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Author Topic: What Type of Accordion Should I Get?  (Read 3575 times)

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Amanda

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What Type of Accordion Should I Get?
« on: January 29, 2017, 06:31:51 PM »

Hello! I took up the diatonic accordion about a year ago, and have an old one-row D box. It has been faithful, but is to the point that the repairman said it's better off sitting on a shelf. He fixed the stops, but said it would need to be entirely rebuilt and it wasn't worth it.
I'm looking to buy a newer one, but am not sure where to start. I play primarily Québécois, Irish, and French, as well as some Gypsy and bluegrass. What should I look for based on this? I was considering maybe a C#D, but would appreciate your advice on this since I'm a self-taught beginner.  My family and the repair guy are biased towards the piano accordion, which I have too, but I have fallen in love with the diatonic, and don't want to give that up. I am also only 17 and in Kansas, so price is limited and more than likely will have to buy online.
Thank you very much for your help in this!
« Last Edit: February 23, 2018, 09:29:45 AM by AmandaLynP »
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boxer

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Re: What Type of Accordion Should I Get?
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2017, 07:29:57 PM »

you're young and you've only been playing for a year so you have the luxury of having enough time to be able to take your pick and make a good job of learning to play whatever you might choose. 

you have two choices in diatonics:  either fifth-tuned or semitone tuned, and, if semitone, whether C#/D or B/C (there are others, but they're relatively uncommon)

C#/D, will build on your current skills and give you all the notes of the chromatic scale for almost three octaves on the r/hand side.  It's good for Irish, and, because it's chromatic, could play along in the keys used in Quebecois and French music, but without a particularly useful bass setup outside the key of D.

B/C will be almost a new start, more or less, but it's the most commonly used for Irish music and there must be a good reason for this.  Like C#/D it's fully chromatic and its usefulness in your other genres might be a little bit better than C#/D because the key of C plays up and down the row, and the basses work well in that key, but for other keys the bass would be patchy or non-exitstent (which doesn't seem to trouble Irish players)

Fifth-tuned boxes would give your present skills a bigger range straight away, but the range of keys each box could work in would be limited.  For French music you might need both a C/F box and a G/C.  That said, you would use the same fingering on either.  The new skills of cross-row playing that you'd develop would translate too.  D/G is probably the best fifth tuning for Irish music.  Remember that unless you go for a 2.5 or 3 row arrangement, fifth-tuned boxes, however tuned, aren't fully chromatic.

You're young enough to try them all.  Why not do it?

Good Luck


 
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hickory-wind

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Re: What Type of Accordion Should I Get?
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2017, 07:35:37 PM »

(composed while previous comment was being posted)
Welcome-
It may not help with your decision but I have quite a few used button accordions in just about any key you might want. Some are restored and tuned and for sale. Many others are in stock but unrestored and can be tuned to your liking. The one row instruments will be the least expensive but two row boxes can also be quite reasonable. I'm in the states (Western NY state). You can look around in my website to get ideas of possible choices. Both currently for sale and past sale instruments are on display.

BellingersButtonBoxes.com

I play both semitone (BC,C#D) and 'quint' (GC,AD,BbEb,CF,DG) instruments and would recommend starting with the quint style if going with two row. Try to learn both the right hand (melody) and left hand (bass and chords) at the same time rather than learning the melody now and adding bass and chords in the (distant) future. It avoids having to unlearn techniques and fingerings that work with one but not both. I have no trouble moving between semitone and quint. The brain is an agile muscle.

My two cents. Others here will chime in with advice.

Scott
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Huw Adamson

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Re: What Type of Accordion Should I Get?
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2017, 07:36:11 PM »

Personally I would recommend a fourth apart box, (D/G, C/F, Bb/Eb, G/G), although, seeing as that's what I play, I am a bit biased. I'll give you my reasons.
-Two of the genres you mentioned are Irish and French. The problem here is that French music tends to use fourth apart G/C, while Irish uses semitone apart boxes, like B/C. However, it is still fairly common for fourth apart boxes to play Irish music, but the other way round, playing French on a semitone apart box, seems trickier to my mind.
-Secondly, one of the main advantages of the semitone apart box is the number of keys it can be played in, however (and I'm being presumptuous here,) being only 17 and in Kansas playing in the right key for other people doesn't seem to be your top priority.
-Thirdly, if you have been playing a one row, that style of playing is more compatible with a fourth apart box, to my mind, than a semitone apart one.
-Fourthly, we are mostly D/G players on this site, so that makes finding learning resources a tad easier.


P.S. I have just read Boxer's post, a far less biased appraisal than mine on all accounts.
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Theo

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Re: What Type of Accordion Should I Get?
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2017, 07:43:29 PM »

There is an Irish box player who also plays a lot of French style material, both on a C#/D.  I can't recall his name now, perhaps someone else can.  I think C#/D would be a good choice for the range of styles you have indicated you are interested in.


-Thirdly, if you have been playing a one row, that style of playing is more compatible with a fourth apart box, to my mind, than a semitone apart one.

True for BC but not for C#/D
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Theo Gibb - Gateshead UK

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boxer

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Re: What Type of Accordion Should I Get?
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2017, 08:09:05 PM »

having a box that's able to play in the keys that other musicians of a particular genre commonly use is most important IMHO.  Without the ability to play your music with other musicians, the process of learning is far more difficult and much slower.

Playing music with others quickly instills discipline, particularly with regard to timekeeping.  Watching a DVD is no substitute for seeing and hearing a good tune played well, for real, close up.  Seeing others people occasionally struggling with their tunes can help you understand your own self-worth.

I think this is as true in Kansas as anywhere else, although the distance you'd need to travel to find suitable musical company there might be an issue.
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gettabettabox

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Re: What Type of Accordion Should I Get?
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2017, 08:25:43 PM »

There is an Irish box player who also plays a lot of French style material, both on a C#/D.  I can't recall his name now, perhaps someone else can.  I think C#/D would be a good choice for the range of styles you have indicated you are interested in.



David munnelly. Plenty of clips on YouTube.

« Last Edit: January 29, 2017, 08:28:34 PM by gettabettabox »
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TomBom

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Re: What Type of Accordion Should I Get?
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2017, 09:46:17 PM »

I think I'd try a C# / D. You're already familiar with the D row and it'll be fine for Québécois, Irish and fiddle tunes.
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Melissa Sinclair

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Re: What Type of Accordion Should I Get?
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2017, 11:31:54 PM »

I don't have any wise words for choosing as I haven't started yet. I think Americans (especially?) have a bias towards piano accordions for several reasons. 1. They are cheaper and easier to find. 2. You can find someone to teach you. 3. you can play anything on them and not worry about things being in the wrong key. There are more, but.

At least what I can tell though, is that they are both squeeze boxes and require learning to play bellows and playing two hands independently, but they are different in so many other ways. And, unless you get one with very few keys, they are ALL huge and heavy.

In the end though, it has to be what you are inspired to practice. Being forced/guided into playing something your heart isn't feeling, will probably not be met with great success at playing it either.
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Stiamh

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Re: What Type of Accordion Should I Get?
« Reply #9 on: January 30, 2017, 12:33:42 AM »

I think I'd try a C# / D. You're already familiar with the D row and it'll be fine for Québécois, Irish and fiddle tunes.

I would second that. To play québécois tunes - box tunes anyway - you really have to have a D row.

To get fully into the French style you'd want a G/C. But that would be next to useless for Irish and québécois (if you intend to play with others).

I don't think anybody has addressed Gypsy music. I don't really know what keys are used but I would suspect a semitone box would be the best choice, because you have all the accidentals perfectly placed. But the only accordionist I know that does Gypsy music plays piano accordion and he is really a virtuoso.

Randal Scott

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Re: What Type of Accordion Should I Get?
« Reply #10 on: January 30, 2017, 03:09:54 AM »

Many variations of 'gypsy' - the style typical of what's played in many Balkan regions, while typically written in major key, makes use of phrygian, myxolodian, harmonic minor modes so a semitone box of some kind is needed.  Piano accordian is a 'trad' instrument here.

Unlikely that one will find ONE box suitable for all the styles mentioned.  I took up PA after melodeons - as it's very handy for gypsy, zydeco, blues, boogie woogie, rock 'n roll, la la and swamp pop ; )

*I recommend getting one each (melodeon and PA) - as a bare minimum, if you want to pursue such a variety of styles..
« Last Edit: January 30, 2017, 03:26:18 AM by catty »
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Lyra

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Re: What Type of Accordion Should I Get?
« Reply #11 on: January 30, 2017, 05:20:35 AM »

Just remember, despite all evidence to the contrary, and given your budget restrictions, you don't actually have to buy them all at once!
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Microbot

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Re: What Type of Accordion Should I Get?
« Reply #12 on: January 30, 2017, 09:05:17 AM »

There is an Irish box player who also plays a lot of French style material, both on a C#/D.  I can't recall his name now, perhaps someone else can.  I think C#/D would be a good choice for the range of styles you have indicated you are interested in.

There's also the brilliant Ulysse Herbach, who is French and plays C#/D for both Irish and French music...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sWFqpmYqp8

cheers!

Mike R
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deltasalmon

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Re: What Type of Accordion Should I Get?
« Reply #13 on: January 30, 2017, 10:29:38 AM »

Dermot Byrne on his album with harper Floriane Blancke plays a mix of Irish and French music on the C#/D box.
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Stiamh

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Re: What Type of Accordion Should I Get?
« Reply #14 on: January 30, 2017, 11:27:01 AM »

By the way, I think that if you are gifted and dedicated there's a chance you can make a good job of several styles of music. Otherwise the result to discerning listeners - regardless of how much fun you are having - can be unconvincing, to put it politely. No harm in concentrating on one style until you have it well mastered, and then branching out.
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