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Author Topic: B/C/C# Stradella Bass  (Read 2106 times)

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John MacKenzie (Cugiok)

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B/C/C# Stradella Bass
« on: September 19, 2014, 05:10:55 PM »

I am getting absolutely nowhere with my Casali Verona. I just cannot make the bass side work for me. I can't keep my hand in the right position, without either missing the button, my hand slipping, or hitting the air button. When I do hit the right button, it doesn't sound right to me.
I've only been learning melodeon for 2 years, and I now realise that I have taken on too much, in trying to learn a different bass system, when I haven't really got 8 bass buttons mastered.
I will give it another week, and after that, I'm afraid it will be up for sale.


John
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squeezy

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Re: B/C/C# Stradella Bass
« Reply #1 on: September 19, 2014, 09:06:09 PM »

I know just how you feel ... it's excruciating!

I have got on top of the stradella thing - but only by playing it in a far more melodeon-like way than any of the accordion tutors suggest.  For playing in any given key (for example G major to illustrate) I use the G,C and D bass buttons and major chords for the obvious 1,4,5 chords - but when using the Am, Em and Bm relative minor chords you sometimes need for that key - I don't go linearly down the bass row - instead using the counter basses above the F,C and G basses.  To get a "fudged" minor I then play the A counterbass with the C major, E counter bass with the G major and B counter bass with the D major ... this has the advantage of keeping your hand much more in one position (because all those basses are in close proximity) ... it also sounds more like melodeon playing to my ear.

Good Luck!

Squeezy
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John MacKenzie (Cugiok)

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Re: B/C/C# Stradella Bass
« Reply #2 on: September 19, 2014, 09:23:31 PM »

Well there's another reason why I'm struggling. I don't read music, so it's all by ear, in my case.

John
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: Hohner Club Modell 1. Bb/Eb, de-clubbed : Early Hohner Pressed Wood A/D : 1930's Varnished wood G/C:  Hohner Erika C/F: Bandoneon tuned D/G Pressed wood: Koch F/Bb; G/C Pre Corso

george garside

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Re: B/C/C# Stradella Bass
« Reply #3 on: September 19, 2014, 09:54:11 PM »

John, don't  give up!     Stradella is actually very easy to play  reasonable  harmony and rhythm  by ear and without any knowledge whatsoever of music theory   whatsoever

As its easier to  demonstrate than to describe   I will try to do a you tube vid  of the basics  in the next day or two -  just  laptop camera and no fancy enhancing or editing as I havn't the tackle or knowledge to do that.

george
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Matt (Kings Norton)

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Re: B/C/C# Stradella Bass
« Reply #4 on: September 19, 2014, 10:59:37 PM »

George's stradella tips are very practical and I think well worth a try as I reckon half the battle is to get your fingers moving, take some of the conscious thought out of it.  As for learning by ear reading stradella from notes is a bit of a bugger anyway, but I find writing out chord symbols in a row does help to push me in the right direction.  Once the fingers are moving, it's suddenly not too hard to branch out a little bit.  If you want to.
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Bill Young

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Re: B/C/C# Stradella Bass
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2014, 10:14:28 PM »

John,
You don't need to read music, but you do need to know where the bass notes and chords are. Consider going to a piano accordion teacher for a few lessons on the basics of the Stradella bass - 2 or 3 should do it.
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John MacKenzie (Cugiok)

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Re: B/C/C# Stradella Bass
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2014, 08:57:29 AM »

Going for a starter lesson on Wednesday. Watch this space.
I may be an advert for the sale of a box, or, it may not!

John
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: Hohner Club Modell 1. Bb/Eb, de-clubbed : Early Hohner Pressed Wood A/D : 1930's Varnished wood G/C:  Hohner Erika C/F: Bandoneon tuned D/G Pressed wood: Koch F/Bb; G/C Pre Corso

John MacKenzie (Cugiok)

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Re: B/C/C# Stradella Bass
« Reply #7 on: September 24, 2014, 01:05:48 PM »

Well then, I've just been to my first lesson, and I am learning a tune in D, to get me into row crossing. Nothing about the bass side at all, yet.
Going back next Tuesday.


John
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: Hohner Club Modell 1. Bb/Eb, de-clubbed : Early Hohner Pressed Wood A/D : 1930's Varnished wood G/C:  Hohner Erika C/F: Bandoneon tuned D/G Pressed wood: Koch F/Bb; G/C Pre Corso

Bill Young

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Re: B/C/C# Stradella Bass
« Reply #8 on: September 24, 2014, 07:25:12 PM »

Who are you going to for lessons?
[Ad alert!]
Consider posting about your experiences on http://buttonbox.org.uk/index.php/board,4.0.html, which is dedicated to BCC# with Stradella bass.
[/Ad alert!]
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John MacKenzie (Cugiok)

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Re: B/C/C# Stradella Bass
« Reply #9 on: October 29, 2014, 11:13:51 AM »

Sorry, George/Bill et al, but I have given up on learning the Casali. I'm still learning straightforward melodeon, and I'm really only just discovering the capabilities of my Beltuna Alex III. I didn't really know it is capable of playing 4 more scales, not just D and G. So I have decided to explore that, and not to try, at 72, to learn a another instrument.
Sorry guys, but it's now up for sale.


John  :(
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: Hohner Club Modell 1. Bb/Eb, de-clubbed : Early Hohner Pressed Wood A/D : 1930's Varnished wood G/C:  Hohner Erika C/F: Bandoneon tuned D/G Pressed wood: Koch F/Bb; G/C Pre Corso

Stiamh

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Re: B/C/C# Stradella Bass
« Reply #10 on: October 29, 2014, 12:42:49 PM »

Well John, you lasted longer than some  (:)

http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php?topic=9273.0

george garside

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Re: B/C/C# Stradella Bass
« Reply #11 on: October 29, 2014, 01:33:58 PM »

Best of luck john!

If anyone is after a nice small BCC# the casali is among the best so Johns may be worth looking at. I can't comment on the particular box as I havn't seen or played it.


george
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