A rare bird!

[Dingo40]

A rare instrument.
Unfortunately an inadequate a glimpse, but better than nothing!



Another:



One more:

 

[Eddy Yates]

Thanks, Dingo. That one has a really fast response. Would love to have one of those. Also would love to have a Lamborghini, but, well.....

 

[Dingo40]

Thanks, Eddy!

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

Hi Dingo,

Well, I have learned something today ........... thank you.

Kind Regards,

Stephen.

 

[Dingo40]

Thanks, Stephen!

 

[debra]

A rare instrument.
...

The first video is of a Giulietti bass accordion. It has a keyboard ranging from B0 to C4 but the first key does not play, so it's really C1 to C4 (37 notes). This instrument has very nice deep bass sound, but the lower 19 notes sound differently from the upper 18  and here is why:

The lower 19 notes have an "Umlenkstimmstock" (I mistakenly called this "Umleitstimmstock" in the past) for the L reeds (all notes are LM) which means the sound travels first through an 180 degree turn and then a tube that acts a bit like a cassotto. The upper 18 notes do not have that. I'm guessing there was no room.

The second video shows an instrument that starts with low E, which is rather limiting as a bass accordion, and the third video is of an old Hohner bass accordion that does start at C1 but only goes up to A3. Most bass parts nowadays assume a bass accordion goes up to at least C4 (new Hohner bass accordions do), quite a few assume going up to D4 because modern full size bass accordions (like Bugari and Pigini) go up to D4. Very rarely will you see also D4# because as far as I know only one bass accordion goes this high: the Pigini C39 button bass accordion which has 40 notes. Its piano counterpart has only 39 notes and is called P39.

In case you did not yet know, my main instrument (I play in 5 different ensembles) is the bass accordion. (I play the Pigini C39.) I only play regular accordion "on the side".

 

[Dingo40]

Thank, Paul!

We'd love to hear a demo of it here one day!

 

[debra]

Thank, Paul!

We'd love to hear a demo of it here one day!

You mean this:


There are very few solo pieces suitable for bass accordion but this can be done with just a bit of transposition.
(The original is in G major, requiring G4 as highest note. Because my bass accordion only goes up to E4b I played this in E flat.)
This is played on the L register. (Most bass accordions have no registers and can only play LM.)

 

[Dingo40]

Paul,
Thanks for that!
Impressive!
I couldn't have identified it as an accordion from an audio alone. It sounds quite a bit like some kind of large stringed instrument , like a cello or something: but very pleasing.

 

[debra]

Paul,
Thanks for that!
Impressive!
I couldn't have identified it as an accordion from an audio alone. It sounds quite a bit like some kind of large stringed instrument , like a cello or something: but very pleasing.

Well, it is from Bach's first suite for unaccompanied cello, BWV 1007.

 

[Jim2010]

Paul,
Thanks for that!
Impressive!
I couldn't have identified it as an accordion from an audio alone. It sounds quite a bit like some kind of large stringed instrument , like a cello or something: but very pleasing.

Well, it is from Bach's first suite for unaccompanied cello, BWV 1007.

Thanks you, Paul. Great playing as always.
 And one of my favorite movements from the cello suites.

 

[debra]

...
Thanks you, Paul. Great playing as always.
 And one of my favorite movements from the cello suites.

The bass accordion is rarely used as a solo instrument.
But it can serve as the lead instrument in an ensemble:
[video=youtube]
Yep, again BWV 1007, but now in a very different setting!

 

[Dingo40]

Very nice, Paul!