How to Play Cool Songs on the Accordion
Playing the accordion is an activity you can do within a music group or by yourself. The accordion is a versatile instrument that fits comfortably within several styles and genres of music. Unfortunately it is difficult to find good or popular music from reliable sources. Developing your ability to play by ear, in addition to improving your playing technique, will help overcome this limitation. With some practice and effort, you can play almost any song on the accordion.
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Instructions
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Improve your accordion technique. There are two basics of accordion playing: (1) opening and closing the bellows to provide air to the reeds, and (2) playing the keys and buttons. Be aware that there are several kinds of accordions, with several key systems. The most approachable, especially for someone with some prior music experience, is the piano accordion, which has a piano keyboard for the melodic right hand and buttons for the bass notes and chords of the left hand. The horizontal arrangement of left-hand buttons on the piano accordion is as follows: leading tone (to the following bass note), bass note, major chord, minor chord, seventh chord and diminished chord. The vertical arrangement is in descending fifths; e.g., G, C, F. Non-piano accordions and concertinas can have unique sound colors but are limited by their different arrangements of buttons.
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Strengthen your ability to play by ear. Two approaches to doing this are (1) simply trying to play what you have heard or (2) taking a music theory and ear-training course. Developing your ear mainly consists of learning to quantify what you hear. Initial questions to ask when listening: How many times does the melody come back? How many times do we hear that chord before it changes? What is the distance between these two notes? This may require multiple hearings and a high amount of attention, but it does become easier with experience. Break the music down into smaller parts to make this task more approachable.
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Copy and imitate the music you like. This is largely an extension of playing by ear, but the inspiration to continue is key. The songs you like are the reason you are involved in this activity. Set a reasonable goal (such as an easy melody or simple song) and persevere. Ability will develop with experience. The enjoyment of playing music you like is usually incredibly rewarding.
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Tips & Warnings
Never hesitate to ask another musician for advice. Experienced players often have their own techniques, tricks or unique information that they have collected or developed over time.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images
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Comments
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You can learn a lot of good music by learning to read lead sheets. This is music with just the signle notes and chords. You make your own arrangements by filling in the chords under the lead notes.
