Accordian

[Boggard Jon]

Actually, can't say I do. Sounds like something that you'd expect to happen on a mouth organ. What sort of a thing goes flat when you pump it?

Well, apparently, my accordion. ;]

Yeah, I've definitely got to get a new box. Someting with considerably fewer bass notes... this one hurts my back. Plus, it's got 3/4 size keys... and I have big, thick, manhands.

I've got my eye on a Hohner 72 bass.

[Striker]

At the moment, I'm playing a Hohner Morino, 96 bass. I've usually gone for Hohners, though I've had a Soprani, I think it was called, which was very 'wet' on the musette (you can hear this in Sickbed and most of the songs on that record) and a Giulietti, again, I think it's called, which a salesman told me would be 'perfect for an american audience'. I hated it. It was unresponsive and unforgiving. My favourite has always been the first accordion I ever bought, which I still have, which is a Hohner Tango from the forties but it couldn't cope with the sweat that poured into the keyboard, and after that a Hohner Verdi, I think it is. For a long time I had a Hohner Atlantic 120 bass which was a monster.

Hi James,

I currently play a similar instrument I believe. My Dad's mum bought him a lovely pearlescent grey Hohner Tango IIm accordion (96 bass) and I guess it must be a similar age to yours ... Dad used to play in a Cornish dance band in the late forties/early fifties and I believe the instrument would have been new at purchase. He eventually gave up playing and was considering selling the beastie ... no way was I going to have that and so my playing career began! Self taught on the old Hohner ... it's still going strong and has the most gorgeous sound ... I love it with it's history too. Still lug it round in the original case ... little more than a shaped, rigid cardboard effort with a bakerlite handle etc.

I've recently been playing a Balone Burini - new instrument ... great to play. Wildly different keyboard action though which (finally (!!!)) brings me to my point ... how did you get on with the ridiculous 'depth' of movement in the old Hohner keyboard? The newer box has such a shallow action it now feels soooo easy to play the quick stuff but it seems a bit of a scam if I'm honest having struggled to do the same on the Hohner!

Anyway... was fascinated to hear of your earliest box and agree it's a beauty. Would never part with mine although I've been offered silly figures for it!

Yeghes da

Striker

[Guest]

... I knew I couldn't do diatonic, or button accordions, nor freebass (the above-mentioned Giulietti)...

Does anyone know why James said this? I am considering learning the accordion as my first real instrument (I played guitar poorly for a year or so). I don't read music yet at all and I am not very good at distinguishing pitch, so I am expecting a challenge. But, i really want to be able to play The Pogues, The Dubliners, and Flogging Molly (my big-three)-like music, and I will be playing solo for now. It seems like there is a lot people saying that button accordions are *the* traditional Irish accordion, and for traditional Irish music one should get a button accordion. However, James obviously plays a piano accordion exclusively and I think Matt Hensley (Flogging Molly) plays mostly piano accordion (but I have seen with a button accordion). I've read a bit about button accordions and that they are limited to certain keys and chords, all of which I don't understand very well. Just wondering what I should get given my lack of music understand in general and the type of music I want to learn and play.

[philipchevron]

... I knew I couldn't do diatonic, or button accordions, nor freebass (the above-mentioned Giulietti)...

Does anyone know why James said this? I am considering learning the accordion as my first real instrument (I played guitar poorly for a year or so). I don't read music yet at all and I am not very good at distinguishing pitch, so I am expecting a challenge. But, i really want to be able to play The Pogues, The Dubliners, and Flogging Molly (my big-three)-like music, and I will be playing solo for now. It seems like there is a lot people saying that button accordions are *the* traditional Irish accordion, and for traditional Irish music one should get a button accordion. However, James obviously plays a piano accordion exclusively and I think Matt Hensley (Flogging Molly) plays mostly piano accordion (but I have seen with a button accordion). I've read a bit about button accordions and that they are limited to certain keys and chords, all of which I don't understand very well. Just wondering what I should get given my lack of music understand in general and the type of music I want to learn and play.

James's virtousity tends to be on the keyboard side of the piano-accordion and he rarely uses the left hand - the chordal buttons. The accompaniment buttons on piano-accordions tend to be superfluous when the instrument is played as part of a band, as their function is to provide bass and/or chords, which may already be coming from elsewhere in the band's arrangement. James uses the "drone" buttons only for an effect, as in the intro to "The Old Main Drag" for example.

I know very little about button-accordions or "squeeze boxes" but I believe it to be true that their harmonic range is limited. However, as the work of the great Sharon Shannon illustrates, that need not be a limitation and the restriction may even add to creativity.

But you do need to get an accordion player, if only in a music shop, to go through these options with you before deciding which type of instrument is for you.

[Low D]

Sharon Shannon illustrates, that need not be a limitation and the restriction may even add to creativity.

But you do need to get an accordion player, if only in a music shop, to go through these options with you before deciding which type of instrument is for you.

I tried at learning piano accordion a few years back. Start w/ a 12=bass (a "student" accordion, they're often called). Just keeps it easier. Also much, much cheaper. It's true button accordions are limited by keys, but there are lots of options - different keys, and 1, 2, or 3 rows of buttons. The nice thing about 'em - like a harmonica - is you're always in key with yourself.

What it strikes me you need to do is sort out which accordion music it is you want to play - they are strikingly different instruments, once you get listening, and the playing of 'em is likewise different. So spend some time with the accordion music you love, spend some time on youtube, and then take the plunge.

One warning: accordion is a difficult instrument to learn if you should have roommates at all.

[soulfinger]

One warning: accordion is a difficult instrument to learn if you should have roommates at all.

Or a family ...

[Low D]

One warning: accordion is a difficult instrument to learn if you should have roommates at all.

Or a family ...

Funny you should say that, I actually started learning while i had roommates, but gave up when i replaced them with family. I can still play a mean "Amazing Grace", though.

[beantmt]

James's virtousity tends to be on the keyboard side of the piano-accordion and he rarely uses the left hand - the chordal buttons. The accompaniment buttons on piano-accordions tend to be superfluous when the instrument is played as part of a band, as their function is to provide bass and/or chords, which may already be coming from elsewhere in the band's arrangement. James uses the "drone" buttons only for an effect, as in the intro to "The Old Main Drag" for example.

I know very little about button-accordions or "squeeze boxes" but I believe it to be true that their harmonic range is limited. However, as the work of the great Sharon Shannon illustrates, that need not be a limitation and the restriction may even add to creativity.

But you do need to get an accordion player, if only in a music shop, to go through these options with you before deciding which type of instrument is for you.

Thanks for the info Philip. You were spot on. I ended finding a used piano-accordion and found a great teacher. My first reason for getting the piano accordion was that everyone I knew and all the teachers I could find were all piano accordionists. I'm no musical prodigy, so I knew I would need a teacher. The second reason for getting the piano accordion was that I learned (after only a bit of research) that the diatonic accordion squeeze boxes play different notes depending on whether the bellows are being pushed or pulled. With my weak musical skills I didn't think I would be able to wrap my mind around that as easily as a piano accordion.

I had the (exciting for me) opportunity to talk to Matt Hensley (Accordion player for Flogging Molly) for a while about accordions, and he basically reaffirmed my suspicions regarding the diatonic accordions. He has one and says that is more mentally challenging than the piano accordion and relies on you knowing a bit more about music theory. You were right about them having a limited harmonic range, so you also have to understand the limitations and possibilities (which I don't really comprehend yet). He suggested that once I find a used one after I have been playing the piano accordion for a while and have more musical knowledge, and then see which one I like the sound of better.

Hopefully I'll be squeez'n out some Pogues tunes some day. My teacher is a retired professional accordion player. I took her some Pogues CDs today actually, and she can amazingly just start playing them for me. It's really great. She especially liked Kitty.

The accordion on Red Roses For Me and Run Sodomy & The Lash is my absolute favorite. I wish I could figure out exactly what accordion James played for those. He mentioned something about Soprani on Rum Sodomy & The Lash, but it seems that there are various Soprani brands (e.g., Paolo Soprani, E. Soprani, G. Soprani, Fratelli Soprani, Settimio Soprani, etc. ).