How to Play an Old Style Accordion

Accordions, also called squeezeboxes, are portable, handheld wind instruments that are popular in mariachi and folk music. Although there are many different kinds of accordion, the general construction consists of a keyboard on one side, rows of bass buttons on the other side, and a central bellows. The bellows is squeezed in and out, causing air to flow past internal reeds that vibrate to produce sound. You'll probably need to take lessons to master the accordion, but you can still have plenty of fun playing around. Here's how to get started.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Accordion

How to Play

1. Sit in a sturdy chair with your back straight and your feet touching the floor. Place the accordion on your left knee.

2. Use the leather shoulder straps to strap the accordion in place. Put your left wrist underneath the bass strap to control the bellows. Angle your right elbow out while curving the fingers of your right hand around the keys.

3. Unfasten the bellows clips on the sides of the accordion. Pump the bellows with your left arm while using your fingertips to push the bass buttons on the left side. The bass buttons are what give the accordion that traditional "oompah" sound. They should be pressed and released quickly, in a staccato fashion.

4. Play the keys on the keyboard using your right hand while also pumping the bellows and playing the bass buttons with your left hand.

5. Play around with the bass buttons and the keyboard to see what sounds good to you. Experiment with different ways to pump the bellows while playing. Try pumping slower, then faster. Pull the bellows in and out quickly to produce a stuttering sound called a bellows shake. You can achieve a variety of different sounds on the accordion just by manipulating the bellows.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're serious about playing the accordion, find a professional teacher to give you lessons. You can search for one in your area by going to the Accordion Yellow Pages website at accordion-yellowpages.com. The bass buttons are in rows containing major chords, minor chords, seventh chords and diminished chords. Middle C is in the middle of the second row of bass buttons. It is usually indented or otherwise marked.
• Keep accordions away from water, and don't expose them to extreme hot or cold temperatures.

References

• How to Play The Accordion
• Learning to Play The Accordion
• Accordion Terminology

Resources

• Accordions Worldwide