How to Play a Song on the Accordion Using the Keyboard

Learning to play the accordion is similar to learning to play the piano as they both share similar keyboards. It takes time to become familiar with the keyboard, but the process is fun and rewarding. To help you get started playing songs using the accordion keyboard, this article will walk you through an old childhood favorite, "Mary has a Little Lamb."

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Familiarize yourself with the keyboard. The keys nearest the group of two black keys are C, D and E. The keys near the group of three black keys are F, G, A and B.
2. Find the E on the keyboard of the accordion. It is the white key that's next to the second black key in the group of two black keys. You can choose the lower E or an E that's located higher on the keyboard.
3. Place the third finger of your right hand on the E to play the first note of the song.
4. Play the next notes of "Mary has a Little Lamb" by playing the D and the C with your second finger and thumb. These keys are located to the left of the E on the accordion keyboard.
5. Continue the song by playing the D again, and the E three times, followed by the D three times.
6. Finish the first stanza by playing the E once with your third finger, followed by the F played twice with your fourth or ring finger. The F is to the right of the E on the accordion keyboard.
7. Complete the first verse of the song by playing the E with your third finger, the D with your second finger, the C with your thumb, the D with your second finger, the E four times with your third finger, D twice with your second finger, the E once with your third finger, the D once with your second finger and the C with your thumb.
8. Start playing the song slowly at first. As the song is a familiar one, it can help you become more familiar with the accordion keyboard.
9. Experiment with the other keys on the accordion keyboard and attempt to play other songs that are familiar to you. Over time, you will find that your repertoire of songs you can play on the keyboard will expand as your familiarity with the accordion keyboard increases.