Free bass

[goldtopia]

I know about the advantages of button accordions but nothing about free bass. I can read the bass cleff but only use it for working out chords from music that don't show the chords. I wonder if it would be an advantage to use this ability to learn free bass. I would like to know what the advantage are, if its better or just different and if there are certain points to look for if buying a free bass. And what about music that only shows the melody and chords like fake books ?

 

[dunlustin]

My interest in the CBA came at the same time as an interest in Freebass (From a British Chromatic + Stradella).
As a result I bought a little Weltmeister which turned out to be a great intro' to both - so much so that
I have traded up to a 4 row both sides.
It is different but good fun. Perhaps later on I'll splash out on a Convertor Accordion as I don't think I could do without Stradella all the time.
The only down side is there's not much in the way of 2nd hand instruments to give it a try - still my little 3-row was a good introduction.
It lets you play melody on the L-hand or to build your own chords in a very simple/logical way
Sheet music? - you can still play bass/chord but also simple piano pieces are possible - and much more to the more able!

 

[Glenn]

I think a great way to get to know free-bass is to have a converter accordion as Dunlustin mentions in his post.
Only trouble is, these machines are more difficult to source second hand, are more expensive and more complex in their manufacture.
This means the choice is often limited or it's rather expensive. I'd love one too but wouldn't want to give up on Stradella as they are two different things.
If you are into serious music (serious in the academic sense) then a converter is a must.

 

[goldtopia]

Hmm. A converter sounds more than I'm prepaired to pay. Though I might go for a small buuton accordion to see if I can take to it. I would be better to stick with the stradella, though I might have a go at a small button accordion, I have heard 5 row is better than a 3 row. Though I don't know if they do small 5 row.

 

[Bill V]

A Luciano FB1 has 26 freebass and 36 treble buttons 1 set of reeds on LH/RH....thought of trying one some years ago but as I play piano stuck to one system....age I suppose new tricks for an old dog just too much.

 

[Pietro]

I acquired a Bayan in January as a first timer to CBA and freebase. My right hand is progressing rather like pulling teeth and freebase is somewhat worse, but I feel confident if I can crack the right hand that the left will follow eventually. I do have the advantage of having a converter though, and I sometimes try to put the Stradella accompaniment with the right hand. Its still all a bit much though, and likely to take years to learn.
Pete

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk

 

[Russ]

I cant find a converter to save my life. I want at least a 96 bass stradella plus the freebass with at least a LMM in the treble. I am so mad, upset, broken hearted etc that I cannot find a good used converter accordion. It is so frustrating that a Pigini 42/B or the Bugari JuniorFisa 320/B/C (which are about exactly what I want) cost a minimum of about 6000 US dollars. It will take me a couple of years at least to save up that kind of cash, so I am looking at all my amplifiers and old musical equipment to see what I can sell. The freebass is so awesome for me when it comes to playing jazz chords I just love to be able to play all the chords in jazz charts is possible for me. I know good stradellea players can do this as well, but freebass makes a lot more sense to me.

PS I see a lot more PA accordions with converter bass systems, and quite a few B system CBAs with converter Bass, but very few CBA C system with converters. right now I have a little Pigini Peter Pan C system converter but it only has one reed per side.

 

[Jim the box]

I cant find a converter to save my life.....

I was thinking about getting a Roland to replace my old box, one of the advantages would be free bass which I want to try one day. :tup:

 

[Anyanka]

My CBA is a convertor, but I haven't had the time to explore the free bass properly yet. I have an old East German accordion book - no written instructions, just tunes - which appears to be written for free bass, and I've started to work on that but it's very occasional.

 

[Russ]

I highly recommend Mogens Ellegaard's Comprehensive Method for the Free Bass - Someone in this forum, I think, gave a web site that you can pay to download this book, but I would think you could find an actual copy. Copyright 1964 by Hohner. They should not be that uncommon

This is a good book if you like scales and arpeggios. this is the books focus.

also what i like to do on the Free bass, rather than play single notes, is to comp chords, and you use the same positions you do on the right hand (minus the thumb). A way I usually start to learn is to comp the same chord on the right and left hand, before I try the right hand melody, it seems easier this way. for me for jazz chords this is the fun way to go.