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New Stradella Bass Charts

Lucio76

Lucio76

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Hi,
I would like to share with you my new Stradella bass charts.
I've designed a diagram in mirror view for each size, from 8 to 120 bass accordion.
I have also added a list of all available and unavailable chords on each layout, beginners might be surprised to find that a 12 bass accordion can play minor seventh and a few more chords.
 
Last edited:
Very nice, thank you Lucio !
I have seen accordions with 144 bass buttons (6 rows of 24), do you have a layout for these ?
Wim.
 
Very nice resource, thanks Lucio! But what is a "Cx" (counter bass)?
 
Thank you Tom!
The "x" is an accidental mark called "double sharp" and it tells that the note is to be raised by two semitones. So a Cx is a C raised by 2 half steps.
In other words, Cx sounds like a D.
 
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Thanks Wim!
I knew about the 140 bass accordion which has 7 columns (it has an extra minor 3rd counter bass column) and 20 rows (like the 120 bass).
There's also the 160 bass (which btw I've never seen) that has an extra column of augmented chords.
I'm sorry but I don't know the 144 bass model, I assume it will repeat 4 roots, 2 on top and 2 at the bottom.
 
As you may know, there are alternatives to the most common Stradella system. Particularly familiar in 120 bass because it's common in France and Portugal and offers a third bass row, but for your chart I think the 80 bass system is more interesting, because I have the impression that the change to the chords that comes with the French 3/3 system may also be common on 80 bass systems, that thus have the same 3 chord rows.

In this case the "7th" row is the "diminished" row, displaced by one column to make use of the diminished triad at the top of the four dominant 7 chord. E.g., C "dim" = E G Bb, instead of C E Bb. Omitting the root rather than the fifth.

When we've discussed this here, it seemed to me that those 80 bass accordions whose owners could tell the difference, tended to follow this system. So you can find your C diminished on the G column, but naturally some of the more involved chord options you get into won't be the same. It would be interesting to have a clearer sense of how common that is. What model accordion were you using for reference there?
 
Sorry Donn but I don't follow you...as I know the French system on the 7th chord buttons plays the major 3rd, the perfect 5th, and the minor 7th.
This means that F7 has these notes: A, C, Eb
Playing C root + F7 you get a Cdim7(5th omitted) because A is the diminished 7th, C double the root and Eb is the minor 3rd.

On the Italian system, you can't use the F7 combined to a C to play a Cdim because there's also the root of the chord.

So C7 button on the French system plays E, G, Bb and you can combine it with a G to get a Gdim7(5th omitted).
This is why I don't understand your examples, you can't find a Cdim on the G row, you'll find it on the F row.

I've based all my charts on what is the most popular layout here in Italy, maybe in the future, I will add also the French system. Sincerely, I have no idea what is the proportion between the two systems, my perception is that the French system is not very common but in some countries, it could be the standard so, thank you for pointing out this topic.
 
Lucio76 said:
Thanks Wim!
I knew about the 140 bass accordion which has 7 columns (it has an extra minor 3rd counter bass column) and 20 rows (like the 120 bass).
There's also the 160 bass (which btw I've never seen) that has an extra column of augmented chords.
I'm sorry but I don't know the 144 bass model, I assume it will repeat 4 roots, 2 on top and 2 at the bottom.
Click to expand...
That seems the most likely, yes. This is a picture :
 

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aemit said:
That seems the most likely, yes. This is a picture :
Click to expand...
Thanks!
I don't know how useful will be to have 4 duplicated keys at the top and at the bottom. Maybe Antonio Figueroa would disagree :)
 
Lucio76 said:
Sorry Donn but I don't follow you...as I know the French system on the 7th chord buttons plays the major 3rd, the perfect 5th, and the minor 7th.
This means that F7 has these notes: A, C, Eb
Playing C root + F7 you get a Cdim7(5th omitted) because A is the diminished 7th, C double the root and Eb is the minor 3rd.
Click to expand...

Yes, exactly. The point is, will you find that on your 80 bass accordion? Going through archives here, I see some mention of Crucianelli 80 (and 40) bass configured that way ... Marinucci ... and of course, more than a few 80 bass owners who have no idea, but it doesn't matter since they aren't trying to make the more complex chords, just the 7th.
 
Hi Donn,
ok, now I got it, thank you!
In my experience, I've never played a French system accordion, here in Italy is not very common (as I know). The only 80 bass I've played recently was as described on my website, just as all other layouts. However, I can't tell you if on the 80 and on the 40 bass accordion, the French system is more common than I think. I could be. It would be much better, the French system is a quite smart invention. Unfortunately, my experience with 80 bass accordions is very limited, I'm sorry. Maybe the best way to get an answer would be to create a pull to collect info from owners of these models of accordion.
 
We may also be able to give some credit to Russians, if as I understand it, they also discovered that the necessary chord notes of a 7th form a diminished triad, and used the same row for both. I don't have a bayan though, and not sure I remember accurately what I've heard about it.

Anyway, yes, I guess it would be most interesting to elicit this information from owners of 80 bass accordions currently sold new, if there are any. If it's hard to decide which way your accordion is set up, I suppose one thing to look at is "7th" chords a minor third apart - e.g., C7 + Eb7. They will sound fine together if 3/5/7, as dissonant as can be if 1/3/7.
 
I find it much easier just feeling the diminished nature of the 7th chords on the French system.
However, your idea is good: two diminished chords like C7 and Eb7 (3, 5, 7) will sound fine, while two 7th(5th omitted) chords will sound dissonant. Clever solution!
 
Lucio76 said:
Hi,
I would like to share with you my new Stradella bass charts.
I've designed a diagram in mirror view for each size, from 8 to 120 bass accordion.
I have also added a list of all available and unavailable chords on each layout, beginners might be surprised to find that a 12 bass accordion can play minor seventh and a few more chords.
Click to expand...
LUCIO76:
Thank you for the information.
Your Stradella bass charts and explanations are a real wealth, but as a beginner accordion player it will take me some time to understand
all the information.
Is the 120 bass chart available for me to download, and print ?
Thanks again.
CHICKERS
 
Chickers said:
LUCIO76:
Thank you for the information.
Your Stradella bass charts and explanations are a real wealth, but as a beginner accordion player it will take me some time to understand
all the information.
Is the 120 bass chart available for me to download, and print ?
Thanks again.
CHICKERS
Click to expand...
Hi Chickers,
All images can be downloaded, click on the 120 bass chart to get the high-resolution image, then right-click and download.
Thank you for your appreciation!
 
Lucio76 said:
Hi,
I would like to share with you my new Stradella bass charts.
I've designed a diagram in mirror view for each size, from 8 to 120 bass accordion.
I have also added a list of all available and unavailable chords on each layout, beginners might be surprised to find that a 12 bass accordion can play minor seventh and a few more chords.
Click to expand...
I've been looking at your webpage, @Lucio76 . It's absolutely wonderful! The amount of work you've put into it. wow, what a resource! Thank you!
 
Lucio,
I echo Rachel's comments above. Thank you very much for your efforts for the accordion community.
I own a 96 bass french system (3x3) CBA and anything you may have (or develop) for this system would be doubly appreciated. Is there some way to apply/adapt info you have already provided to my 96 bass?

Tx,
Waldo
 
Hi Waldo, I've added some notes about the French layout.
All chord charts are correct even for your accordion with just some exceptions (7b5 chords).
Maybe the minor 3rd counterbass column on the French system allows you to use some extra positions but besides that, there's no difference.
Thank you so much!
 
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