Learning CBA in my 80s.

[EdBouchard]

This my first time posting here.mNot sure if copying and pasting from YouTube is the best way to do it. At any rate, here’s a Bach arranged Chorale I was practicing today. I’ve been playing the CBA for a year or so. Had to abandon PA when advancing osteoarthritis arthritis took too much of a toll on my thumbs. I wish I’d started on CBA years ago.
This is from the Albert Riemenschneider edition of 371 Harmonized Chorales by Johann Sebastian Bach. It’s in public domain so very similar editions are now available for free download at archive[dot]org (see below) at and pdfcoffee[dot]com.
I like practicing the chorales both for learning how to play free bass and and experiencing how Bach used subtle changes in the inner voicings to create a sense of movement. Playing these chorales may help me in learning jazz harmony. I noticed when practicing a transcription of a solo by Bill Evans that he did something very similar with the inner voicings.
The Roland Fr4xb is configured like a Russian bayan, B-system on both the treble and bass manuals.

371 Chorale Harmonisations : JS Bach : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

By JS Bach. Public domain. From http://cantorion.org/musicreview/514/371%20Chorale%20Harmonisations%20%28Part%201%29

archive.org

 

[Tom]

Great Ed!!!! Very inspiring that you have persevered this way!

 

[KiwiSqueezer]

An inspiration to us old folk! Please share any wisdom you've acquired along the way...

 

[Giovanni]

Well done !!you are an inspiration to us all .
let us into the secret.............how come you play the instrument the wrong way round ???
Many years ago i knew an accordionist who played his piano accordion the upside down way and was billed as the upside down accordionist !!
what ever you are doing you are doing it well !!!...............and long may you continue to do so !!!

 

[JerryPH]

let us into the secret.............how come you play the instrument the wrong way round ???

He's not, he is using a cell phone and recording it backwards... look at the name of the accordion.
........................... From his video...............................................................horizontally flipped...........................

 

[Giovanni]

He's not, he is using a cell phone and recording it backwards... look at the name of the accordion.
........................... From his video...............................................................horizontally flipped...........................

sorry silly me Opppps

 

[debra]

...
I’ve been playing the CBA for a year or so. Had to abandon PA when advancing osteoarthritis arthritis took too much of a toll on my thumbs. I wish I’d started on CBA years ago.
...

That is a very common opinion among people who made the switch (and persevered).
When we were ready for new (better) accordions around the year 2000 a good friend (and CBA) player tried to persuade us to make the switch and we ignored that advice. Less than 10 years later we did make the switch (mainly because of instrument size). So we always say we wish we made the switch 10 years earlier...

 

[JerryPH]

Meh... I recognize it would be a good thing, but just not for me. No way I am starting over from scratch to spend ten years of my life to get back to where I am today (if even that would be possible!). I just give respect to those that want to do this... and smile and enjoy the fact that I just saved 10 years of pounding my head on the a wall... lol

 

[debra]

Meh... I recognize it would be a good thing, but just not for me. No way I am starting over from scratch to spend ten years of my life to get back to where I am today (if even that would be possible!). I just give respect to those that want to do this... and smile and enjoy the fact that I just saved 10 years of pounding my head on the a wall... lol

It's not so bad... Yes it does take a lot of effort and only about 2 to 3 years of pounding your head on the wall (no lasting marks though ). After that it becomes more and more enjoyable. After about 15 years I can comfortably say I am back where I was, and probably better. But now that I'm 65 I'm sure it's just going to be downhill from here...