Accordion/Concertina Players?

[Pine Apple Slim]

Any of you guys double on accordion or some other kind of squeeze box?

 

What would you rec for a lefty? Right hand melody gives me trouble even on piano.

So I'm thinking an Anglo concertina would prob be easiest for me?

[pogo97]

I'm not a squeeze box player but I do know that there are a variety of key types and layouts on accordions and concertinas and bandoneons etc. I'd really recommend spending some time on Wikipedia doing some research on these.

 

 

[video=youtube;LbywecfVjwE]

[the_big_e]

Well half the buttons on a concertina are on the right hand side. I believe (tho not sure) a scale sort of goes left hand, right hand, left hand, right hand etc up the scale. So not sure how you think that might be easier.

I guess 'easy' is a relative term although I suppose an anglo would be easier than an English concertina but then you are limited to playing in certain keys.

There's also a lot of dynamics related to how you move the bellows that make playing a squeeze box a lot more complicated than just playing the buttons/keys.

I thought about getting a concertina but figured by the time I bought anything half decent I'd be half way towards getting my piano accordion back to a playable state so why not just do that.

[jpapas]

maybe a Roland V-accordion would allow you to switch the tracking (is this the right word?) of the keys? But they are somewhat expensive.

[Praxisaxis]

I have often recorded accordion. I use an SM57 close up to the sound producing side of it (within about a foot if possible - get the player to sit on a stool), plus a condenser mic (could be many things but I use a NT2000) about 4 feet back. I either have them summed to mono and balance with faders, or pan hard left/right for a nice stereo effect, again balancing with faders.

[Praxisaxis]

If you wanna hear a demo of accordion in the context of electronic music (something a bit different) check out a soundtrack I did for this little fashion show... not entirely a shameless plug here - trying to give an example of accordion in electronic music :-) :-) [video=youtube;4Z_xbLgGyvY]

[Tom_richard]

If you buy what my music teacher called a "Concert accordion" there is the exact same system on the bass side as on the treble side, which would mean you could use your left hand for melody, instead of the regular bass system which is root-note, major, minor, 7th, dim on every note

 

On Roland v-accordions you can configure it to be that type

 

bass should be similar to this accordion system (reversed i believe):

 

[minimoog]

I play the accordion , but don't know much about them

[xanderbeanz]

I'm grade 8 piano (with grade 5 in jazz) and all i can play on an accordion is "Oh when the saints" and badly at that, the whole puffing in and out + chord buttons is too much for me to handle.

[pogo97]

Here's a BBC interest piece on the Argentinean bandoneon. I can't watch BBC vids (a Flash thing and not important enough to fix) so let me know if it's good.

[yanktar]

"On the funny side are the Marx Brothers, except for Zeppo, the Ritz Brothers, no exception, both Laurel AND Hardy, and Charlie Chaplin."

"On the un-funny side is anyone who has ever played the accordion!" -- from My Favorite Year

[Pine Apple Slim]

^ Well, I play the banjo too so I'm already damned.

 

I've decided to go for a reg piano accordion, just a lighter more basic one than the old 34 lb beast that I was given as a Christmas present a few yrs ago.

[hogger]

My wife usually gives me a new instrument for Christmas every year, and about five years ago it was a piano accordion. At first I had to spend a lot of thought on the squeezing, but after about a month that action finally worked its way into my subconcious. It has turned out to be a great addition to my skills and my dance band's repertoire. We have snagged several private party gigs solely because we have the accordion. Cajun transplants to Arkansas love it around Mardi Gras, and it also gets plenty of use around Oktoberfest season. I occasionally play gigs with some Irish guys and it always gets a workout on St. Patrick's day.

 

I don't play the left-hand-chord buttons much. I work on them a little when I'm just playing around by myself, and I figure in time I'll get them in on the action more. People just love to see and hear an accordion, left hand or no left hand. It's a very happy instrument.

 

Regarding your question about a lefty playing one, I'd say just go for it. You're right hand will get stronger as a result. Don't worry about it, and just enjoy it for whatever you can get out of it.

[Pine Apple Slim]

Thanks hogger, thats my plan. The beast my wife got me is just too much to handle. Gonna go for a smaller one.

[TIMKEYS]

hang out with this guy.

 

[video=youtube;6N2ytHtAqPk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N2ytHtAqPk