Sunshinexxx
Member
Thank you for sharing. It's really interesting to hear that the accordion is played where you live. Glad I asked!
Popularity of accordions where you live
- Thread starter Sunshinexxx
- Start date
Sunshinexxx
Member
Yes you are lucky! All great stuff you mentioned! Thank you.
The part ' removing bad playing habits',.....could you share a few that you did or you can think of?
I only just started playing with a metronome after 3 years of playing , oops, and find it challenging ( because of the sound it makes ) also because it takes some real concentration. But not to would be a bad habit playing habit in the long run. I think it would be worth discussing in a new post!
Yes I find it difficult, lets start a discussion
Sunshinexxx
Member
Hi Colin, I just did titled 'removing bad playing habits'. https://www.accordionists.info/threads/removing-bad-playing-habits.13612/
Sunshinexxx
Member
I just started a new post about removing bad playing habits. Thanks for bringing this up.
I live probably about 175 miles west of John M. There’s quite a few Bavarian, Czech, Polish, Slovenian, and Italian social organizations dotted around Ohio that still actively promote accordion music. It’s kind of a double edged sword that while these organizations provide exposure for the instrument and an environment for new accordionists to gain experience it also tends to reinforce the stereotypes for the types of music “appropriate” for the instrument. It’s next to impossible around here to pull an accordion out of a case without someone (less clever than they think they are) saying “it’s polka time”. I think it becomes a conundrum for players here to decide whether they follow the status quo and focus on the traditional styles and be accepted into those existing circles or try to do something different. I’ve decided to do the latter and just play what I want to play, at the moment it’s some cumbias and bachatas by Walter Losi and some pop music from the past 50 years.
Sunshinexxx
Member
Good for you to play your own. I wouldn't be so brave and strong. I researched Walter Losi and the music sounds nice not so much his accordions sounds. Thanks for sharing.
If you found his Liscio performances which he is most known for he does use a very wet tuning for those performances. I think the tunings he uses for his Latin styles might be a bit dryer.
Montreal, Quebec is a bit of an enigma. There is a fair amount of accordion action here, but its very well hidden.
I see a few good players here and there and once a year there is an accordion convention in Montmagny (a couple hours drive from Montreal), but it's VERY French oriented, not very receptive to Anglo-only speakers, and very firm on the limited style of music that they want to hear. Then we are gifted with a Bacheor's Degree for accordion program at the local university that no one talks about. We have a couple amazing accordionists in the area, but again, super quiet.
There is an accordion club... but I hesitate to call it that. It's more a group of a couple dozen retired people, some that play accordion, most that just sit and listen and playing at odd times (afternoons of mid-week days, ending when the local old folks homes demand that the group be back by.. usually before the evening meal is served).
There is one main accordion sales company, he's also the president of the accordion club and he has a guy doing accordion repairs for him... but his first love is the sax and he plays that more than the accordion, even at the accordion meets.
There is a gal around here that was trained under Frank Romano doing accordion repairs when he lived here in Montreal, but she is good for up to mid-range accordion work. I'd let her work on most of my accordions for the simple stuff, but never let her touch any of my "better" boxes.
Maybe I am not "connected" enough to the scene here, and I am definitely not on anyone's social calendar in the accordion circles, perhaps I'll take a better look around in 2025.
I see a few good players here and there and once a year there is an accordion convention in Montmagny (a couple hours drive from Montreal), but it's VERY French oriented, not very receptive to Anglo-only speakers, and very firm on the limited style of music that they want to hear. Then we are gifted with a Bacheor's Degree for accordion program at the local university that no one talks about. We have a couple amazing accordionists in the area, but again, super quiet.
There is an accordion club... but I hesitate to call it that. It's more a group of a couple dozen retired people, some that play accordion, most that just sit and listen and playing at odd times (afternoons of mid-week days, ending when the local old folks homes demand that the group be back by.. usually before the evening meal is served).
There is one main accordion sales company, he's also the president of the accordion club and he has a guy doing accordion repairs for him... but his first love is the sax and he plays that more than the accordion, even at the accordion meets.
There is a gal around here that was trained under Frank Romano doing accordion repairs when he lived here in Montreal, but she is good for up to mid-range accordion work. I'd let her work on most of my accordions for the simple stuff, but never let her touch any of my "better" boxes.
Maybe I am not "connected" enough to the scene here, and I am definitely not on anyone's social calendar in the accordion circles, perhaps I'll take a better look around in 2025.
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RTW
Member
BY S above: "I heard all the jokes a few decades ago but everyone too young to have been forced to take accordion lessons / too young to be forced to watch Lawrence Welk on TV seems to have grown up without the anti-accordion bias of the previous generation."
BY RTW: I was "forced to play the accordion" when guitar was the preferred instrument in the late 60s and on and accordion songs were dated. I will say Lawrence Welk TV in the 60's played a role in the demise of interest in the accordion in USA. I do believe the accordion has made a comeback a little in Indie Rock for example. The group "Of Monsters and Men" from Iceland has an accordion player that works well.
I do play accordion now after picking it back up a few years back and play what I want, but I'm more comfortable playing guitar/singing. I got through book four of PH series that allows me to read music well enough to choose other music to play
Regards,
RTW
BY RTW: I was "forced to play the accordion" when guitar was the preferred instrument in the late 60s and on and accordion songs were dated. I will say Lawrence Welk TV in the 60's played a role in the demise of interest in the accordion in USA. I do believe the accordion has made a comeback a little in Indie Rock for example. The group "Of Monsters and Men" from Iceland has an accordion player that works well.
I do play accordion now after picking it back up a few years back and play what I want, but I'm more comfortable playing guitar/singing. I got through book four of PH series that allows me to read music well enough to choose other music to play
Regards,
RTW
I live in the most international city of the world (according to UN), i.e. Toronto, Canada where there are people of over 200 nationalities!
Hence a noticeable place held by accordions of all types, from 1-row diatonic to full-size piano and CBA instruments and anything in between. Music from Slavic countries, Eastern and Western Europe (including Balkan, Klezmer, Gypsy), Celtic and Irish, Québécois, Tex-Mex, Cajun, South American... Still not as popular as guitar or piano, but it holds its place in the music realm.
Hence a noticeable place held by accordions of all types, from 1-row diatonic to full-size piano and CBA instruments and anything in between. Music from Slavic countries, Eastern and Western Europe (including Balkan, Klezmer, Gypsy), Celtic and Irish, Québécois, Tex-Mex, Cajun, South American... Still not as popular as guitar or piano, but it holds its place in the music realm.
Sunshinexxx
Member
Interesting!
Thank you for responding! I would have never guessed that about Toronto tbh!
You'd think the most international city would be a European one
. So Europeans meet and come together and play in Toronto. Nice 
!Thanks for sharing
Sunshinexxx
Member
Thank you for sharing about where you live and the popularity.
Rte: good to hear about the Icelandic band I didn't know! Also about Lawrence Welk , even though it might have led to the accordion becoming less popular... his contribution.
Jerry: again, thanks for your post as well.
Really makes me think long term to stick with it to do it credit as a versatile instrument. Shame it is so hidden. Where I live I only know of one very good player and I don't know him in person.
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mazzle_dazzle
Newbie
I'm also on Long Island and share the same experiences as you mentioned.
I do find it a bit strange we don't see more in popularity with such large Italian and Polish communities.
I am teaching my kids the accordion but one of the biggest roadblocks for others I find is the lack of availability in quality used 12bass/student models.
For any repairs I can't do myself I go to White Plains or to a place in my hometown in MA. I don't know of any shops on Long Island.
What totally amazes me, his TV of the '60's, is still on every week on PBS (Public Television) in the Cleveland, OH area today. The audience then, (in the '60's) was mostly older folks (that you could see when the camera "panned" the audience). I watch it, because I look to see if I can "pick up" anything from Myron Floren or the style that the band played. One of my favorites, is the "St. Louis Blues", played by the clarinet player, Henry Questa. I recorded it and can pretty well duplicate it on my 8X, with Orchestra tone No. 130 (clarinet), especially the "Slows Blues" tempo at the beginning.
I am 82 -- I wonder who still watches Lawrence Welk TV programs today.
The accordion is one of those instruments that are not played any longer because there is a huge public presence and demand. The people that play do so because they genuinely like it. We are the people that prefer film to digital cameras, the hold-outs… lol
In Canada, there is an inherent general negativity towards it, the accordion is not seen as a valid orchestral instrument, it’s not seen as a cool instrument, it’s basically just not seen.
Me, that makes me a bit sad, but this air of invisibility makes my friend in Canaan CT, USA happy… he says that most kids don’t even know what an accordion is or sounds like and so have a fresh introduction to it… hopefully unfettered with past influences, and many are finding it cool.
In some places in the world, there is an accordion come back happening. I’ve not seen so many videos of stunning ladies and men with great talent showing their mastery of the accordion like in the last 5 years, where before there was a lot of silence. Places like Russia, Ukraine and Asia are what keep the accordion thriving.
We’re a strange group of people… lol
Alan Sharkis
Prolific poster
The repair technician in Queens has a presence on Facebook and Instagram under the heading,”Carlos Repair Shop.” He has done work for me, reasonably, and successfully. Before opening his own shop, he worked at a shop in Manhattan. He has twenty + years of experience and is particularly sought after by the Latino community and does a lot of work on diatonic boxes, but he knows his way around PAs and CBAs as well. Maybe he can find those 12-bass accordions you’re looking for.
The one drawback to using him is that his shop is up a flight of stairs and there’s a parking problem on his block. Still, he’s closer than White Plains and much closer than The Accordion Gallery in Flemington, NJ, another excellent repairer.
Mr Mark
Squeezebaggeroni...
The accordion is not very popular here in Edmonton Alberta Canada, but probably more so here than in most parts of western canada. There are pockets though, mostly a very large Ukrainian community as well as the old Accordion Club. Otherwise it is a rather niche folk music thing that weird people do.
It is a drag that the only new ones on offer in stock are at L&M and very typically the New and Cheaply made Hohners for way too much money. I don't hold a lot of hope for the accordion status to be on the improve here anytime soon so I spose the weird folks will have to keep on torch carrying on!
It is a drag that the only new ones on offer in stock are at L&M and very typically the New and Cheaply made Hohners for way too much money. I don't hold a lot of hope for the accordion status to be on the improve here anytime soon so I spose the weird folks will have to keep on torch carrying on!
noelekal
The Home For Wayward Accordions
Accordions come out annually at West Fest, a Czech themed event in West, Texas, 15 miles south of me. There can be a sprinkling of accordions from time to time in Fredericksburg, Texas and the surrounding Hill Country. I'd be fooling myself though to say that the accordion was visible and popular in Texas.
Well, except for in this household where they have long been popular.
Well, except for in this household where they have long been popular.
Walker
🪗
In my neck of the woods the accordion is almost a religion...
In the wild Highlands, where the golden eagle soars, the piano accordion is king. Here, two clans—the mighty Macstalwarts and the feisty Mcfolkies—battle for musical dominance. The Macstalwarts, in their tartan glory, brandish their massive Hohner Morino Vs like warriors of old, while the Mcfolkies, ever the rivals, counter with their own squeezebox prowess. The Macstalwarts' rallying cry, "Grab your partner for a Gay Gordons!" echoes through the glens, as they gather at their sacred accordion and fiddle clubs, pausing only for the summer's garden tending. Bound by their love for the traditional reel and jig, they uphold the RSCDS creed with a fervour that could stir the Loch Ness Monster itself.
The Mcfolkies, an eccentric offshoot of the hip-folkster lineage, are recognised for their denim and t-shirt attire, often spruced up with a tweed cap or a suede waistcoat. They have a penchant for accordions, especially those that appear as though they've taken a plunge into a paint pot, although they've recently embraced the trend of wooden accordions. It's a little-known fact that they have a fondness for Castagnari and Saltarelle accordions, but more often than not, they're found playing the most budget-friendly Italian accordion available. Their accordions are tuned to a dryness that would make a camel gasp for water and the Sahara look positively moist. So compact and lightweight are these instruments, that anything beyond 3 voices or a 96 bass is deemed colossal. The Mcfolkies won't likely be the entertainers at your barn dance; they follow their own rhythm, accelerating or decelerating as they feel inclined. Rather, they're the mainstay in pubs, endlessly performing "The Bag of Plums," perfectly in sync with the strums of acoustic guitars and the picks of mandolins.
Amidst the wilds of the Highlands, the MacClassic clan stands separate from the others, their specialty? A French tune that'll have you thinking of 'Allo 'Allo! with a "Good moaning" rallying call. Their crowning glory? A high-octane take on Monte's Czardas, faster than a speeding ticket at 84 mph, all while channeling the elegance of a '86 Volvo estate. They've dodged the free bass accordion for the war-horse stradella bass, wringing out melodies like water from a kilt.
And the one thing uniting these Highland Clans? A resounding thumbs down to the CBA.
In the wild Highlands, where the golden eagle soars, the piano accordion is king. Here, two clans—the mighty Macstalwarts and the feisty Mcfolkies—battle for musical dominance. The Macstalwarts, in their tartan glory, brandish their massive Hohner Morino Vs like warriors of old, while the Mcfolkies, ever the rivals, counter with their own squeezebox prowess. The Macstalwarts' rallying cry, "Grab your partner for a Gay Gordons!" echoes through the glens, as they gather at their sacred accordion and fiddle clubs, pausing only for the summer's garden tending. Bound by their love for the traditional reel and jig, they uphold the RSCDS creed with a fervour that could stir the Loch Ness Monster itself.
The Mcfolkies, an eccentric offshoot of the hip-folkster lineage, are recognised for their denim and t-shirt attire, often spruced up with a tweed cap or a suede waistcoat. They have a penchant for accordions, especially those that appear as though they've taken a plunge into a paint pot, although they've recently embraced the trend of wooden accordions. It's a little-known fact that they have a fondness for Castagnari and Saltarelle accordions, but more often than not, they're found playing the most budget-friendly Italian accordion available. Their accordions are tuned to a dryness that would make a camel gasp for water and the Sahara look positively moist. So compact and lightweight are these instruments, that anything beyond 3 voices or a 96 bass is deemed colossal. The Mcfolkies won't likely be the entertainers at your barn dance; they follow their own rhythm, accelerating or decelerating as they feel inclined. Rather, they're the mainstay in pubs, endlessly performing "The Bag of Plums," perfectly in sync with the strums of acoustic guitars and the picks of mandolins.
Amidst the wilds of the Highlands, the MacClassic clan stands separate from the others, their specialty? A French tune that'll have you thinking of 'Allo 'Allo! with a "Good moaning" rallying call. Their crowning glory? A high-octane take on Monte's Czardas, faster than a speeding ticket at 84 mph, all while channeling the elegance of a '86 Volvo estate. They've dodged the free bass accordion for the war-horse stradella bass, wringing out melodies like water from a kilt.
And the one thing uniting these Highland Clans? A resounding thumbs down to the CBA.
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