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Author Topic: Learning diatonic accordion  (Read 5828 times)

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Tony Cipriano

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Learning diatonic accordion
« on: December 22, 2019, 11:06:10 PM »

Im having tough time to learn how to play the diatonic accordion
Any good methods or videos that i can find?
There is some members here that really trying to help me but is time for me to get to the basics
Thank you
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george garside

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2019, 11:59:05 PM »

have sent you a PM

george
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Tufty

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #2 on: December 23, 2019, 12:03:24 AM »

Lots of tutor books/DVDs available. If, like me, you prefer to learn more by ear than from print try John Kirkpatrick's pack. Very well thought out and starts with the very basics.
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Tone Dumb Greg

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #3 on: December 23, 2019, 09:01:05 AM »

I know of two tutors giving Skype lessons (there are others, but these two are recommended by people I actually know).

Mell Biggs
www.melbiggsmusic.co.uk

Paul Young
www.facebook.com/paulyoungfolk/info

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Greg Smith
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ACCORDION, n. An instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin. Ambrose Bierce

playandteach

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #4 on: December 23, 2019, 12:29:36 PM »

I know of two tutors giving Skype lessons (there are others, but these two are recommended by people I actually know).

Mell Biggs
www.melbiggsmusic.co.uk

Paul Young
www.facebook.com/paulyoungfolk/info
I've actually left a message or two on his facebook page, and assume that the typical facebook messenger issue is that unless he knows there's a message, and if it isn't from someone he's linked to, he may not see it. I'll be trying to book a lesson with him some other way.
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Tone Dumb Greg

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #5 on: December 23, 2019, 12:47:50 PM »


I've actually left a message or two on his facebook page, and assume that the typical facebook messenger issue is that unless he knows there's a message, and if it isn't from someone he's linked to, he may not see it. I'll be trying to book a lesson with him some other way.

He's a melnet member under his own name. Have you tried a PM?

[or an email through melnet? I never seem to get those right, though.]
« Last Edit: December 23, 2019, 01:04:35 PM by Tone Dumb Greg »
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TomBom

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #6 on: December 23, 2019, 12:59:46 PM »

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playandteach

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #7 on: December 23, 2019, 02:04:08 PM »

Just pm'ed him here. No rush now - have to be late January at the earliest now.
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The Oul' Boy

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #8 on: December 23, 2019, 03:33:14 PM »

Just coming up to a year since I started learning, here are some things I found helpful, in no particular order:

- Get a copy of George Garside's tutor book, a great way to start.
- Dave Mallinson's DG Melodeon tutor book has been my go-to manual after that.
- If you don't already, learn a bit of music theory; it's not hard and it helps enormously (I didn't know any other than a few remembered fragments from school this time a year ago).
- Fiddle about on it and try to play a few simple tunes you know well by ear.
- Find tunes you want to play and learn to whistle them by heart (Lester Bailey's Tune a Day Blog is a source of constant inspiration), then they'll be a lot easier to play. I've taken a lot of inspiration from John Spiers, though I doubt I'll ever get anywhere near his standard, but that doesn't matter, it's fun trying, and when you hear yourself playing something that sounds similar it feels good.
- Don't be afraid of the bass side; it took me about 5 months before I could do anything useful with it, and after that things came quickly. If you're struggling, take it a bar at a time, slowly, until you can play a short bit of treble and bass at the same time. If you can learn one bar, you can learn them all (well, so far this has proved true...).
- Keep your melodeon at your side whenever possible. Mine sits beside my office chair so when I'm at home it's always on hand, and I'm constantly picking it up and having a short play. As a result, I never really feel like I have to set aside time to 'practice'.

Warren.
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Warren M (Edinburgh, formerly Tyneside and Tyrone)
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Helena Handcart

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #9 on: December 23, 2019, 03:39:38 PM »

Personally, having tried most of the mainstream tutor books I found Ed Rennie's by far the clearest and the most comprehensive. It includes a CD but also a DVD showing both left and right hands so that you can see and hear what you are supposed to doing. Available on Amazon, E-Bay or from the man himself.


Also (and this is a bit of a shameless plug) there's Melodeon Playgroup coming in February with classes for Absolute Beginners, Beginners and Improvers giving you a whole day of tuition and a chance to meet other players at your level for £15-£25 for the lot - actual price depends on which class you are in as well as total number of attendees.


Edited to fix broken links.
« Last Edit: December 23, 2019, 06:38:58 PM by Helena Handcart »
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #10 on: December 23, 2019, 03:47:12 PM »

The Oul' Boy  has several valid points there.
Two things I'd amplify on would be:-
'Fiddling about' just playing with the box is good. It lets you get to know it, where the buttons/sounds are etc.
I did this then printed off two keyboard layouts from the Home page of Melnet, armed myself with two coloured pens and..... coloured in notes on the push.... coloured in notes on the push and found it visually a great help.

Start right at the beginning with the bass end.
Learn the two hands together, don't be tempted to just play the melody or you might find you have to un-learn a melody sequence when you bring in the basses. Learn both together!
It will seem like a huge thing to begin with but once your brain will have synchronised both hands the door opens and it is a massive step forward.
Good luck!
Q

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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!

Lester

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #11 on: December 23, 2019, 03:49:36 PM »

If you don't already, learn a bit of music theory; it's not hard and it helps enormously.
This ^^^^^^^. Don't be a "I don't understand music or what button does what" sort of guy, a small investment it learning will make chording/row choice/etc very much easier.

Quote
Find tunes you want to play and learn to whistle them by heart (Lester Bailey's Tune a Day Blog is a source of constant inspiration)
8)  https://lesters-tune-a-day.blogspot.com/p/tune-index.html

The Oul' Boy

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #12 on: December 23, 2019, 03:55:02 PM »

Personally, having tried most of the mainstream tutor books I found Ed Rennie's by far the clearest and the most comprehensive.

I have that too, and it has proved useful, but has never quite grabbed me in the way Dave Mallinson's has. Individual taste no doubt!
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Warren M (Edinburgh, formerly Tyneside and Tyrone)
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #13 on: December 23, 2019, 03:57:55 PM »

Absolutely Lester, well said!
Q
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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!

The Oul' Boy

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #14 on: December 23, 2019, 03:58:35 PM »

Don't be a "I don't understand music or what button does what" sort of guy

That was me for years and years, I was convinced I wasn't musical and could never learn or understand any music theory. Turned out to be completely untrue, which I should have realised as I've spent most of my life constantly whistling and humming tunes I've heard. Basic music theory is easier than most things I've tried to learn. Better late than never...
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Warren M (Edinburgh, formerly Tyneside and Tyrone)
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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #15 on: December 23, 2019, 05:26:01 PM »

Basic music theory is easier than most things I've tried to learn. Better late than never...

Music theory is only codifying what you already know instinctively. If you have tunes and harmonies in your head and know what "sounds right",
theory is simply giving some of those concepts names and providing guidelines on what "works" and what doesn't.
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The Oul' Boy

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #16 on: December 23, 2019, 05:38:11 PM »

Music theory is only codifying what you already know instinctively. If you have tunes and harmonies in your head and know what "sounds right",
theory is simply giving some of those concepts names and providing guidelines on what "works" and what doesn't.

Yes, that's a nice way to think about it, having some terminology and knowing the representational devices proves to be very useful I've found.
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Warren M (Edinburgh, formerly Tyneside and Tyrone)
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Dick Rees

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #17 on: December 24, 2019, 03:04:55 AM »

Basic music theory is easier than most things I've tried to learn. Better late than never...

Music theory is only codifying what you already know instinctively. If you have tunes and harmonies in your head and know what "sounds right",
theory is simply giving some of those concepts names and providing guidelines on what "works" and what doesn't.

Agreed.  I've often maintained that theory is hindsight...or a musical post mortem.
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Sebastian

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #18 on: December 24, 2019, 10:16:09 AM »

Music theory is only codifying what you already know instinctively.
Music theory changed fundamentally over time, and different cultures developed different music theories. Therefore I would hesitate to speak of 'instinctive knowledge'. There are indeed some musical universals, but they are few. The larger part of what belongs to music differs from culture to culture and is thus learned and acquired. It’s not instinct.

Music theory reveals the structures and raises them from the unconscious to the conscious, so that you know what you’re doing.
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playandteach

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Re: Learning diatonic accordion
« Reply #19 on: December 24, 2019, 10:58:27 AM »

I can only say that theory and notation are nothing to be frightened of. Some people can write great tunes by years of practical experience, others can write great tunes by building experience through analysis of the tunes that they like. Avoiding theory is like saying I will only use flat bladed screwdrivers. What happens when you come across a cross headed screw?
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