The Medusa Fora

james--i would like to learn to play accordion or even small squeeze box--what would you recommend i start with as a beginner???i have never taken any music lessons but seeing you play really makes me want to learn to play it and maybe one day be a s good as you!!!!YOU ARE THE GREATEST ACCORDION PLAYER IN THE WORLD!!!!lots of love james

Carmen, I flinch at your enthusiasm about my talents as an accordion-player, but thanks very much. In the world, no. In my head, no. In my room, perhaps.

I started with, what was her name, Jane something's accordion, which was a white-painted Hohner Student, I think, fairly small, maybe 48 bass, can't remember how many keys it had. It was a lovely accordion to play, and sounded bright, like lots of Hohner accordions do (particularly the ones favoured by South and Central Americans, and the Irish - I forget what they're called, but they have a distinctive grille, like - like, what? a dense toast-rack). Whatever. And then,after that, I had another small, handleable, Hohner, a Tango. Any of those small Hohners are good, in my view. I was never keen on any other accordion, though there are legions of accordions and accordion-makers about. I don't know if you're in LA, but, go to Dave's accordion school in Atwater Village (it's Dave's Accordion School in the phone book. I have the number somewhere. If I come across it, I'll post it up here) and ask him about accordions, and he even does lessons there. It's a fantastic place.

If you go out looking for an accordion, just make sure that it's not leaky at all, because it'll be a thankless task trying to learn how to play it if most of the time you're going to be worried about getting the air through the reeds. Just push and pull on the bellows without holding down a note and you'll be able to hear if any air's coming out where it's not supposed to. And then have a listen to it, and - I suppose it's the same with anything - if you like what you hear, and it feels good, take it further.

Good luck. Hope to see you either in Long Beach, or at Molly Malone's where I'm lead to believe the Filthy Thieving Bastards with Spider are playing at the beginning of April.

Dancing lessons are, of course, a whole other matter.

Hey, what you doing in my part of the forum (or: 'Ave, quid es tu facere in forum partam meam ?')? You have your own part of the forum.

What dancing lessons?

Pax vobiscum

Hi James,

what about joining the Paddy Rolling Stone Forum.
You're very welcome!!!

Cheers
Juergen

minime, in hoc foro remane
paddy rolling stonem adverto quod ibi pveri molesti habitant

Juergen wrote:Hi James,

what about joining the Paddy Rolling Stone Forum.
You're very welcome!!!

Cheers
Juergen

By the way, I still can't register for that.

I go by Barnacle Brian

@runbmg - email me at info@shanemacgowan.de and I will add you manually to the members list.

Cheers
Juergen

Hellbeard wrote:minime, in hoc foro remane
paddy rolling stonem adverto quod ibi pveri molesti habitant

Which goes to show how well educated the Pogues fans generally are!
To match their heroes!

Since when are Paddy, Rolling and Stonem latin then?

Paddy Rollingstone wrote:

Hellbeard wrote:minime, in hoc foro remane
paddy rolling stonem adverto quod ibi pveri molesti habitant ;)

Which goes to show how well educated the Pogues fans generally are! ;-)
To match their heroes! ;-)

Aint that the veritas?

Did you really study latin in secondary school James?

Isit even a subject in England or Ireland? I know it is in Holland (I know I had to take it for 6 years)

Yes, Pogues fans are well educated ... and dated!

(wish I'd paid more attention to the nuns.)

thankyou james for posting accordion information--it was very kind of you!!!!

I play a Hohner accordion (old one) and it sounds quite good. If you buy an old accordion just make sure it is tuned correctly. Tuning an accordion is not as easy or cheap as tuning a guitar for example.