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[skyflyer]

A friend just sent me this (saying that until I get that good he doesnt want to hear me practice    ) and I wondered of it is genuine?

http://youtu.be/EFNNPZsO7-Q

(apologies if this has been posted before, but I cant think of a way to search the forum for this specific piece)

[Nick Collis Bird]

Do you know, I think that probably IS genuine . I noticed a little wire hanging from the bottom of the machine making me think it's some sort of Midi device similar to the Roland FR18. Even so, that's pretty spectacular.

[Chris Ryall]

Saw it, AFAIR a few years back. No reason for it not to be genuine, and indeed there are similar pieces from eg competitions. This isn't a melodeon, but a cousin, CBA, probably the Russian "bayan" variant. It's fully chromatic both ends and lends itself to harmonic minor based tunes like this.  two of the chords natural to HM are diminished, one is augmented … and on CBA this is a handful along or across the rows respectively.

I don't take anything from this guy's skill, clearly spectacular, but on even a 3-row diatonic system this'd be well nigh impossible. [ed] re Anahata below, er, yes, but have you tried finding these chords on a melodeon?

[Anahata]

lends itself to harmonic minor based tunes like this.

At that level of technique, I think that's a bit like saying the piano keyboard lends itself to tunes in C major.
Elsewhere on YouTube I've seen Russian CBA (Bayan) players playing Stravinsky and Messiaen.
( Don't ask me what keys they are in  )

[Lyra]

Actually I do see why you would wonder - at least when I watch it there are a couple of times when the paws and the music don't quite seem in synch which could well be a technical issue nothing to do with the artiste.

As an example of what can be done with those boxes you could look at this. I know that's all for real because I've played with the guy (in a small background crowd, but still). Personally I think that's horrible stuff, but there's always this one to prove he can also play "chunes".

[Ollie]

lends itself to harmonic minor based tunes like this.

At that level of technique, I think that's a bit like saying the piano keyboard lends itself to tunes in C major.
Elsewhere on YouTube I've seen Russian CBA (Bayan) players playing Stravinsky and Messiaen.
( Don't ask me what keys they are in  )

Then of course there is Berio's wonderful Sequenza XIII for Accordion - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB0Hlopw6ug

[IanD]

lends itself to harmonic minor based tunes like this.

At that level of technique, I think that's a bit like saying the piano keyboard lends itself to tunes in C major.
Elsewhere on YouTube I've seen Russian CBA (Bayan) players playing Stravinsky and Messiaen.
( Don't ask me what keys they are in  )

Not just astonishing playing technique, his left arm must be made of something other than normal muscle...

[EastAnglianTed]

    I think it is genuine. Not a fan of this style at all, but I suppose it takes great skill.

[pikey]

Saw it, AFAIR a few years back. No reason for it not to be genuine, and indeed there are similar pieces from eg competitions. This isn't a melodeon, but a cousin, CBA, probably the Russian "bayan" variant. It's fully chromatic both ends and lends itself to harmonic minor based tunes like this.  two of the chords natural to HM are diminished, one is augmented … and on CBA this is a handful along or across the rows respectively.

I don't take anything from this guy's skill, clearly spectacular, but on even a 3-row diatonic system this'd be well nigh impossible. [ed] re Anahata below, er, yes, but have you tried finding these chords on a melodeon?

I often feel diminished, but it's not often I get augmented........ 

[JohnAndy]

Yes, this would be impossible on a diatonic instrument.

The reason for this lies in the method he is using to produce the very rapid repititions of the same note which are a big feature of this piece. He is doing this with his left hand (or arm) moving the bellows in and out very rapidly. It's *not* done by the right hand - not a lot of finger movement there in those passages.

Of course if you tried this on a melodeon the note would change every time you changed bellow direction so it just wouldn't work at all.

I think this technique is what accordion players call bellows shake, and it seems to be regarded as some kind of holy grail of accordion playing. I don't really understand why - I can see it's a clever trick and probably incredibly difficult, but it doesn't do much for me on a musical level.

[siamsa]

There are many examples of these young accordion geniuses on U Tube.  I'm full of admiration for them.  They make my playing of  Daisy Daisy look very plain indeed.

[Anahata]

He is doing this with his left hand (or arm) moving the bellows in and out very rapidly. It's *not* done by the right hand - not a lot of finger movement there in those passages.

Yes, though about 16 seconds in he is still doing the bellows shake and also playing RH downward scales. There is definitely fast finger movement there, and it has to be precisely synchronised with the bellows movement.

it seems to be regarded as some kind of holy grail of accordion playing. I don't really understand why - I can see it's a clever trick and probably incredibly difficult, but it doesn't do much for me on a musical level.

In that case it produces a remarkably accurate rendition of what Vivaldi wrote, which couldn't be done any other way on that instrument.

It's rather like the strings equivalent of making the bow bounce at the right speed to get very rapid staccato notes. It's hard until you've practised it enough, and then it's easy. (though it doesn't require the accordionist's strength). Again a sort of "clever trick", but when the music demands it, you have to be able to do it.

(Edit: typo)

[Chris Ryall]

There are other bayan styles, of course. http://youtu.be/V3-diqR41yo ( )

[Mike Hirst]

There are other bayan styles, of course. http://youtu.be/V3-diqR41yo ( )

A similar style is played in Slovenia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_Tbgl_1FqE