Accordion Technique

[Boggard Jon]

Hey Hooperman...

I've been playing guitar for about 25 years and about a year ago picked up the accordion for the folk band I'm in... so I feel your pain.

I just recently started taking lessons and it's hurting my brain trying to separate the tasks my hands are performing. Practice, practice, practice is the key. I remember learning to play piano in Jr. High and how I couldn't get my hands to separate... then one day I woke up and could totally do it. So, yeah, just practice and your brain will do the rest.

I can't say for The Pogues but I know for The Boggards we do a lot of our songs in D and G because that's a good key for the Baritones to sing in. Could be that C is Shane's "sweet spot". But maybe Mr. Fearnley could give us some insight.

[DzM]

James has discussed a little of his technique in this thread:

viewtopic.php?t=1192

[Hooperman]

Hey Hooperman...

I've been playing guitar for about 25 years and about a year ago picked up the accordion for the folk band I'm in... so I feel your pain.

I just recently started taking lessons and it's hurting my brain trying to separate the tasks my hands are performing. Practice, practice, practice is the key. I remember learning to play piano in Jr. High and how I couldn't get my hands to separate... then one day I woke up and could totally do it. So, yeah, just practice and your brain will do the rest.

I can't say for The Pogues but I know for The Boggards we do a lot of our songs in D and G because that's a good key for the Baritones to sing in. Could be that C is Shane's "sweet spot". But maybe Mr. Fearnley could give us some insight.

Thanks. People have been suggesting i get the accordian down for a band and im getting a key drone, but i try any accompaniment and it all goes out the window. Apparently some of the reels ive been writing are beautiful though...

[rockarocka]

My suggestion is to grab yourself a book. I started playing about half a year ago. I haven't had too much time due to uni this year, but I've had periods of playing for close to 30 mins a day in short burst.

I mostly don't follow the books any more, but I think its a neccessity to get through at least a beginners book (which took me about 2 weeks with fairly steady playing). I was recommended a book called Palmer-Hughes Accordion Course published by Alfred Publishing, was about $17 aussie bucks, which I think is a fairly standard beginners book I think.

I'm almost to the end of the second book now and I'm pumping out some Pogues tunes. Namely both hands on Dingle Regatta, which I only really just started getting both hands going on a little while ago. The most difficult part was getting the chord hit on the off beat while still playing the melody, but I noticed that if I put emphasis on the actually timing (6/8) while playing the melody the off beats just came almost naturally.

I still haven't completely split my brain with regard to playing a backing and melody, but what I've found is that it just comes with time. Regarding a good technique to use, I have also found that just simply improvising while trying to keep a constant backing has begun to let me separate the two hands.

But yeah, mostly grab yourself a book. At least a the first in series beginners books and that really helps with the basics, which are very difficult to figure out on your own.

[WhiskeyInTheMorning]

it would go ECGCECGCECGCECGCFCACFCACFCAC (going from the chord of C to the chord of F). In 6/8, it would be a matter of gecgecgecgecgecgecgecgec (transpose that to the key of A for Sally Maclennane), and then put triplets in between the G and the E and hitting the root note of C on the third quaver of each 6/8 pattern. Does this make any sense?

Yes, it does make sense! I didn't know this forum existed, did a search on pogues accordion technique and bam! Very cool!

As to the two hands thing, it just takes time, practice, and patience. I've been teaching myself accordion for almost a year now. I play fiddle and mostly just traditional Irish dance tunes. I have no background in music theory, chords, harmonizing, etc. So learning the actual notes in the chords and what triads are has been part of the experience. I started by familiarizing myself with the buttons and matching chords played as triads on the keyboard. Got some tips from a Karen Tweed video as to accompaniment rhythms for different time signatures. I also started with simple pub tunes. Once I could play the tune using chords, I then would memorize the melody on the keyboard. Then slowly begin to play them at the same time. I'm still very much a beginner and just starting to take on some Pogue's tunes and this info provided here will help greatly! At least I'll know what I'm trying to do even if it doesn't sound like it for quite some time!!!

WitM

[Hulthe]

A tip is to search the internet for Accordion guides, or guides to any other instrument. I picked up the accordion about 2 months ago, started out with a 120bass chromatic button accordion witch i had a lot of fun with. But since i was renting it i thought that i might as well turn it back in and rent a piano accordion. So i got meself a 96 bass one just about half a week ago. What i usually do when i wanna learn to play a tune is that i listen to it and try to figure out what note the first one in the melody is by just going up and down the treble side untill i find the perfect match, then i just find my way around the keyboard depending on how the melody sounds. With this "pattern" i've had no trouble pumpin' out nearly all the songs on the Red roses for me album with and without using the bass side.

Although i am having a hard time keeping a steady rythm using the ecgcecgc technique, i just end up doing gecgecgec.

I played a bunch o' other instruments before, including learning the theory of music witch might have helped me learning the accordion

By the way this is my first post so be gentle

[daveynate]

Nice job, Hulthe...good first post.

I've been taking lessons for the past four months, as I'm trying to join my friends' band (The Mighty Regis, every Thursday at Molly Malone's...cheap but effective plug). While we started with the basics, utilizing both hands, my impatience to learn my band's material interceded rather quickly. Those songs, I've discovered, can be played effectively with just the keyboard side (in an earlier post somewhere, Mr. Fearnley admitted to almost NEVER using the bass side, and if that's good enough for him...). I've progressed to the point where I can teach myself my songs on my time, while my instructor and I get back to basics (including two-hand technique).

If anyone learned anything from that, good on ya.

[Hulthe]

Using the bass side really kills the other instruments imo...And it sounds much neater foolin' around with chords and melodies on the treble side than trying to make a rythm with your left hand. Plus your right hand playing will become very stiff and lose it's feeling when you try to keep up with the basses, unless you have been playing for a very long time.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't master the bass-side. It rocks when your out in the streets earnin' some extra pocket money with your accordion

[Guest]

Thanks rockarocka, and exceptional thanks to Mr Fearnley, that does indeed help me out very much, so hopefully I'll be able to improve!

[canadian girl]

Does anyone know what the hell is going on in Sick Bed of Cuchulainn? I feel like there's something being played that I just can't pick out. The rhythm doesn't seem normal, I feel like I'm failing to hear something. Please help!

[daveynate]

Best I can tell, the verses are his four-beat, three-note thing he does so well (EGCG for a C chord, etc). I've tried for 4 years to get that down fast, and I can't. The choruses are chords, and the line is, well, a line.

I'm sure that was no help.

[Monica84]

Some free accordion lessons:

• Accordion Tutorials - Bass Side
• Free Accordion Lessons - Chris
• Free Accordion Lessons - Tony

Do you know any other free stuff for accordion newbies? :-)