Watch wearing for accordionists - choice of hand

[GeorgeH76]

I wear a wristwatch on the left wrist, Tried it on the right briefly "just to see" and found it awkward (probably a result of scores of years on the left). The things- from releases on bands (though of course the band can be reversed) to winding/hand setting stems- are all designed for LH placement.

I wear the watch pretty much all the time, to include when sleeping. My sordid background in the Army (34 years) made me very conscious of needing to be aware of just what time it was constantly. That no longer applies of course, but old habits die hard.

I am, as it happens, about 6'3" and have fairly long fingers, and very long slender hands -from wrist to knuckles. The upshot is that when I play almost any accordion the watch doesn't touch the bass strap. The exceptions are the old Excelsior 160 bass, and the Morino with the three rows of chromatic LH bass above the normal stradella rows. On both those I take off the watch. Since I like the watch snug and have a metal band, when I put it on the RH wrist it is too tight.

The 140 bass models are right on the edge, but generally OK.

If I consistently spent time on the Morino or the Excelsior as my primary instruments I'd adjust things and wear the watch on the right.

Given my dismal vision, I generally play by ear/memory these days. I'd need a 47" flat screen monitor to read music off while playing the accordion. On the piano, music under a bright light on the rack of the piano is the only printed music I really use while playing these days. When I pick up music for an accordion I generally sit down and read through it while humming it to myself and then, after I've digested it, put it down and try it on the accordion.* Same same for fake books.


* FWIW, lest anybody think I am claiming some modicum of talent- I'm not. The read it off the music/ hum it/ play it method works up to about a Palmer Hughes level 5 degree of difficulty. The Gallarini Frosini Deiro more serious pieces require- for me at least- playing off the printed music which I am increasingly unwilling to do on other than the piano (or clarinet/flute which weigh a lot less and so are easier to handle while peering at music- one note line music at that).

Interesting article. I noticed your 34 years in the ARMY.. WOW! I enlisted for 3 years active in the ARMY. Spent a year in Vietnam with the 1st Infantry Division...1968-1969.

 

[John Doe]

Terrible draft number- spilled into the system as a 2LT and just sort of stayed. Worked with but never assigned to the Big Red One- younger than you but ... a different time, a different place. Sadly, looking at the news; the more things change the more they remain the same.

 

[GeorgeH76]

Terrible draft number- spilled into the system as a 2LT and just sort of stayed. Worked with but never assigned to the Big Red One- younger than you but ... a different time, a different place. Sadly, looking at the news; the more things change the more they remain the same.

Yeah...I was a supply clerk but somehow ended up as E6 supply sgt. Spent my last year at Ft Bragg NC in a training company. I thought about re enlisting, but wanted to give civilian life a try.

 

[Siegmund]

I use a watch with an expansion band and just slide it up higher on my arm (past the bass strap) while I am playing and then slide it back down when I am finished.

I need to try this.

I feel absolutely naked without a watch- I had one on my left wrist day and night from grade school until the time I started playing the accordion, and while I am practicing is when I *really* want to be able to see it frequently - to know how long a piece takes to run, to know how long I've been practicing, to watch the seconds and get an approximate metronome mark, etc. Right wrist feels wrong and going without a watch feels even wronger.

Rosie will be pleased to know I DO wear a pocket watch most days - but it is a nuisance fishing it out to look at it, and mine doesn't hang tidily off the music stand when I play.