How to Play an Irish Accordion
The Irish accordion, also sometimes called the button accordion, is a full-sized instrument with buttons instead of piano keys. The Irish accordion is a wonderful way to create music that you and your friends can enjoy. These instruments come in two varieties: the diatonic Irish accordion, which only plays in a single key, and the chromatic Irish accordion, which can play in any key.
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Instructions
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Search music shops to find a good Irish accordion. Indicate that you're only looking for an entry-level accordion, as some Irish accordions are antiques that will cost a fortune without providing a noticeably better tone. If the store tries to charge you more than $200 for a beginner's model, look elsewhere.
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Purchase an instructional book to help you learn the basics. A good accordion book will provide information on chords, scales, fingerings and sheet music. If you can't find a book like this in your music shop, you can purchase one online. Examples are "How to Play Diatonic Button-Accordion," by Henry Doktorski or "Learn to Play Irish Button Accordion," by John Williams.
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Learn to properly hold the accordion. The instrument should rest comfortably in front of your chest, supported by a strap over your shoulder. Keep the right side of the accordion stationary, and let the left side fall away to the side naturally. Although you might be tempted to "squeeze" the accordion open and shut with both hands, this is a poor habit to get into and will limit your technique.
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Familiarize yourself with the buttons on the Irish accordion. The buttons on the right side (also known as the "melody side") are used to play the melody of a tune, while the buttons on the left play bass notes as an accompaniment.
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Refer to the books you've purchased to learn the basic fingerings of notes and chords. Try to play the notes sequentially in ascending or descending order, also known as a scale. If you feel that your dexterity with the instrument is limited, focus on only playing notes with your right hand at first and add accompaniment later when you get more comfortable.
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Tips & Warnings
Try to learn some traditional Irish tunes, in keeping with the spirit of your Irish accordion.
Never open the bellows of the accordion without holding down at least one button. Failing to follow this procedure could damage the reeds.
