Looking for piano accordion tutor books

[Luna]

Hi new to this site picking up the accordion again after 30years wondered if anyone has used Méthode complete d’accordeon galliano I can read music and can still play a couple of tunes but would dearly love to improve any help would be appreciated

 

[maugein96]

Hi Luna,

Welcome to the forum. I'm originally from Lanarkshire but haven't lived there for 45 years, and now live near the English border.

I've never played PA (piano accordion), but know about Galliano's book. I used to own a copy, until it disappeared during a spring clean. My wife obviously thought it was no longer worthy of house room. I only bought it out of curiosity and taught myself to play the C system chromatic button accordion (you'll see the abbreviation CBA on here) from French method books which were written exclusively for that instrument. The method book you mention was written by Richard Galliano in conjunction with his father, who is Italian, and it was he who devised the PA fingering for the method.

I can work out the notes from the "dots", but am not a proficient sight reader, so perhaps I'm not the best person on here to offer you advice. Personally speaking I don't feel that there is a lot of content in Galliano's book, compared with others I've seen, but again it might just be the fact that I don't know a lot about accordion tuition.

The only English language accordion book I've ever seen is the "Sedlon Method", although there is also a (presumably American) method known as Palmer Hughes. From memory the Sedlon book stretches to three smallish volumes, and I would imagine some of those may be hard to find these days. Don't know much at all about Palmer Hughes, although I do believe it is also available in several parts.

No doubt there will be others, and maybe some English speaking members who are PA players may be able to assist you.

Galliano's book is probably as good as most of the other offerings, and at least it's all in the one volume. From memory it also has a CD with it, which is a definite help. A 30 year lay off is a long time, but you'll get it back again if you really want to.

 

[Luna]

Many thanks for your reply, practice,practice is the only way, doing scales etc and learning a couple of tunes from a film local hero don,t think my dog is appreciating it though ! Thanks again

 

[maugein96]

I never started playing until I was in my early 30s, and I had a preference for French over Scottish accordion. "Accordingly" I was at a major disadvantage with no fellow players to bounce ideas off or to learn from, and it was a bit of an uphill struggle. I gave up once or twice, and started from scratch again, each time promising myself that I would walk before I could run, but my natural musical ability obtained from other instruments meant that never happened.

Problem was until the advent of things like You Tube I had rarely seen anybody play the style I had chosen, although I had heard plenty from the 50s onwards. When I discovered that there were at least four different CBA treble systems and two bass systems involved in French musette I realised why I couldn't play tunes exactly as I had heard them, regardless of what fingering I used.

In the end I took a rain check and realised that unless I could socialise with like players (i.e. move to France) I wasn't going to get any further. I was up for the move but my wife wasn't and I couldn't get rid of the wife, so I recently took the decision to stop playing. I'm still working on what to do about the wife! I still listen, and am gradually getting used to the fact that I can appreciate the music, even if I couldn't play it very well. If I'd started with the accordion whilst I was still young I reckon I'd have made a better job of it, but they only let us put the clocks back by an hour once a year!

 

[JeffJetton]

I like the Palmer-Hughes series of method books, and theyre what I largely used when I teach others. The pace is very good. Theyre not perfect, but I supplement them here and there with other material, substitute my own fingerings in spots, etc. I learned from them myself, so maybe Im a bit biased. Not sure how available this series is across the pond though.

I do have the Gallianos book too, and theres a lot to recommend it. Its written using my preferred left-hand fingering (42), using the pinkie on the major scale (4245353), etc. While it waits an oddly long time to start introducing the chord buttons, when it does, it makes sure to explain the notes that each new chord is made up of, which is great.

Its a pricey book (especially to get shipped here!), but theres a ton of content, including a CD, so still a good value.

It starts you off playing single-note parts in the left hand right away, more like a piano method book would, including bringing in counter-basses very early on. The two hands are kept on par with each other throughout. Its an interesting approach compared to most other method books (which generally relegate the LH to chord patterns for the early and intermediate stages) but Im not quite sure if its my cup of tea.

My main beef with it is probably the songs. Theyre just not that interesting to me in the beginning. Maybe thats a cultural thing. Oh, and it is in French as you pointed out, using fixed-do, which might be a deal breaker to some.

The Seldon books are, I believe, used in Duane Schnurs free online lessons (scroll to the bottom): http://duaneschnur.com/accordion/lessons.htm Each lesson download contains a chunk of a few pages of the series, so youll have to do a lot of downloading to piece together the whole thing!

Santorella makes a method book series thats currently only up to three volumes. Its not terrible, but it doesnt really wow me either. Maybe better suited to very small children.

 

[Anyanka]

Hi Luna - I've JUST had a clearout of sheet music, and have three or four very old accordion tutor booklets that I was going to take to a charity shop (which is where they came from). If you are interested, let me know by private message, and I can dig them back out of the charity bag & give you more details!

 

[Dingo40]

Hi Luna,
The Palmer Hughes series is likely The most comprehensive for the PA ever published (I’ve been collecting series as I’ve come across them for decades, and Palmer Hughes is the most extensive so far).
There are ten course books which provide the basic structure from zero to hero!<EMOJI seq="1f604">?</EMOJI> ( although, in keeping with much else, some of the early levels have been split into “a” and “b”<EMOJI seq="1f615">?</EMOJI> so the tyros can feel they’re making progress, I suppose.
Additionally, levels 1 to 5 have additional practice material geared to that level in the form of “Concert” books, each havind several tunes.
As well, there is a plethora of other appropriately graded/adapted material such as a “Boogie” book, “Rock’n Roll” book, Samba book, Cowboy book, and many others.
As far as I’m aware, much of the series is currently available new, from music book distributors, even here in little old outback South Australia, as recently as last year, so check with your local music store, which can probably order it for you.
They retailed here at about A$20 each!
Go for it!<EMOJI seq="1f642">?</EMOJI><EMOJI seq="1f44d">?</EMOJI>

 

[Soulsaver]

Hi Luna, and welcome.
You don't say what level you were at, so some of the stuff may be basic for you. .. still, for any readers:

You can obtain Palmer Hughes books off Amazon - no problem, often at bargain prices here in the UK. I have up to book 6 (or maybe 7 - memory). You can find demos of much of the PH stuff on utube.

However, I still like Sedlon and have all 10 issues (US prints) although it's predominately covered in 8 issues in the UK prints. Both US & UK can be done in 4or 5 issues if you skip the Bs .. which are mostly also covered in the A issue.
I'm a big fan of the Duane's downloads although I'm sure he won't mind me saying, his demo playing isn't always exactly as written. Content get's up to c. intermediate level, grade 3+ or early 4.

 

[george garside]

Luna, if you just want to get the hang of the basics and a nice and varied selection of tunes rather than working through a series of graded ''classical'' tutor books or book I recommend ''you can teach yourself accordion'' by mel bay publications.

It contains loads of info and a wide veriety of progressive tunes. It is also accompanied by a comprehensive CD.

Should be available on amazon and ebay
george

 

[Eddy Yates]

A great learning tool that I’m happy to get to pass on is the free series of instructional videos on Liberty Bellows. I can play pretty much anything on the piano, and hearing great piano accordion players and teachers at Liberty Bellows has been revelatory. You can slow down the videos on YouTube, take them at your own speed, replay them, skip some....I’m out in the wild with no teachers, so I even learn from watching right and left hand positions and just imitating. Very good service for beginners AND more advanced learners!