New member from Alaska

[GramSherry]

Hello from Alaska! I just ordered a bright red Roland FR-X1b, which should be arriving in a little over two weeks. Many years ago, I played accordion with a local group, a Slovenian diatonic button box, which sadly has been tucked away in a closet for decades. Lately, though, I’ve been craving the magical sounds produced only by bellows and reeds! As a little old granny, my stamina for the push-pull and bellows extension isn't much, but I still know basic music theory and a bit of piano. I’m confident I’ll be able to learn enough of the right-hand chromatic keyboard for my own enjoyment. But the left-hand will be challenging—so different from the large bass/chord buttons of a diatonic box!

Looking forward to sharing, learning, and finding answers to some questions on where to begin!

 

[PhiliGol]

Welcome to the forum and greetings from Bavaria, Germany.

 

[murathan]

Welcome !!

 

[Tom]

Welcome Sherry!

 

[A Tryer]

Welcome!

What’s really great about this Forum is its international coverage. I’m new on here too, but so much knowledge, so many people in so many parts of the world. Wonderful!

Paul

 

[dak]

Hello from Alaska! I just ordered a bright red Roland FR-X1b, which should be arriving in a little over two weeks. Many years ago, I played accordion with a local group, a Slovenian diatonic button box, which sadly has been tucked away in a closet for decades. Lately, though, I’ve been craving the magical sounds produced only by bellows and reeds!

Well, an FR-1Xb does not exactly produce sounds by bellows and reeds, but it is certainly giving you an excellent tool to prepare the transition from diatonic to chromatic instruments in a manner most tolerable to family and neighbors, so that when you actually turn to bellows and reeds eventually, those will be able to join your enthusiasm.

 

[GramSherry]

Well, an FR-1Xb does not exactly produce sounds by bellows and reeds, but it is certainly giving you an excellent tool to prepare the transition from diatonic to chromatic instruments in a manner most tolerable to family and neighbors, so that when you actually turn to bellows and reeds eventually, those will be able to join your enthusiasm.

True, the sounds are sampled. But I'll also get some other related reed sounds, like organ and such, which I love. The main reason I chose the FR-1Xb . . . if I understand correctly, working the bellows won't require much physical strength. And I do live in an apartment and need to protect the neighbor's ears. LOL

 

[Siegmund]

Welcome aboard! We have at least one other Alaskan and one ex-Alaskan (me) on the forum.

 

[jfeagans]

Will you change the configuration of your FR-1X B to B-system instead of the C-system default? I play mine in the C system. which leaves the button tops unaltered.

 

[GramSherry]

Will you change the configuration of your FR-1X B to B-system instead of the C-system default? I play mine in the C system. which leaves the button tops unaltered.

That was/is the big question. After watching as many YouTube videos as I could find on the subject, I think I should leave it as a C. It appears that there may be more available support for the C-system, although it's disappointing not to find more straight-up instruction in English. It looks like, for the base side, one could learn from piano-according instruction books and videos. And one YouTube video suggests that right-hand-finger number recommendations for the C-system are often similar to those in piano-accordion books. Is that true?

I have ordered two books recommended in this forum: Palmer-Hughes Accordion Course, Book 1 and Moser: The Chromatic Button Accordion: A Systematic Approach--C-Keyboard System. What are you using for learning materials?

 

[dak]

That was/is the big question. After watching as many YouTube videos as I could find on the subject, I think I should leave it as a C. It appears that there may be more available support for the C-system, although it's disappointing not to find more straight-up instruction in English.

The deciding criterion in my book should be first what your teacher plays, if you have none, which kind of teacher would be more available in your region, then what kind of instrument is more prevalent in your region. You don't want to limit yourself to digital instruments with changeable gender all your life (my Solton MS80 is fixed to C system mechanically in spite of being a digital instrument).

It looks like, for the base side, one could learn from piano-according instruction books and videos. And one YouTube video suggests that right-hand-finger number recommendations for the C-system are often similar to those in piano-accordion books. Is that true?

Sort of. The whole-note slant for the right hand is similar, so fingerings for scales can have some similarity, also regarding possible thumb usage. You cannot depend on chords nor on the kind of pivoting that CBA play entails. And of course with C system the left hand is mirrored and thus, if at all, would respond to right-hand fingering. But button shapes and distances in the left are different enough that the analogy to a piano breaks down quite more than with the right hand anyway. Maybe the wrist angle feels a bit more similar.

 

[jfeagans]

That was/is the big question. After watching as many YouTube videos as I could find on the subject, I think I should leave it as a C. It appears that there may be more available support for the C-system, although it's disappointing not to find more straight-up instruction in English. It looks like, for the base side, one could learn from piano-according instruction books and videos. And one YouTube video suggests that right-hand-finger number recommendations for the C-system are often similar to those in piano-accordion books. Is that true?

I have ordered two books recommended in this forum: Palmer-Hughes Accordion Course, Book 1 and Moser: The Chromatic Button Accordion: A Systematic Approach--C-Keyboard System. What are you using for learning materials?

I have played PA for 60 years so the learning curve for CBA C-system was not steep. Nothing new to learn on the left hand side or reading music, and bellows control remains the same. Maugain Methode du accordion book for some orientation then I hunted up my old childhood PH Books and started on book 2. Beginning on the CBA in October I used supplemental materials from Hanon for accordion which were good for getting your muscle memory to traverse the button keyboard.

Once you get the basics down I can suggest some more supplemental materials that are fun and easy for your FR-1x b.