Scott4323 post_id=65771 time=1547686372 user_id=3470 said:
Thanks Maugein, it made my day that somebody posted back! now that you say it I do feel like i rush accidentally.
Regarding lack of expression I definitely agree-I’m having trouble learning how to control the volume and accent certain notes I feel like I run out of air in the box or forget what to play next, I’m guessing that’s a thing that just comes with more practice, it sounds really cool when I listen to others do it.
Scott,
Ive been playing for over 30 years, and until recently, was entirely self taught like yourself. I eventually found a teacher and guess what? I was doing exactly the same as you are tending to do at the moment. Running out of air can be minimised if you try and set yourself a method of controlling the bellows direction, usually by transferring the movement after a set number of bars. This means counting, which is something I find very difficult after being a free agent for 30 odd years. Ive also been taught how to work the bellows to maintain better control, and the teacher will often mark the scores where he wants me to change direction. Most of the time I can now get it right, but there is the odd occasion where the habits of a lifetime are difficult to break.
The real eye opener for me was that, although I can play a bit, the best thing Ive learned is to slow everything down to a crawl, well below what you would feel comfortable with, until youre able to match both hands up and get the bellows moving under control. Then, when you do get up to tempo you should hear and feel the difference. If you dont, and are still struggling to keep it all together, then you arent quite ready for playing the number at normal speed.
After 30 odd years I thought I was a reasonable player, until my teacher gave it to me straight that he loved the sounds I was getting out of the instrument, but would have preferred if I made music out of them! I had learned a lot of quite complicated techniques as well as an outdated chromatic accordion fingering system, but my version of reasonable player never quite matched his.
When I go to the lessons I feel as though I am just starting out, without the enthusiasm I had when everything was new to me. Im having to work very hard at rebuilding the confidence I had before being told my playing wasnt quite there. Im lucky enough to have found a teacher, but Im 65 now and it wont make a lot of difference to my aspirations. The accordion is a very difficult instrument to play well if you arent a child prodigy, but you have youth on your side and youll only get better with time and practice. Try some of the free online lessons on YT. Its amazing what you can learn from there, even if the music isnt to your taste.
I had played several other instruments before taking up the accordion, and that probably helped me out a bit, but its not as easy as some gifted types can make it look. If youre able to play like that after only a relatively short time, then all you need are the rough edges pruned and away you go! Some people are able to get there by self tuition only, and its entirely possible you will be one of those. The tendency to rush is probably just your desire to get to the end of the recording before you make a mistake. We all tend to do that, and with practice youll have the confidence to maintain a steady tempo. Youll know that you can play it better, but as soon as that record button is pressed, the home studio version of stage fright kicks in.
Keep at it, and Ill see if Tiersen has any places in his soccer team for you! I have relatives in Norway and couldnt quite make the connection with that Norwegian surname to France when I first heard it. I think that just about every accordionist will have heard of him by now. The music is not quite my bag, otherwise Id probably be playing it myself. I wouldnt like to put a label on it folk?, contemporary? I just dont know, but it obviously has a very strong following. Im a bit of a film phobe otherwise Id have known the composer and the tunes.
