You might think that playing the accordion requires extensive knowledge of musical notation. But guess what? It actually doesn't. So if you're a beginner, and would like to find out more about how to play the accordion, read on to find out helpful tips. If you want to learn to play the accordion, hold the instrument against your chest with the key buttons facing away from you.
Then, slip your left arm under the strap on the accordion. This forces air in and out of the instrument, which produces its signature sound. To learn how to play specific notes or music on your accordion, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great.
By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Get the right kind of accordion. There are variety of different accordions out there, but some are more well-suited for beginners than others. The more information you gather the better equipped you will be to successfully learn to play the accordion. Here is the most suitable option for beginners [1] X Research source : Piano Accordions.
These are the most popular kinds, with many of the capabilities of a regular piano playing melodies, chords and basslines in a highly portable size. They have between 25 and 45 piano-style treble keys on the right hand. On the left, they are equipped with a button keyboard with some buttons that play bass notes and some where a single button plays a three-note chord.
This accordion system is called the Stradella, and typically has bass buttons. Familiarize yourself with the instrument's structure. Your accordion is composed of several parts, all crucial to the accordion's sounds [2] X Research source : Melody Keys. These are keys on the keyboard part of the instrument.
These are the folds on the instrument that allow it to expand and contract, acting as the "lungs" for the instrument and creating the sound. Register Switches. These are buttons or tabs you press to change the tone of your accordion. There are usually register switches on the treble side for the piano keyboard and a second set for the bass buttons. The register switches can change the sound from deep and rich to high and thin.
Air Valve. The air valve button allows air to escape, so you can open or close the bellows soundlessly. Right Hand Strap. This is the main strap of the instrument that allows you to secure it onto your chest. Some accordions have two straps for the chest. Use the right size. Children and teens or adults will need to start off with different sizes due to the difference in hand and general body size [3] X Research source.
Children should start with the lowest number of bass buttons, 12 bass and 25 treble keys. Teens and adults should start with a 48 bass accordion. This amounts to 48 bass buttons and 26 treble piano keys. The 48 bass Piano Accordion is very lightweight, and easy to use and handle. Plus, you can play lots of different music on it, which will make you want to hang on to it even if you outgrow it or progress to a larger instrument. Place your accordion on your chest with the key buttons facing away from you.
When you begin handling your instrument in the next section of the article, your left arm will move horizontally and vertically, while your right hand will only move vertically. For now, just hold it and see how comfortable or uncomfortable it is. Part 2. Sit or stand while holding your accordion. Some people prefer to stand while playing and others like to sit with their instrument. All that matters is your sense of comfort and confidence, so try out a few different positions until you feel at ease.
Don't slouch. Your body posture is very important when playing this instrument and slouching will cause you to be inaccurate in your balance and consequently in your performance. Learn proper balance. The accordion is relatively large and requires a little bit of familiarity when holding it. Being able to maintain proper balance is crucial. The more evenly balanced you manage to keep the accordion's weight, the better you'll be able to play because of the added control.
And the more control you have, the less uncomfortable the weight will feel. Secure the instrument onto your chest. Slip your left arm under the strap of the instrument. You'll want to hold it as if you were putting on a backpack on your chest. The piano keys should be to your right and your left hand goes underneath the bass strap - the small strap on the left side of the instrument [4] X Research source.
Note that there is usually a thumb wheel on the left side to adjust the strap. Make sure that your accordion fits tightly enough not to move at all while you move. Try a back strap. An additional strap can be very useful.
The back strap keeps the shoulder straps together so that the accordion doesn't move. Note that if the back strap is too far down it alleviates weight from the shoulders, making the straps loose on top. This, in turn, causes your straps to move and slide. This was their sorrow, this was their joy, and it became an instrument that people played from parties to funerals to weddings.
But in the second half of the 20th century, everything changed for the accordion. A number of additions were made to the instrument — including a huge new range of four and a half octaves of single notes — creating a fully polyphonic instrument with two manuals.
The accordion has three main components: the right hand side, a piano or button keyboard; the bellows, which act like a bow; and the left hand side, which has buttons. Pulling the bellows allows you to control sound, dynamics and touch, while the keys control the pitch. Each note is tuned by scratching a little bit off the metallic part of the voice. There are many types of accordions and each one of them has different parts and structures. However, there are some universal components that you can find in any accordion.
To understand how accordions work as a whole, one must first understand the different parts of the accordion and how the parts work. Accordions produce sound through the use of free-reeds. These reeds can be found inside the casings of the accordion. The casing is the boxy part of the accordion that has buttons or keys attached to it. The casings can be found on either side of the accordion.
Within the casing of the accordion, you can find reed blocks. There can be up to six reed blocks inside an accordion. Reed blocks can are made up of wood or metal. Each reed block in the treble casing has a series of reeds covered by valves. Reeds are made up of steel and brass while the valves are leather. The treble casing is the side with piano keys for piano accordions , often found on the right side of the accordion.
The ends of the reed blocks taper from large to narrow forming a harmonica-like structure. At the opposite side of the accordion lies the bass casing or the bass machine. Like the treble casing, it also uses reed blocks to produce sound.
Using both the treble and bass sides of the accordion, you can play both the chords and the melody at the same time. This makes the accordion a very versatile musical instrument. An accordionist is like a one-man-band. The bellows are the most noticeable part of an accordion. Bellows are usually made of pleated cardboard and cloth, reinforced with leather and metal.
The bellows can be found in the middle, connecting the treble and bass casing. Compressing the bellows creates air pressure while expanding it creates a vacuum. In both cases, air passes through the free-reeds causing it to vibrate which in turn produces sound. They determine how each note sounds, including the length of the sound, the control, and the fade. For example, the forceful and rapid use of the bellows will produce loud sounds while slow and smooth bellowing will produce softer sounds.
Accordions also come with a switch, located on either side of the bellows of the instrument. With switches, you can fully control the timbre and the sound quality of the notes. Each switch connects to a single reed block.
The more reed blocks an accordion has, the more switches it has. How do these switches work? Each reed block inside the accordion has different octaves or registers. Clicking a switch opens a reed block making it possible to play that particular octave.
With the use of the switches, a musician can mix and match different reed blocks with varying octaves and registers to produce various sounds. For example, one can simultaneously play the lowest and the highest timbre or octave. Doing so, they can produce sounds unique and different from playing just a single octave. Some accordions have blocks that are similar in tuning.
Their differences are minimal but when played together, produce a unique sound effect. When played together using switches, it produces unique vibrations on the timbre known as the tremolo effect. French music uses this kind of effect. Mexican, German, Irish, and Italian folk music also uses this effect. As mentioned above, the reed blocks connect to a set of piano keys in the treble side and buttons on the bass side. While the majority of accordions use both piano keys and buttons, some types of accordions only have bass buttons.
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