeds with the
same sound-"colouring". I havn't the foggiest idea what the official english
name is for that. Actually we talk her about '16-feet', '8-feet' (single-8:
also known as clarinet), '4-feet' (also known as piccolo).
> Is 96 keys really limiting you that much on a stradella system?
"Really" is a big word. It all depends what you are used to.
> I don't know much about the free bass system and doubt I'll ever learn it > in my future.
That's what I thought, to start with. I cam across a Hohner-freebass Morino
some years ago, and decided to have a go for it. As I payed fl. 3000,-- (app.
1750 dollar) I couldn't resist it. Well, it turned out that I found myself
far to busy to teach it to myself ... Two years ago I started a second try,
but now under guidance of the director of our accordion orchestra (Forzando,
Amsterdam), and know, indeed I happen to play "Invention 1" by Bach in quite
an acceptable way. So: do have a try when you find an instrument like that!
Greetings from Holland,
Hillebrand van der Veen.