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[Istolethekeeshka]

Hey everyone! I'm brand new to playing the melodeon and this is my first accordion overall (and I'm relatively new to music too, though I was raised on piano lessons from my grandma as a kid, so I have some knowledge of notes and whatnot, but have a limited understanding of sheet music and music theory overall), I've always wanted some kind of accordion as I'm mesmerized by how they sound and I happened to get one for Christmas surprisingly. I've been playing it for about 10 days now and I'm slowly beginning to memorize all the note locations and directions to pull the bellows in and what have you but I do slip up quite a bit...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf2JSX3eDwI&feature=youtu.be

So I have some questions. Above is a video of me playing it attached. I have something of an awkward grip on the right hand side, and I am trying to transition from only having two fingers on the keyboard to using all, since I think such a grip is far from comfortable and I think I'd play it faster if I have all my fingers on the board... basically, I'd like to know the easiest way too loosen up and play faster!

I've also been avoiding the bass side as of late for I do not know how to mix it well with the right hand side in any song I play at hand without pauses. What are some good beginner songs in GCF related keys that would ease me into the bass side if possible? As well as some tips on how to use it overall. Hava Nagila, as I am playing here, is in G major, and I based it off of some site that had sheet music for accordion songs, however it did not include bass notes. I listened to someone who was rather professional play it in the same key on a (piano) accordion and I couldn't make out the bass side notes either, for the right hand side was too loud for me to separate them by ear.

Last but not least, are there stretches/exercises I could do with my hands before playing? My fingers tend to get sore from pressing the right hand buttons and pulling the bellows in and out on the left, and I'd like to know how to prevent this problem if possible.

I hope to have very insightful answers and enjoy my time here at this forum!

[ferret]

Hello

You have many questions, and I must tell you that I am far from being an expert nor is my english good. But I give it a try:
Firstly I think you shouldn’t start with Klezmer-tunes, they often have some weird jumps in the melody, in general I think it’s better when you start with tunes that have just major-chords. Hava nagila is probably in E minor on your instrument.

Specially when you start with your right hand, the melody only, you have more possibilities to choose if you want to push or pull when playing in major.

There are a few very good videos on youtube for melodeon-beginners, Daddy Long Les can give you all the advices that you need. It’s probably better than learning tunes from a chromatic accordion-video.

When I started to use my left hand, I began to play only the chords, and after this worked I included the basses and started to play the rhythm.

I think that a diatonic instrument can be very complex at the beginning, because it doesn’t have a logical structure compared to chromatic accordions. In my opinion you really have to take your time to understand your instrument by playing it.

I bet someone else can give you better advices concerning good tunes for beginners, because I started with rather weird stuff.
Good luck!
(And I hope the really good players in here don't roll their eyes because of my advices…)

[Jesse Smith]

Hello and welcome!

Your user name makes me smile, because I live in Buffalo, NY where we have a very enthusiastic Dyngus Day festival when the local polka bands have their couple of weeks in the limelight. (I think they mostly play piano accordions and Chemnitzer concertinas, though I have seen a few three-row button accordions.)

I play mostly English music on a two-row melodeon so I can't offer much specific advice, but here are some general suggestions:

• Listen to the kind of music you want to learn to play, as much as possible.
• Find a local teacher, or at least a book/CD/DVD, specializing in your instrument and if possible in your preferred musical genre.
• The best to play faster is to play slowly, again and again, until it becomes instinctive.
• Soreness in the hands and left arm is to be expected to some extent, and will go away as you get used to playing the instrument and build up some muscles in previously lesser-used areas. Try to minimize tension in your arms and hands (easier said than done), and perhaps experiment with your straps to make sure the weight is being borne by your body and not so much by your hands.

Good luck!

[Istolethekeeshka]

Hello

You have many questions, and I must tell you that I am far from being an expert nor is my english good. But I give it a try:
Firstly I think you shouldn’t start with Klezmer-tunes, they often have some weird jumps in the melody, in general I think it’s better when you start with tunes that have just major-chords. Hava nagila is probably in E minor on your instrument.

Specially when you start with your right hand, the melody only, you have more possibilities to choose if you want to push or pull when playing in major.

There are a few very good videos on youtube for melodeon-beginners, Daddy Long Les can give you all the advices that you need. It’s probably better than learning tunes from a chromatic accordion-video.

When I started to use my left hand, I began to play only the chords, and after this worked I included the basses and started to play the rhythm.

I think that a diatonic instrument can be very complex at the beginning, because it doesn’t have a logical structure compared to chromatic accordions. In my opinion you really have to take your time to understand your instrument by playing it.

I bet someone else can give you better advices concerning good tunes for beginners, because I started with rather weird stuff.
Good luck!
(And I hope the really good players in here don't roll their eyes because of my advices…)

Nice meeting you!

Thank you for the advice! I'm going to start playing chords/scales this instant. I too agree about the lack of a logical structure, I'm so used to how a piano keyboard is built and even though I have a diagram of where all the notes are for my instrument, I do not think they are in the correct locations and it takes some getting used to- I have to make awkward jumps to reach sharp/flat notes. I'm currently doing a bit of searching for a book or something that would teach how to play a three row melodeon, as I only have some book that teaches a one row melodeon and from examining it it's not exactly in my key 😅. I want to play just about anything and everything, though primarily polka/Volksmusik (I eventually want a Steirische when I'm more advanced- I also want to have a piano and/or bayan accordion in the future but that's a different story entirely), Russian/Finnish type songs, Italian tarantellas, and covers of my favorite non accordion songs from any genre of music are among my favorites. I, like many beginners, I'm assuming, start jumping into stuff that is too difficult for me cause I'm excited to try it out, haha.

And no worries! It's perfectly fine if you do not know everything, and I'm sure someone else will roll around with suggestions of that sort in regards to beginner songs, so it's alright!

[Istolethekeeshka]

Hello and welcome!

Your user name makes me smile, because I live in Buffalo, NY where we have a very enthusiastic Dyngus Day festival when the local polka bands have their couple of weeks in the limelight. (I think they mostly play piano accordions and Chemnitzer concertinas, though I have seen a few three-row button accordions.)

I play mostly English music on a two-row melodeon so I can't offer much specific advice, but here are some general suggestions:

• Listen to the kind of music you want to learn to play, as much as possible.
• Find a local teacher, or at least a book/CD/DVD, specializing in your instrument and if possible in your preferred musical genre.
• The best to play faster is to play slowly, again and again, until it becomes instinctive.
• Soreness in the hands and left arm is to be expected to some extent, and will go away as you get used to playing the instrument and build up some muscles in previously lesser-used areas. Try to minimize tension in your arms and hands (easier said than done), and perhaps experiment with your straps to make sure the weight is being borne by your body and not so much by your hands.

Good luck!

I'm glad you like the username! I had just discovered Frankie Yankovic a few weeks ago and I cannot stop listening to that particular song, among a couple of his other ones all the time! As I had told Ferret above, there are a lot of different genres I wish to try out but I do have some favorites. Thank you for letting me know that is mostly a beginner problem! That's along the lines of what I was thinking, so I'm happy to hear that with more practice it will eventually resolve itself! I'm trying to look for a teacher as well, and I hope I find one soon. The straps I am using are the default ones that came with the melodeon, and are close to backpack straps... are leather ones better? and these straps I'm using currently occasionally get loose near the bottom and I have to readjust them periodically.

[baz parkes]

Hello and welcome!

Your user name makes me smile, because I live in Buffalo, NY where we have a very enthusiastic Dyngus Day festival when the local polka bands have their couple of weeks in the limelight. (I think they mostly play piano accordions and Chemnitzer concertinas, though I have seen a few three-row button accordions.)



I'm glad you like the username! I had just discovered Frankie Yankovic a few weeks ago and I cannot stop listening to that particular song,

Try this vhttps://youtu.be/flVo7DcqUnIersion... 

[rees]

My advice is to learn to use three fingers on the main notes of the scales. Ignore the accidentals for now, they will only confuse you until you are proficient in the three major scales. Keep it simple.