Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Brian G]

Hello again friends and Happy New Year to all

I have, for over two years now, been using my ring finger, for the fundamental bass row on my 80 bass Paolo.  Recently, I purchased a Mel Bay accordion method and it says to use the longest finger for the bass row and the index finger for the major, minor and 7th rows.  Have I started off on the wrong foot/finger? Would it be better to change?

Brian

[Graham Spencer]

It's many, many years since I used to play an instrument with a Stradella bass, but when I did I always used middle finger for fundamental, ring finger for counterbass and index finger for chords. All the PA players I know do the same, so maybe it is the convention.  As to whether you should change your fingering or not, I would think if you're happy with the way you're doing it and it sounds right, then why change?

[Doug]

I believe that the best way to play a stradella bass is to use your ring finger on the bass note line, your middle finger for the chords, and to keep your index finger free to play anything else you can reach, such as the next note up on the bass line for an alternating base.

Hope that helps
Doug

[Bill Young]

I have, for over two years now, been using my ring finger, for the fundamental bass row on my 80 bass Paolo.  Recently, I purchased a Mel Bay accordion method and it says to use the longest finger for the bass row and the index finger for the major, minor and 7th rows.  Have I started off on the wrong foot/finger? Would it be better to change?

Brian

Brian,

You're doing it right, the modern way. That Mel Bay method is now considered old fashioned (though many older players get along just fine with it). With fingers numbered 1-5, thumb to little finger, modern PA stradella bass players are normally taught to use finger 4 (ring) for bass and counterbass, 3 (middle) for major chord (and alternating bass notes on minor and 7th chords), 2 (index) for minor, 7th and diminished chords (and alternating bass notes on major chords). 5 (little finger) joins 4, 3 and 2 to play scales and runs on bass and counterbass rows. 1 (thumb) is used on the air button. There may be some abstruse cases where different fingering is needed, but that fingering will cover 99% of normal stradella bass playing. See also "Playing" part way down this page, or the Anzaghi Method for Accordion, or The Complete Piano Accordion Tutor by Ivor Beynon.

[Brian G]

Bill, Doug and GPS

Thanks a lot for the advice.  I was doing it OK all along.

Keep up all the good postings. 

Bye for now

Brian

[Graham Spencer]

Well, there you go - I'm behind the times again!  But then it is over 30 years since I ditched the PA in favour of a melodeon, and I've never looked back!

Graham

[george garside]

using the 1st (2nd if you count the thumb as number 1) finger for the minor ,& 7th chords makes sense because it has  the best ability to move sideways separately whereas the3 middle two fingers seeem to be somehow connected - a physiotherapist once told me that one tendon opperates both middle fingers  but I have no idea if this is true

george

[Owen Woods]

I was wondering this recently. I have long been a stalwart of the 4 finger bass on D/G, but to my shame I realised that I was only really using 2 fingers on Stradella. I am currently using middle finger on fundamental and second finger for major and minor. Having said that, I am now occasionally switching to fourth finger fundamental, second finger or third finger (haven't decided which yet) for fifth above, fifth finger for counter, remaining finger for chord. I've only just started working out runds and so on so I expect that my fingering will change again. I'm not too bothered though, I've learned and unlearned so many styles of fingering on D/G box (and everything else) that I'm sure I'll be able to adapt.

The interesting thing is that although I often play thumb on edge D/G I feel that I want to use the morris claw on BCC#

EDIT: I'm a piano player, so the thumb is the first finger, the pinkie the fifth.

[george garside]

The interesting thing is that although I often play thumb on edge D/G I feel that I want to use the morris claw on BCC#

 

definately not a good habit to get into on BCC#! - it limits the amount of 'arch' of the hand /fingers which is required to reach inside row easily & also limits movement between octaveseg in Soldiers Joy in D  (which I play mainly on the inside & middle row, but which can be played on the middle & outside row!)

there are many ways to ski ;)n a ....BCC#1

george

[Owen Woods]

The interesting thing is that although I often play thumb on edge D/G I feel that I want to use the morris claw on BCC#

 

definately not a good habit to get into on BCC#! - it limits the amount of 'arch' of the hand /fingers which is required to reach inside row easily & also limits movement between octaveseg in Soldiers Joy in D  (which I play mainly on the inside & middle row, but which can be played on the middle & outside row!)

there are many ways to ski ;)n a ....BCC#1

george

See I've found the opposite. I have very long fingers and find that morris claw makes the innermost row feel nice and natural, but it means that the outermost row is a lot more difficult. I expect that I'll end up with a fluid RH posture like I do on D/G, but for now I am making a conscious effort to play thumb on groove and it seems to be working

[george garside]

Jimmy Shand had very long fingers - like bloody snakes!

george