Hi...
Years ago I decided to change from PA to CBA (C system) with free bass. Now these many years later I'm having doubts. I find that, as well as I know the chromatic keyboards and have easy facility, I still have a very difficult time learning new pieces. It seems very laborious and very slow. I have to be focused on every detail all the time. Nothing ever seems to come together.
As a young person on piano accordion I worked just as hard, but I came to just sense everything about my instrument and could work naturally off of lead sheets or classical scores. Of course, I read all that easily, but applying it to the chromatic takes attention to every note, every time.
I'd appreciate advice and comment from other players who have made this transition.
Have you had similar difficulty after years of study?
I'm so frustrated I'm seriously considering finding a piano accordion with only tradition stradella basses. I know the limitations, but it appears that I myself am my biggest limitation on the bayan. If I can't make the music flow, and have nothing to share, what is the point? The instrument is not the problem, but in my hands it seems not to be complete.
What am I missing?
Thanks for your comments and advice.
TonyG
Hi Tony, just saw this post. I’ve had to make the transition to CBA too. Osteoarthritis in my hands has taken away my ability to use my thumbs on a piano keyboard. Fortunately have access to a Roland Fr4xb. I gave my wonderful acoustic PA with a C-system converter bass to a friend. He’s a Professor of Jazz Performance at music school. So it is in good hands.
In my teens, my teacher had me practicing 2-octave major and melodic minor scales in both hands in all keys from the Shultz-Rizzo Scales and Apeggios book. I think Andy Rizzo was his teacher. At any rate, that build up a lot of facility in my left hand. Although, I was quite frustrated with the Stradella bass limitations. By my early 20s began investing free bass options. Tried 4-5 different systems. Settled on a Moschino system that I purchased from Mario M.
But I didn’t like the tonal balance between treble and bass sides. It wasn’t fun to practice it. Finally, in the early 2000s, now in my 60s, I lucked onto the wonderful acoustic PA with C-system converter bass mentioned above.
I started playing gigs again. Was in a couple different bands. Practiced Bach Inventions and Sinfonias and exercises from jazz piano books. My last gig was in February 2021 just as the covid pandemic was hitting my city.
About little over a year ago, I came to the realization that piano accordion would soon no longer be an option for me.
When I got the Roland Fr4xb it was configured for B-system. I started to change it to C-system. But it was then a borrowed instrument. I’ve so far left it in B-system. They are quite alike.
Since it was a new keyboard, it seemed as well as scales and arpeggios, basic books like Hanon and Czerny would be useful. Found many contemporary composers had their own jazz, blues, boogie woogie, et al versions. I prefer the Leo Alfassy Blues Hanon and Jazz Hanon editions. Each exercise is a musical mini etude of increasing difficulty.
More recently have found two great online sources for learning piano that are helpful for learning free bass accordion too.
The Canadian keyboard player Marine Lacoste offers a comprehensive site to learn rock and roll and blues piano. onlinerocklessons[dot]com has tons of play-along lessons on scales, chords, theory, tunes, and more. There’s downloadable sheet music and video lessons with scrolling sheet music on each. I thought I’d subscribe for a month or so to get started on my own. But am having so much fun and value, I’m still a paying member.
Another great learning resource is Harry Likas’s Patreon Page: patreon[dot]com/HarryLikas
He often posts his arrangements on FB too. So far he has uploaded 550+ arrangements of standards in different styles (stride, walking bass, shell voicings, etc.). Som are much easier than others. While written for piano, they sound great on free bass accordion too.
Hope this helps.
. 
