Accordion for child

[Neil Thornock]

When you start learning to play the accordion you should start right away without looking at the keyboard. As a child I was first forced to place a piece of cardboard over the top to make it impossible to look. Once I got better at playing the cardboard was removed and I got used to play everything without ever looking. I still sometimes look down, to find the right register switch (they are in different positions on every accordion) but not to find the right notes. It's also important to always play accordions with the same key width. When the jumps differ (because of wider or narrower keys) you're in trouble.

There's a Schumann piece, Geschwindmarsch, that I would looooove to play, but those two grace notes in parallel thirds, followed by the same thing up a 9th, and then back down, and then up a 7th, is just TOO MUCH! I mean, I know it would just take (lots and lots and lots and lots) of practice. I'm sure it would be much easier on CBA...