First week on a chromatic button accordion

[jfeagans]

Got my Roland FR-1X button accordion last week and having a blast learning to play.

I am a long time PA player, so nothing new to learn on the bass side. I stuck with the default C-system from the stock Roland and got the Maugain Methode du accordion book for some orientation. After some practice there I went for my old Palmer Hughes books. It was helpful going through book 1 and 2 which I did almost 60 years ago when I started at age 8. Practicing daily enough to charge the batteries in the Roland every day! I am now to book 3 of the PH series and the PH Polka book.

And I might add, all of this is done from Japan where I am on an extended trip.

 

[Tom]

Great!!!!!

 

[dunlustin]

Encouraging start.
Don't know if this is helpful:
How hard tunes are may depend on the instrument: a PA octave stretch, or the fact that a chord shape can be moveable...
Book tunes are chosen sometimes because they fit well on a keyboard.
Maybe some CBA-designed stuff could sit alongside the other books you like to use?

 

[jfeagans]

Encouraging start.
Don't know if this is helpful:
How hard tunes are may depend on the instrument: a PA octave stretch, or the fact that a chord shape can be moveable...
Book tunes are chosen sometimes because they fit well on a keyboard.
Maybe some CBA-designed stuff could sit alongside the other books you like to use?

Near as I can tell from my uneducated experience, we have the equivalent of a 37 key PA here--without the 8va shifts up or down. Two octave stretch is no strain at all. I am only working the first three columns with an occasional reach into the 4th column. If I found a text it would be helpful for fingering. The French text labels the thumb as "0" rather than "1". From my guitar playing it seems the strategy is to minimize moves to optimize fingering.

 

[oldbayan]

As you get used to the keyboard you will learn how and when to take advantage of the 4th and 5th rows. CBA is nothing more than a piano keyboard cut in groups of 3 notes, put at an angle! I play mostly B-griff as I find it more natural to play "left to right". Have fun.