Mike t.
Active member
I was going to go with a spoon stuck in my mouth to poke at it!
New accordion questions
- Thread starter Mike t.
- Start date
SteveBox
Well-known member
I like the spoon idea. 
It occurs to me we may be thinking about the usefulness of that low-D in the wrong way. It may not be very useful as a bagpipe-type drone, that is sounding throughout the entire tune, or a major portion of it. Rather, think of using it the way a fiddler uses a double-stop. This is when one is playing melody notes on one string and simultaneously bowing the open string below it. The open string becomes a drone, but only a brief drone until one has to change strings or the pitch of the drone no longer harmonizes after a chord change. I do this sort of thing a lot on the accordion. e.g. playing a melody up high with the fingers while holding down a lower harmonizing drone note with the thumb. You can do this all over the keyboard, but that low-D on the Saltarelle would give you another double-stop option unavailable on a fiddle.
My apologies to Saltarelle for my first impression that this was a dubious feature.
It occurs to me we may be thinking about the usefulness of that low-D in the wrong way. It may not be very useful as a bagpipe-type drone, that is sounding throughout the entire tune, or a major portion of it. Rather, think of using it the way a fiddler uses a double-stop. This is when one is playing melody notes on one string and simultaneously bowing the open string below it. The open string becomes a drone, but only a brief drone until one has to change strings or the pitch of the drone no longer harmonizes after a chord change. I do this sort of thing a lot on the accordion. e.g. playing a melody up high with the fingers while holding down a lower harmonizing drone note with the thumb. You can do this all over the keyboard, but that low-D on the Saltarelle would give you another double-stop option unavailable on a fiddle.
My apologies to Saltarelle for my first impression that this was a dubious feature.
Last edited:
Walker
🪗
I can see it now... Saltarelle branded spoons - made of cherrywood, naturally.
Call me old-fashioned, but playing the accordion with a spoon hanging out of your mouth seems a bit undignified. I mean, seriously, who would want to be seen playing an accordion?
However, maybe a sign of wealth and prestige would be more fitting for a person with the funds to spend on expensive wooden accordions. You could probably just wear some big, gold jewellery - draped over the side of the keyboard to hold the low note down, Mr T style. Or better still. ask your butler to 'be a good fellow and hold down that drone'.
Call me old-fashioned, but playing the accordion with a spoon hanging out of your mouth seems a bit undignified. I mean, seriously, who would want to be seen playing an accordion?
However, maybe a sign of wealth and prestige would be more fitting for a person with the funds to spend on expensive wooden accordions. You could probably just wear some big, gold jewellery - draped over the side of the keyboard to hold the low note down, Mr T style. Or better still. ask your butler to 'be a good fellow and hold down that drone'.
Ventura
Been here for ages!
on keyboard, it really does seem incredibly obvious that
to be truly useful, the drone "key" or "Trigger" should latch
equally obvious. the adjacent key would be the release, so there
really should be an F# key still, though it would not have a reed
in other words, press the lowest key to start the drone,
barely touch the f# and it is silenced
and (as Avril sang) can i be any more obvious ?
someone just needs to ask Saltarelle for an explanation
of wtf they were THINKing
since maybe i am missing something obvious
to be truly useful, the drone "key" or "Trigger" should latch
equally obvious. the adjacent key would be the release, so there
really should be an F# key still, though it would not have a reed
in other words, press the lowest key to start the drone,
barely touch the f# and it is silenced
and (as Avril sang) can i be any more obvious ?
someone just needs to ask Saltarelle for an explanation
of wtf they were THINKing
since maybe i am missing something obvious
Lydia
Member
Congratulations. That is a very fancy looking accordion. Enjoy
Lydia
I'm a regular at a local folk club where everyone gets a turn on the stage. But once I went to a folk session [by mistake]... I can't play by ear so couldn't keep up but they were quite friendly and said if I played one of my own tunes they'd join in. Except when I said it was in Bb they literally put down their instruments!
Last edited:
Walker
🪗
You did what!
Hey Rosie, honestly, I wouldn't read too much into it... it's highly likely they were just putting down their instruments so they could wield their pitchforks and flaming torches, that's all.
Pitchforks and torches is so voilent, I am sure it wasn't that... they just wanted to have their hands free to throw tomatoes when the song hit it's first note... lolYou did what!
Hey Rosie, honestly, I wouldn't read too much into it... it's highly likely they were just putting down their instruments so they could wield their pitchforks and flaming torches, that's all.
The heathens... cannot even play in b-flat... lol
Walker
🪗
I'd say it's fairly normal for musicians in many genres to play music in certain common keys. It's not just a folk musician thing. For example, I was recently having a conversation with a scholar in historic music; an expert in the medieval portative organ (organetto). Portative organ is one of my favourite musical instruments (along with accordion, cello, recorder and a few others). This musician was telling me that for their instrument, in medieval music, the most frequently used modes were the D and G modes in both authentic and plagal forms - Dorian, Hypodorian, Mixolydian and Hypomixolydian. So even back 800 years ago, it wasn't unusual to have certain common modes. I actually think the popular 'tonal music' we often hear with major and minor keys is quite interesting, but I would seriously encourage anyone to look further still and explore the old Church modes too. They are so marvellous!
Also, in December I completed a second online course in Contemporary Music Composition at Cardiff University where I was writing for cello and accordion. It's become quite normal in contemporary music to have absolutely no key signature at all. Goes to show that tonal music is being left behind in some circles. I even scraped an 'A' pass. Yay!
However, today I thought I would learn a new tune that wasn't traditional/folk, early music or contemporary. I found a simple but truly lovely Minuet by Bach (BWV Anh. 121). It's a delightful little tune in C minor. I'd recommend it to anyone with a free bass accordion who wants to dip their toe into the musical pond of flat keys (on second thoughts it might be better to use your fingers).
I was inspired by this lovely piano recording of the piece. When my grace notes sound like this I'll be over the moon:
I might need to practice a bit more...
Last edited:
I'd say it's fairly normal for musicians in many genres to play music in certain common keys.
This is true - in big band because of 'those pesky horns' we play in B♭, E♭ and A♭ mostly with occasional F or D♭. I have suggested that a piece in D♭ is my cue to go and put the kettle on - with my double bass open-tuned E, A, D, G having too many flat keys can be a drag.
In my own band we typically perform in F, G, G minor, A minor, Bb major, B minor, C, C minor, D - keys that suit my vocal range, and have reasonably easy mandolin chord shapes.
I attended a recorder group for a while and the keys were F, C, G, D. Nothing with too many flats or sharps
You jest, but that reminds me - I need to track down keys for my Guerrini accordion case!
We seem to have drifted away from congratulating Mike on his new accordion, so I'll continue the drone note musings.
Drill a hole in one of the cases and install a wee adapter for a bagpipe drone:
Now you can close it with a plug and enjoy your accordion, or plug a reed in any given pitch and play a bagpipe-accordion hybrid.
I'd elaborate a bit more on this idea, but there' a lot of police sirens in my street and somebody's knocking on my door.
Drill a hole in one of the cases and install a wee adapter for a bagpipe drone:
Canning Drone Reeds for Bagpipes 2 Carbon Tenors NO Bass | eBay
Tru-Tone White Practice Chanter Reeds. G1 Practice Chanter Reeds. Frazer Warnock Red Practice Chanter Reeds. The Chesney Premium Practice Chanter reed is moulded only in small batches. Designed using a new custom.
www.ebay.co.uk
Now you can close it with a plug and enjoy your accordion, or plug a reed in any given pitch and play a bagpipe-accordion hybrid.
I'd elaborate a bit more on this idea, but there' a lot of police sirens in my street and somebody's knocking on my door.
ColoRodney
Active member
I've been thinking about that low D "drone" note too... If I were playing in a small folk band, I'd probably try it out when the fiddler is playing a reel or jig in D, and just hold down the low D and the A above it to add an open fifth. Probably on a single reed to keep it sounding clean. Just hold it for one entire iteration of the tune, then join in on the melody. It would sound a little different than droning on the left-hand D and A, because that would include more octaves (at least, on the accordions I have).
The original post wondered about the requirement of "breaking in" an accordion. I have now had two new boxes, A beltuna CBA and a Baffetti TexMex DBA. I did nothing regarding the Beltuna (Out of ignorance?) but did a simple operation on the Baffetti. New accordions have rather stiff bellows which results in extra effort required to open the bellows. Rather than have the bellows "loosen up" over time (as with the Beltuna) I did the following with the Baffetti:
Close the bellows completely. Now open the bellows on the top only, keeping the bottom closed. Do this as far open as you can manage. Then with all pallets closed, switch the "top" orientation to the "Bottom" without closing the bellows. Repeat a dozen times. Then open the bellows completely, as far as you can. Then "bend" the bellows towards the aforementioned shapes (you will, of course, not be able to achieve full closure of either the top or bottom, as in the previous exercise). You will hear a crackling noise as the bellows folds give up their stiffness. Move the "cabinets" up and down, as one would with a "slinky", causing the bellows to flex over their entire length. Do this in all four directions several times or until the resistance diminishes. After that, before playing, I open the bellows as far as I can, in a straight line and allow the bellows to remain as such, holding them open, in my lap, to the max extension for 5-10 minutes. I then proceeded to play. This approach relaxed the bellows almost immediately and made the accordion feel like an old friend. I did this several years ago and have experienced zero deleterious effects since.
The other thing I did was to take the shoulder straps, before installation, bend them into a sharp 180 degree angle and then "slide" them up and down several times against themselves (one at a time), causing the leather to kink at the 180. This softened the straps up and made them more pliable and conform to my body better.
Both of these efforts were solely to accelerate the "break in" time and achieve comfort more rapidly.
I also noticed that over time, the "button press resistance" diminished, but that would require use, not some trick.
Press on...
Waldo
Close the bellows completely. Now open the bellows on the top only, keeping the bottom closed. Do this as far open as you can manage. Then with all pallets closed, switch the "top" orientation to the "Bottom" without closing the bellows. Repeat a dozen times. Then open the bellows completely, as far as you can. Then "bend" the bellows towards the aforementioned shapes (you will, of course, not be able to achieve full closure of either the top or bottom, as in the previous exercise). You will hear a crackling noise as the bellows folds give up their stiffness. Move the "cabinets" up and down, as one would with a "slinky", causing the bellows to flex over their entire length. Do this in all four directions several times or until the resistance diminishes. After that, before playing, I open the bellows as far as I can, in a straight line and allow the bellows to remain as such, holding them open, in my lap, to the max extension for 5-10 minutes. I then proceeded to play. This approach relaxed the bellows almost immediately and made the accordion feel like an old friend. I did this several years ago and have experienced zero deleterious effects since.
The other thing I did was to take the shoulder straps, before installation, bend them into a sharp 180 degree angle and then "slide" them up and down several times against themselves (one at a time), causing the leather to kink at the 180. This softened the straps up and made them more pliable and conform to my body better.
Both of these efforts were solely to accelerate the "break in" time and achieve comfort more rapidly.
I also noticed that over time, the "button press resistance" diminished, but that would require use, not some trick.
Press on...
Waldo
Last edited:
Ventura
Been here for ages!
i dissent
i do not believe one should deliberately stretch, pull, push,
force, blast, or in any other way treat any accordion, new or old,
in any manner other than needed to simply, normally, play it..
period
there are inherent risks to anything out of the ordinary, one might
do well to remember that..
there are basically 2 schools of thought for the general life lesson..
one is to use things up completely, and when it leaves your hands
it is headed to the scrap-heap with nothing left to give
or
one tries to leave EVERYTHING that passes through their hands
"better" than they found it.. especially Women and Children..
i do not believe one should deliberately stretch, pull, push,
force, blast, or in any other way treat any accordion, new or old,
in any manner other than needed to simply, normally, play it..
period
there are inherent risks to anything out of the ordinary, one might
do well to remember that..
there are basically 2 schools of thought for the general life lesson..
one is to use things up completely, and when it leaves your hands
it is headed to the scrap-heap with nothing left to give
or
one tries to leave EVERYTHING that passes through their hands
"better" than they found it.. especially Women and Children..
Similar threads
