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[Myrrh Music]

 :'(I've just received my new Hohner Presswood which has been refurbished by Mike Rowbotham and it sounds lovely - but - I'm swapping from  my Hohner single row and it has absolutely thrown me this morning - don't seem to know stuff I thought I had settled in my head - everything seems to have gone back almost to the first time I picked one up(4 months ago) Too many basses, too many buttons  - --is this normal---? Shall I kill myself... Hell!

[Anahata]

Panic not!
One step at a time...
First, you'll find a pair of bass buttons that goes with one row as if it was a 1-row instrument, and another pair that goes similarly with the other row. Get used to playing using those, so you get used to the feel of the box and  associating those two pairs of bass buttons with the RH rows that they mainly go with. Once you have those two "home" positions clear in your mind, you won't feel so lost.

Next, start noticing when some chords don't fit properly. When that happens, see if you can find a better chord by trying other options. Sometimes it's just a different chord/bass pair, sometimes when you are playing in D, you may want to switch rows (and bellows direction) to get a G chord or to have a A chord under an A note. (assuming it's a D/G box)

But essentially, start with what you already know, and explore, a step at a time, enjoying the voyage of discovery as your new box gradually reveals its secrets!

[Myrrh Music]

 :-[Thanks.  I know the penny will drop eventually if I persevere, at the moment I've even stooped to the level of a yellow post-it on the top of the box in the format of the basses chords! :|blThat's how bad it is! Just had to have a quick knee jerk panic..
Mary (Myrrh)

[Lester]

I've even stooped to the level of a yellow post-it on the top of the box in the format of the basses chords! That's how bad it is!

This sounds the most eminently sensible solution to you temporary problem going. Well done 

[Ebor_fiddler]

There's no gadget like the human brain, well applied. 

[Brian Rawcliffe]

Haha! I feel your pain!

In exactly the same position, having just bought a G/C Hohner...

I'm a coward, though, I keep sneaking back to the one-row!! 

Brian.

[Blayne]

I too am getting ready to purchase a new 2 row melodeon.  Im thinking of c/f to play along with bluegrass/old timey. Would this be the correct set up? 
  I love my single row pokerwork d box i picked up 6 months ago but the band requies a few more chords.  GCDF Amin,  forstarters.  Any thoughts?

[Andy in Vermont]

I too am getting ready to purchase a new 2 row melodeon.  Im thinking of c/f to play along with bluegrass/old timey. Would this be the correct set up?  
  I love my single row pokerwork d box i picked up 6 months ago but the band requies a few more chords.  GCDF Amin,  forstarters.  Any thoughts?

 My experience with old time musicians is that they can be very firm about the keys that are used for each specific tune.  If you play alone, this won't matter, but if you need to be able to sit down with a banjo and fiddler who are playing a tune... you'll need to know what keys the tunes are in.

[Theo]

I think you will struggle to play in D on a CF box. CFG and Am should be ok though.

[rees]

The old timey sessions that I've been in have been mostly in the key of A, so a D/G might be best suited (I find that much of the material is best played in second position on a melodeon, i.e. A on a D melodeon.

[Blayne]

It seems my banjo players want to play play mostly in G.  Progression:G C Emin D..

[Chris Ryall]

It seems my banjo players want to play play mostly in G.  Progression:G C Emin D..

I am so sick of playing with guitars in festival sessiona .. G - E_min - D7 - G ... G - E_min - D7 - G ... G - E_min - D7 - G ... 

[forrest]

It seems my banjo players want to play play mostly in G.  Progression:G C Emin D..

If you have a look at the Fiddler's Fake Book, most of the tunes are in D, A, G, and C major, and Emin and Amin. A three row ADG covers a bit of ground there. I have two different 2-rows that work much of the time, a G/C and an A/D. The G/C does the above mentioned progression easily.

[Accordion Dave]

Shall you kill yourself?

Absolutely not!

Relax and have fun with it.

I have been playing the piano accordion most of my life, but I am having great fun with one-row and two-row melodeons.

Learning the ins and outs of the bisonric system has been a challenge. Changing bellows direction now seems to come naturally when I don't think about it too much.

[BruceHenderson]

Haha! I feel your pain!

In exactly the same position, having just bought a G/C Hohner... (snip)

And, years ago, I was in a different situation, going from a two-row to a one row.  I had been playing a few years at the time, but I'd work on the melody for a few minutes and get the right hand going then check on the left.  After a couple of little practice sessions, I was switching back and forth between the two instuments with no problems.

[Québécois]

On a similar note (pun intended), my father, who has played a 2-row for over 50 years, told me that if you are used to play a 2-row and get a 3-row, put aside the 2-row for 6 months while you learn to use the 3-row!

[Tattyjacket]

You now have eight bass buttons instead of two.
The two nearest the floor on the outside will be equal to what you used to have on a single row, playing G push, D pull.
They will play with the inside row on the other side and you'll be playing the equivalent of a single row in G.
If you remember this, then you should manage everything that you were able to play on a single row.

The two nearest the sky on the outside Play D push, A major pull and if you play them with the outside on the other side, you will be playing the equivalent of a single row in D..

My advice....get to grips with what you already know keeping these facts in mind.

THEN.....and only then, try the two buttons inside near the floor. They play a C chord and will sound wonderful againsts all of the chords that don't ever sound quite right on a one row. AND the great thing about them is that they play a C chord in both directions.

Try to play a scale of G major. Right hand side inner row. Left hand side, start on the bottom two outer buttons.
Keep playing G chords and D chords until you get to the C then swop to the C Chord buttons.
Tell us how you get on.

Phil

[Myrrh Music]

  Thanks so much for all your advice.  I'm not so scared of it now...I can play La Marianne with only the occasional falter, after about 2 days of trying to note down what went where from videos.  Tralee Gaol and Jenny Lind I have (on a good day).  Harvest Home, Boys from the Blue Hill not a hope. Also problem for me is that I find it hard to think up for myself what basses and chords to use, if I only have the melody notes, but maybe that will come with noticing what is happening when I follow the written scores that I have under my belt. 

I'm afraid I still think in terms of Aa,Bb,Cc etc rather than actual notation.  Should I learn that I wonder? Still, after 6 months I'm  enjoying it immensely, and it is fabulous for me to have this to work at, whilst my husband is in his wood-turning workshop.  We are in the middle of nowhere and it's this or housework/gardening.  So glad I found this forum too. 

[Tufty]

I suspect that in time instinct will take over and you will only have to think about the odd left hand bit that sounds "wrong". As someone who learns 100% by ear it is my only option. When I learn a new tune I normally build up both hands together but on more complex stuff I may get the right hand sorted first but then often have to relearn bits, with push pull reversals, to match better left hand options. Remember there are often options rather than just one "right" way. I also began on a one row so fully understand the problem!