Dingo40
Been here for ages!
Here’s how one guy warms up on the baseboard buttons before going on to use both hands ( first part of the clip) 
Best way to learn bass buttons?
- Thread starter Trainwreck
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I've not seen it mentioned before, but the reality is, the accordion is really two instruments rolled into one. The right side and left side are laid out differently, they play completely different tone combinations, one side moves while the other is stationary, the buttons are different sizes (even worse on PAs) and often, the two are played at different rhythms. You will need to concentrate on playing the bass patterns until they become second nature so's you can concentrate on the right side patterns. It'll all come together in time, with a flash of self brilliance.
If you haven't already, get an understanding of the layout and logic of the buttons.
To wit, 2 bass rows, 3-4 chord rows on the diagonal, and the circle of 5ths on the vertical. The circle of 5ths, being a basic construct of modern western music, is what makes the Stradella system work so well. If you're not familiar with the circle, change that! It's fundamental.
With Stradella, you will only need to work in a small area of the button board until you advance. Play the same thing (pattern) in all the Keys, as moving around the board will cause some difficulty at first. Start with a C-F-G in 3/4 time and when you are comfortable with the button/finger sequences, move the pattern up one button and play there until comfortable. Do that all over the board while paying attention to the Key you're in.
You might try leaving the bottom bellows strap attached at first, and reverse the bellows often.
Also, download and print blank button charts and pencil in the pitches on the proper buttons for whatever exercise you are working on. This will bring a rapid understanding of where the pitches are (and where your fingers need to go) and what their names are.
A note on "Method Books". Often, there will be an instruction given that may consist of one sentence. At the end of said sentence will be something to the effect of "when competent with the exercise, move to the next phase". Gaining "competence" with the exercise may require a month or more of practice. The student, upon completion of several mistake free passes, thinks "Hey, I'm there!" when competence is really a long way off. Advancing to the next phase too quickly only makes mastering the new challenge that much more difficult, and diminishes the value of the previous exercise.
The following is my experience/opinion and differs from the traditional approach:
The bass side is going to provide the rhythm and bass lines. These are typically repetative in nature. Playing the right side involves more "creativity" in a melody line or chord progression that often changes in order to provide some variability to the music. Developing a "robotic" left hand where no thought is required to maintain the rhythm/bass pattern, frees the mind to deal with the complexities required by the melody lines. I started by learning my way around the treble side first (learning tunes I knew), and now wish I had learned the bass side first in order to provide the foundation of the tune, and once automatic, bring the treble side into the equation. It can be boring at times, but I believe competence will come faster.
Press on....
Waldo
If you haven't already, get an understanding of the layout and logic of the buttons.
To wit, 2 bass rows, 3-4 chord rows on the diagonal, and the circle of 5ths on the vertical. The circle of 5ths, being a basic construct of modern western music, is what makes the Stradella system work so well. If you're not familiar with the circle, change that! It's fundamental.
With Stradella, you will only need to work in a small area of the button board until you advance. Play the same thing (pattern) in all the Keys, as moving around the board will cause some difficulty at first. Start with a C-F-G in 3/4 time and when you are comfortable with the button/finger sequences, move the pattern up one button and play there until comfortable. Do that all over the board while paying attention to the Key you're in.
You might try leaving the bottom bellows strap attached at first, and reverse the bellows often.
Also, download and print blank button charts and pencil in the pitches on the proper buttons for whatever exercise you are working on. This will bring a rapid understanding of where the pitches are (and where your fingers need to go) and what their names are.
A note on "Method Books". Often, there will be an instruction given that may consist of one sentence. At the end of said sentence will be something to the effect of "when competent with the exercise, move to the next phase". Gaining "competence" with the exercise may require a month or more of practice. The student, upon completion of several mistake free passes, thinks "Hey, I'm there!" when competence is really a long way off. Advancing to the next phase too quickly only makes mastering the new challenge that much more difficult, and diminishes the value of the previous exercise.
The following is my experience/opinion and differs from the traditional approach:
The bass side is going to provide the rhythm and bass lines. These are typically repetative in nature. Playing the right side involves more "creativity" in a melody line or chord progression that often changes in order to provide some variability to the music. Developing a "robotic" left hand where no thought is required to maintain the rhythm/bass pattern, frees the mind to deal with the complexities required by the melody lines. I started by learning my way around the treble side first (learning tunes I knew), and now wish I had learned the bass side first in order to provide the foundation of the tune, and once automatic, bring the treble side into the equation. It can be boring at times, but I believe competence will come faster.
Press on....
Waldo
Eddy Yates
Well-known member
Very good advise, Waldo!
As a pianist I jumped onto an accordion a few days ago thinking it would be fairly easy for me - I was wrong... lol
My plan now is to dedicate a good amount of time to practice broken chords, arpeggios & scales etc. And then lot's of bass sight-reading exercises. That was the best way to learn keyboard geography when learning piano so I'm hoping it will be the same with the Stradella...
I'm thinking it's probably best not to add markers to the buttons so I'm trying to create a mental map of Circle of Fifths and triads starting with FCGDA.
Would love to hear about other's strategies.
My plan now is to dedicate a good amount of time to practice broken chords, arpeggios & scales etc. And then lot's of bass sight-reading exercises. That was the best way to learn keyboard geography when learning piano so I'm hoping it will be the same with the Stradella...
I'm thinking it's probably best not to add markers to the buttons so I'm trying to create a mental map of Circle of Fifths and triads starting with FCGDA.
Would love to hear about other's strategies.
I made drawings of the bass keyboard as we see it from the top, as a player! Most books always show pictures of the buttons as seen by a listener, which does not help. The key point is to remember the circle of fifths: notes go in fifths going up, then in fourths going down.
A simple exercise to build muscle memory:
From your C button, when you go up (towards the ceiling) you get the scale when playing every 2 buttons until you hit E, then you go back where you came from, and the button below C is F, and you play the other buttons going up until you reach B.
Also, lots of tunes use the simple I-IV-V accompaniment (e.g. C-F-G kind of pattern) and these are 3 adjacent buttons (again: circle of fifths).
Good practice makes perfect. It does not occur overnight!
A simple exercise to build muscle memory:
From your C button, when you go up (towards the ceiling) you get the scale when playing every 2 buttons until you hit E, then you go back where you came from, and the button below C is F, and you play the other buttons going up until you reach B.
Also, lots of tunes use the simple I-IV-V accompaniment (e.g. C-F-G kind of pattern) and these are 3 adjacent buttons (again: circle of fifths).
Good practice makes perfect. It does not occur overnight!
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