Accordion Information

How to PlayFAQ #2: I have recently come into posession/ inherited/ found in my grandfather's attic an accordion, and I would like to have a go at it. What do all those buttons do?
Get a teacherIf at all possible, get a teacher. A teacher can motivate you, and can nip bad habits in the bud. Look at the Accordion Yellow Pages under 'teachers' or 'schools'; there might be one near you. If not, hopefully the crash course below is enough to get you started. It is meant for the piano accordion; that is the instrument I play.
Whatever sounds good to you...All advice given below is just that: advice. If something else sounds better to you, or works better for you, don't let me stop you. But especially when the fingering is concerned, be careful not to develop bad habits.
If you can't read music at all Gary Ewer's "Easy Music Theory might help. You don't have to know a lot about sheet music, quite a few people play by ear only. But on paper or on the screen the "dots" are a very efficient way of communicating music. And if you know how to read sheet music even a little, that opens up a wealth of material!
The basses
Layout The accordion has an awful lot of bass buttons, but don't worry, you need only four or six of them to start with. A `normal' accordion can have up to 120 basses, arranged in up to 20 columns and up to 6 rows. Above you can see the layout for a 72 bass Stradella (that's what it's called) layout. There are two bass rows and four chord rows.
The first row (closest to the bellows) is the counterbass row, denoted by underlined capitals,
and the second row is the fundamental row, denoted by capitals. In each column, the counter bass is a third higher than the fundamental bass; but apart from that these two rows are the same, the C in the counter bass row will sound exactly the same as the C in the fundamental bass row. The chord rows are all denoted by a lower case letter plus a suffix. They are:
the major chords, next to the fundamental basses: these are denoted by just the chord name, or with a suffix `maj' or `M': e.g. `c', or `cM', or `cmaj'
the minor chords, with a suffix `m' or `min'
the seventh chords, with a suffix `7': `c7'
the diminished chords, with a suffix of `d', `dim', `v' (in German and Dutch: verminder(t/d)) or a degrees sign The columns are arranged along the circle of fifths: each column is the fifth of the column just below it, and conversely each column is the fourth of the column just above it. That is a very clever arrangement, because this way the basses that you need most often in a given key end up close together. For instance, for a tune in the key of C major, you often need the C major, G major, and F major chords, and they are next to eachother.
If your accordion has more bass buttons, 80, 96 or 120, then see Hans Palm's Stradella basses layout page; the extra columns are simply copies of columns that are there already: e.g. the next column on the right would be the C sharp column. But that is simply D flat under a different name. (an 80 bass accordion does not have the diminished row)
If your accordion has less buttons, 32, 40, or 60, then the layout will be the center piece of the 120 bass layout: As for the rows, first the diminished bass row disappears, then the counterbass row; and as for the columns, the C column will almost always be just below the middle.
PlayingAs you will find out soon enough, you can't see what you are doing! For that reason, some buttons are marked. The C fundamental bass is always marked, usually indented. If there are more than 8 columns, then usually the E fundamental bass and the A flat fundamental bass are marked as well, often cross-hatched. But Your Mileage May Vary: I've got one accordion where the E flat bass is marked instead of the A flat bass. When in doubt, start from the C fundamental bass and count from there.
Now, how do you use these basses? Play the fundamental basses with your fourth finger (the ring finger), the major chords with your third finger (middle finger), and the minor, 7th chords and diminished chords with use the second finger (index finger) for the chords. (Some older American courses that you might encounter say to use the 3rd finger for the fundamental bass and the 2nd finger for major chords as well, but using your 4th finger for the fundamental basses is better).
The basic way of playing is in a hoom pa pa fashion: play a fundamental bass on the stressed beat, and a chord on the off-beat. For 4/4 time, that is fundamental bass-chord-fundamental bass-chord or fundamental bass-chord-chord-chord (for tangos, often), for waltzes, that is fundamental bass-chord-chord. For 6/8 time, the pattern is fundamental bass on the first beat, nothing on the second, chord on the third, etc.; e.g. C . c C . c C . c C . c.
Play the basses staccato: press them and release them immediately, as if the buttons were burning hot. If you don't play them like that, you will probably find that the basses are `too loud'. If the basses are written out, like I've done below, they have the staccato implied: if there is a quarter note for a bass, that doesn't mean that you hear that bass for a quarter note (a crotchet), it means a short bass, and wait a quarter before you start the next one. On the other hand, if a bass note takes up more than a beat, like a half note (minim) or a dotted half note, often at the end, that usually means that the bass should sound for the whole note.
Examples
A very simple one to start with: only two chords, and a melody that spans only a fifth, so you can leave your fingers on the keyboard (thumb on the C, pinky on the G): start with the 3rd finger on the E. Try to keep your fingers in contact with the keys as much as possible: that is the easiest way not to get lost.
For notating the basses, I've used a common convention: on the bass staff, notes in the lower half denote fundamental basses, notes in the upper half denote (the root note of) chords; I've written out the names of the basses and chords as well. Sometimes you will find all three notes of the chord written out; sometimes the bass and chord names are not written out, and then often you will see just a single `M' above a chord: `this is a major chord'. Sometimes the chord names are omitted if they are the same as before, e.g. in the second bar I could have left them out.
Fingering for the basses is 4-3-4-3 all along; in the 3rd and the 7th measure you have to shift your hand up one column, for the 4th and 8th measure you have to come down again.

Not much more complicated, only this one uses the F chords as well, and I've replaced the G major chord with a G seventh chord. For the first three notes, there are no chords; at the end, play the C fundamental bass and the C major chord at the same time.
The right handI hope you can find your way around the right hand keyboard, sort of; If not, a page Das Akkordeon () at the site of Handharmonika-Club 1932 Ditzingen shows the right hand keyboard, and how it corresponds to the staff. It also shows the the layout of the full Stradella keyboard, by the way. It's no problem if you can't read German, the note names are easy to translate: if X is a note name, then Xes is X flat, e.g. Des is D flat (Es is E flat, and As is A flat), Xis is X sharp, e.g. Ais is A sharp; the exception is that (German) B is (English) B flat, and (German) H is (English) B.
But what do you do if the melody does not fit on five fingers? Do not crawl around using just your thumb and index finger. For playing scales, the proper fingering is: 123-1234-123-1234 going up and 4321-321-4321-321 going down. Going up, cross with your thumb under your third or fourth finger; going down, cross with your third and fourth finger over your thumb.

With black keys, you have to avoid playing the black keys with your thumb (except when playing chords): your thumb is to short to reach them conveniently, and crossing over your thumb is next to impossible if the thumb is on a black key. For instance, you would play the scales of B flat as follows:

Often you need to stretch your hand, for example for arpeggios:

Spicing up the bassesThe simplest way of spicing up the basses is the alternating bass: If the chord does not change, replace every other fundamental bass with its fifth. For instance, instead of `C c C c C c C c', play `C c G c C c G c', and instead of `C c c C c c' play `C c c G c c'. If the chord is a major chord, use the second finger for the alternating bass (you have to turn your hand a bit to in this case), and with minor and 7th chords, use your 3rd finger for the alternating bass. For 7th chords, replace the first of the two basses by the fifth: e.g. `D g7 G g7' (to avoid repetition of the same bass: e.g. for C G7, C c G c D g7 G g7 is nicer than C c G c G g7 D g7. Thanks to Michal John Kozak for pointing that out to me). Example:


Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accordion

http://www.accordions.com/index/gen/lea/gen_lea.shtml#accordionist

What is meant by voices or sets of reeds?Many people confuse voices with couplers (see 4 sets of below). For example the picture below shows a 4 voice or reeds accordion. However this
does not mean that it has 4 different sounds; it means that it has 4 blocks of reeds inside, so when you play any note, depending on what coupler or register is depressed, a maximum of 4 actual reeds will be heard. Accordions will have from 2 sets to 5 sets of reeds in general. There are many combinations available today but usually 48 bass instruments will be 2 voice, 72 and 80 bass 3 voice, 96 & 120 will be 3 or 4 voice. 5 voice is not so popular as it is rather bulky. The trend has been to get as many sets of reeds into the smallest accordions - the best selling models for quite some time have been 72 & 96 bass with 4 sets of reeds. There is always a compromise as the amount of notes on the treble keyboard is less on a 72 bass (34 piano keys) than on a standard 96 bass (37 piano keys).
What are couplers or registers?These are the switches usually in front of the keyboard on the grill which operate slides under the reed blocks which will engage or disengage the various reeds by cutting off the air supply giving you combinations of sounds. The dots which are normally shown on the couplers tell you which sets of reeds are playing. Sometimes one or two couplers may be repeated at either end for convenience depending where you are on the keyboard. A wrist or palm coupler is quite often found along the edge of the keys; this will usually take you back to the master setting meaning all the sets of reeds are open. Usually on instruments over 48 bass there are some bass couplers which are found between the bellows and the bass buttons; these only affect the left hand reeds and are generally used to balance the sound between the bass and treble.
What is meant by "Musette"?Musette refers to a type of tuning, usually associated with French or Scottish sounds. The true musette tuning is when you have 3 middle reeds, (also called 8 ' or clarinet reeds); one in tune, one tuned flat and one tuned sharp thus causing the notes to vibrate against each other. When these 3 reeds sound simultaneously, this is what we refer to as musette. Depending on how far sharp and flat the reeds are tuned will vary the speed of musette; in other words, the further sharp and flat, the stronger the musette. Be warned - just because the word "musette" is written on a coupler, it does not necessarily mean that it is authentic musette tuning.The manufacturers in these instances, are letting you know that this is the nearest to the musette sound that you will achieve with this particular instrument and this is why it is better to look at the dots on the coupler instead of the words; 3 in a row in the middle segment means you have the necessary 3 clarinet reeds. I have dealt with many customers that had bought accordions elsewhere which they believed to be musette tuned because they had been given incorrect information. Right hand image is an imitation musette coupler on a double-octave tuned accordion .........
What is meant by "cassotto" or "tone chamber"?Cassotto is an Italian word meaning 'box'; it is also referred to as "tone chamber". The reeds that are placed in this chamber have a far more mellow and rich tone. As you can see from the photograph below, the accordion is constructed differently to standard models, and in any make would be regarded as the top of the range. The instrument becomes slightly heavier (about 2lbs on average).These models always cost more as the construction is more complicated with 2 sets of pallets being required to cover the sets of reeds. It is possible to have your cassotto accordion either with musette or double octave tuning; in most people's opinion a musette tuned instrument is better with no cassotto as the idea of the musette sound is that it should be bright and sparkling and the cassotto mellows one of the three 8' reeds. However it has a beautifully rich sound of its own and is a popular choice especially in the 96 bass specification. Occasionally on a five sets of reeds cassotto accordion you may find that the piccolo (4') reed is placed in the chamber instead of the clarinet (8') reed so that the musette sound is left pure.
4 sets of reeds Double Cassotto accordionClick photofor full sizeview of acassotto crosssection
Standard 4 sets of reeds accordion
What is meant by "double & single cassotto"? Double Cassotto means that you have 2 sets of reeds in the chamber, usually the bassoon reed (16' ) and the' in tune' clarinet reed (8'). A single cassotto accordion has only one set in the chamber (the 16'). Strange as it may sound, the single cassotto accordion has a bigger body than the double cassotto because of the way the reed blocks need to be placed inside.
What is meant by "double octave" tuning?Double octave tuning is the other option of tuning to musette. For this style of tuning, the 'flat' middle reed in the musette tuned accordions is replaced by a piccolo reed (4' or octavina reed). Therefore on a standard four sets of reeds instrument there will be one bassoon reed (16'), two clarinet reeds, (8') and one piccolo reed (4'). If an accordion has only three sets of reeds it will normally have one 16' and two 8' reeds. Occasionally instruments come into stock with the more unusual 16', 8' and 4' format, however this is not a popular specification today as there is no second 8' reed to give the vibration or tremolo sound.
How much does the average accordion weigh?Many people put too much emphasis on the physical weight of an accordion rather than the ease and comfort of playing it; if you have a very good quality instrument the reeds will respond far quicker and easier thus requiring less effort to play than one of lesser quality. This can often be misunderstood to seem that the accordion is actually heavier but if you have opened and closed the bellows twice as much on a cheaper instrument because the reeds need more air to play you will naturally tire quicker. However, with the choice of specifications available today it is a good idea not to buy an instrument with more keyboard length than you really need; many folk players for example never need more than a 72 bass as the majority of the music is usually played in the keys of G,D & A. (A lot of English folk players use a two row melodeon set in the keys of D and G but obviously this is a generalisation). I have compiled a few examples of average weights for a cross section of instruments which will give you a rough guide if this is something that is relevant to your selection.
Table of average accordion weights
48 Bass - 2 sets of reeds - approximately 5-6 kilos (11-13lbs)
72 Bass - 3 sets of reeds - approximately 7-8.5 kilos (15-18lbs)
72 Bass - 4 sets of reeds - approximately 8-9 kilos (17-20Ibs)
96 Bass - 4 sets of reeds -approximately 9-10 kilos (20-22Ibs)**
120 Bass - 3 sets of reeds -approximately 9-10 kilos (20-22Ibs)
120 Bass - 4 sets of reeds - approximately 10.5-11 kilos (23-24.5Ibs)
120 Bass Cassotto - 4 sets of reeds - approximately 11-13 kilos (24.5-28.5Ibs)
** click here to view an accordion that is the exception to this rule!


What is a melodeon?It is a small diatonic instrument usually with buttons on both sides in either a one, two or three row format on the right hand and used mainly by folk and traditional players. There is an enormous variety of specifications made in different keys for different countries. Some melodeons have stops (couplers) on the top of the instrument which are simple devices for closing off any sets of reeds. The one row melodeon only allows you to play in that one key that the instrument is tuned to. The Cajun musicians generally use a 1 row with 4 sets of reeds. They sometimes come with two bass levers or also with four bass buttons. A different note plays depending on whether the bellows is pushed or pulled. The rows are set to major keys - for example D/G melodeons used by the English folk players usually have two rows of buttons on the right hand, the outer row is in the key of D major and the inner row in G major and generally they are played "down" the rows. Two row models normally have 8 bass buttons. The Irish and Scottish melodeons are now usually tuned in B/C. These instruments are generally played "across" the rows, enabling the player to play in various keys depending on the bass buttons they have - the standard tuning on the bass for the B/C models is F/C, G/C, E/A and D/G (major chords). Other tunings sometimes seen are C/C#, C#/D and D/D# (any tunings are available upon request, however instruments can also be altered to anything desired by replacing or retuning the existing reeds). A system still made today that was very popular in the forties and fifties is the "Club" system. This usually has 2½ rows, commonly in C/F or B flat /E flat ; the half row would consist of accidental notes to make the instrument more versatile. Some 3 row instruments are regarded as diatonic but may have a standard stradella bass system such as the Shand Morino or Paolo Soprani Elite 111; the usual tuning for these models is B/C/C#. Some three rows however have diatonic bass - 12 is normal but this can vary in number depending on which country it is being made for.
What is a concertina?Concertinas are small, usually hexagonal instruments. They fall into two categories: The English and the Anglo-Chromatic system. Pictured left is an instrument with the English system. This has more buttons and plays the same note regardless of the direction of the bellows. Picture right is the Anglo-Chromatic model and this has fewer buttons but plays a different note when pushing or pulling the bellows. As a rule they are generally less expensive. The cheaper end of the market is the Chinese model and it starts at approximately £100.
What is a bandoneon?Basically a large concertina. There are different systems and sizes and as with concertinas some models play a different note when pushing or pulling the bellows and some play the same. The models that I personally have sold in the past have mostly been the different note version playing a 16' and 8' reed together. The Victoria 'Serie Vallesi' bandoneon is one of the best models made today in Italy; this has zinc reeds (which are heavier) but have a wonderful sound.
How long do accordions last?As with anything, some instruments are going to be better than others. It will apply that in many respects you get what you pay for. We sell instruments of all prices, and obviously the cheaper ranges will not be as well made as the more expensive instruments. However there is a three year guarantee on all accordions regardless of where they are made. People often assume that because an instrument is very cheap it will probably break down every five minutes; this is not true. The main downside to the cheaper makes is that the response of the reeds is not as good so you will find that more effort is required to project the sound. Generally, people may start with a small, cheaper instrument, to see how they get along and then move upwards when they know if they are going to stick with it, and have achieved a better level of listening to enable them to make a more considered choice. It is quite possible that your instrument could last your lifetime. With careful storing and handling, and regular maintenance, your accordion will stay healthier than you!!!
When should I have any maintenance carried out?If you have any faults on the mechanisms such as bass or keys sticking or couplers jamming then these problems should be repaired as soon as possible as they could cause further damage if not remedied. NEVER force couplers as you may end up breaking the aluminium slides; oiling the mechanism will only clog it up and then will require full dismantling to clean it. Any problems with certain notes not sounding correctly can quite often be repaired while you wait even if the reeds are broken; however if you are hearing lots of "clicks" or buzzing from the reeds you may have problems with the valves which can possibly require a full overhaul. The reed shown (right) is a side view showing both valves; one valve is flush to the reed plate and this is how it should be, the other side clearly shows a problem which would cause the clicking mentioned above. Some faults may appear to be very serious, but don't panic; on numerous occasions customers have come to the shop expecting bad news about their repairs only to have it repaired in minutes while they watched.
How do I best look after my accordion?The accordion is generally a hard wearing instrument if treated correctly. Try to keep it dust free and in an environment with an even temperature. As with almost any other instruments, do not place it near a radiator or heating source or direct sunlight. In extreme cases, an accordion left in the back seat of a car on a very hot, sunny day can cause the wax around the reeds to melt neccessitating a complete renovation. The worst you can do to an accordion is store it in a damp place. The reeds will get rusty very quickly and the instrument will go badly out of tune. Even if the accordion looks to be in perfect condition on the outside it will require a full overhaul of the reeds which is expensive; this procedure involves the removal of the reeds from the wooden reed blocks, (there are approx. 220 double-sided reeds & 400 valves in a full size accordion ) laid out on trays, cleaned thoroughly, re-valved, re-waxed back onto the wooden blocks and finally tuned. The picture you see on the left shows just one side of one reed. This kind of work (including any general repairs to the mechanisms) would take approximately two weeks and cost between £500-£600. If you store your accordion in it's case it is best to wrap the straps behind the accordion rather than pulling them over the keyboard as over the years I have had to repair hundreds of keys that have been forced out of position by the strap buckles catching the edge of the key as the straps are pulled over, as well as having the possibility of scratching the cellulose covering.
DON'T LEAVE YOUR ACCORDION IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT FOR LONG PERIODS!!!
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS IF THE WAX THAT HOLDS ON THE REEDS GETS TOO HOT - - THE WAX WILL MELT AND THEN YOU REALLY WILL HAVE PROBLEMS! Some manufacturers use a different amount of resin in the wax mixture so the effect might not be so bad as the picture opposite - however I do not think it is worth finding out which is the best mix, do you? Another common problem that can also occur to your instrument if you leave it in direct sunlight, is that over a period of time, the cellulose will discolour if it is not black.(The accordion shown came in for repair recently after having been left in a shop window).
THIS CUSTOMER'S IDEA OF A HIGHER ACTION WENT A BIT TOO FAR!!! - HE SHOULD HAVE SPOKEN TO ME BEFORE HE HAD A GO AT IT.

Are they difficult to learn to play? No, not at all. It helps enormously if you can already read music, play piano or keyboard to any degree. But even so, whether you are having personal tuition or if you follow a good tutor book, for example, the Anzaghi tutor, and practise consistently, your ability and technique will quickly improve. People believe that the co-ordination is very difficult but this is usually because they are trying to play both hands together before they have mastered each hand separately. In addition, I believe it's good to have your instrument within easy access as this encourages the desire to pick it up and practise regularly instead of the hassle of having to pull it in and out of it's case which can cause damage if you are careless as described in a previous question.
I will try to add to this section on a regular basis, time allowing, (although it hasn't so far). However, I hope that the content as it stands will still be helpful to those of you who have taken the time to read it. Then again, if you have a problem that is worrying you regarding your accordion, simply give me a call and we can talk it through.