Playing tango bandoneon scores on the accordion (thought experiment)

[xocd]

(Thought experiment.)

What type of accordion should one use to play directly from bandoneon scores? At a minimum, it should have the appropriate ranges on left and right hands, and be able to play the wide chords that are typical of bandoneon music. My initial answer is a chromatic-button accordion right hand married to a quint-converter left hand. A nice bandoneon register on both hands would be nice.

(I understand that the only appropriate instrument to play tango bandoneon music is a pre-war AA with 142 notes, so tango purists don't need to say it, please.)

The accordion has to have some species of free-bass, as a bandoneon's buttons play single notes.

The left hand should cover from the second C below middle-C to the first B above middle-C. Most converters (either minor-third or quint) will fit this range.

The right hand range should be from the A below middle-C to the second B above middle-C. A typical piano accordion with 41 keys goes up to the second A above middle-C. Most mid-sized chromatic button accordion will cover this range.

Bandoneon scores use very wide chords (particularly in the left hand). It seems to me that a quint-converter is better suited to wide chords (and the three octave range in the more typical quint-converters fits the required range.) A chromatic button accordion will better fit possible right hand stretches.

What do you think?

My Roland F3-xb can be configured as a quint converter. Perhaps I should eat my own dog food and start trying.

 

[murathan]

I think we may get back to the music itself. The melody and the chord progressions. If you can convert that from any score, spontaneous or by writing, you be able to play on Stradella bass and others.

 

[debra]

Being able to play the notes (left and right) is just the beginning. Any CBA with melody bass should be suitable. And considering that the large chords are mostly left and the melody right even a PA with melody bass should do.
The main issue to play bandoneon music is the timbre of the sound.
We had a thread about this long ago: https://www.accordionists.info/threads/mixing-pa-with-bandoneon.6800/
It includes a video of someone playing the special Cooperfisa accordion with bandoneon sound.

 

[xocd]

Being able to play the notes (left and right) is just the beginning. Any CBA with melody bass should be suitable. And considering that the large chords are mostly left and the melody right even a PA with melody bass should do.
The main issue to play bandoneon music is the timbre of the sound.
We had a thread about this long ago: https://www.accordionists.info/threads/mixing-pa-with-bandoneon.6800/
It includes a video of someone playing the special Cooperfisa accordion with bandoneon sound.

In the music I am currently looking at there are left hand chords that I can play on a quint converter but cannot play on a chromatic (minor-third) converter. I have fairly large hands.

Thanks for the pointer to the old thread.

 

[xocd]

I think we may get back to the music itself. The melody and the chord progressions. If you can convert that from any score, spontaneous or by writing, you be able to play on Stradella bass and others.

You are changing the rules. I want to be able to play exactly the same notes as in the bandoneon score. You might think that a silly goal, but it's what I am trying to do on this thread.

 

[murathan]

You are changing the rules. I want to be able to play exactly the same notes as in the bandoneon score. You might think that a silly goal, but it's what I am trying to do on this thread.

Good luck LOL

 

[xocd]

Bandoneon scores include very wide chords and arpeggios. In my, admittedly, limited experience, the quint converter is better suited to wide chords than the chromatic (minor-thirds) free-bass. Clearly it is possible to adapt bandoneon music to the chromatic free-bass. However, I am trying to play directly from the bandoneon score.