What row should I call home on my CBA?

[craigd]

So I'm back to my oddball CBA, a Finnish 5 row 37 note Pigini convertor with the low basses at the bottom, Russian style.

So it's g on the outer row, c on the middle row. I read somewhere about playing on the middle three rows and using the outer and inner rows for alternative fingerings. Not sure the pros and cons of that approach, but on the face of it it makes some sense. Or I could treat it as a c griff and play the inner three rows. Or I could continue with the little bit of a start I have, just using the outer three rows until I'm ready to try some alternative fingerings on the inner two.

I know all kinds of fingerings and approaches are used to these crazy accordions. Which one would you suggest to someone who is still just starting out?

 

[debra]

Not sure why you got such an oddball CBA (with Finnish system). If your aim is to learn to play c griff and not Finnish system it isn't very hard for a skilled repairer to convert the accordion to c griff, by just moving reeds to new positions.
But it may be hard to find a repairer willing to do this because you have a Pigini, which is a brand that builds great accordions, but not intended to ever undergo such serious repair. They glue the buttons in place making it very hard to remove the buttons to change their position to what you want for c griff. (You can easily end up with a functional c griff accordion with the buttons in the wrong colors.)
If you just want to play this accordion, waiting for another one that is actually c-griff I suggest to ignore the first two rows and just play with the inner three rows, pretending it's c griff.

 

[JerryPH]

So I'm back to my oddball CBA, a Finnish 5 row 37 note Pigini convertor with the low basses at the bottom, Russian style.

Yikes Craig, you really gave yourself a helluva challenge! Finnish right hand, Russian B-system Bayan on the left... I would have at the VERY least chosen the same system on both hands... cuts learning in half, literally!

As for a home row... no idea, I do not know anyone that even plays the Finnish system, except you now... lol

 

[dak]

I have no idea about what you should, but I had hypothesized that Finnish players would be using the inner three rows in C system style and take the outer rows as helper rows. Looking at actual videos of Finnish players dispelled that theory: they clearly use the three outer rows as home rows. For typical chord shapes that are more convenient when employing at least one chord row, having the home rows outside makes more sense on a C system (or Finnish).

As to what you should be doing depends on what your goal is.

 

[debra]

I have no idea about what you should, but I had hypothesized that Finnish players would be using the inner three rows in C system style and take the outer rows as helper rows. Looking at actual videos of Finnish players dispelled that theory: they clearly use the three outer rows as home rows. ...

It depends on the player I guess. Petri Makkonen seems to confirm/support your hypothesis:

 

[dak]

It depends on the player I guess. Petri Makkonen seems to confirm/support your hypothesis:

How so? He doesn't even touch the innermost row. While he uses the fourth row more than I do, quite a bit of play appears to be on the three outermost rows.

 

[craigd]

Yikes Craig, you really gave yourself a helluva challenge! Finnish right hand, Russian B-system Bayan on the left... I would have at the VERY least chosen the same system on both hands... cuts learning in half, literally!

As for a home row... no idea, I do not know anyone that even plays the Finnish system, except you now... lol

I didn't choose this accordion, it chose me - the mongrel no one else wanted. And I'm stuck with it now. Actually, I bought it on a whim, from Musical Instruments of Canada in Toronto. You must be familiar with them Jerry. I don't expect to own or play any other cba in this lifetime, so I just have to learn how to play this one. I'm trying to translate my right hand learning to my left, even though it isn't mirror image.

 

[craigd]

Not sure why you got such an oddball CBA (with Finnish system). If your aim is to learn to play c griff and not Finnish system it isn't very hard for a skilled repairer to convert the accordion to c griff, by just moving reeds to new positions.
But it may be hard to find a repairer willing to do this because you have a Pigini, which is a brand that builds great accordions, but not intended to ever undergo such serious repair. They glue the buttons in place making it very hard to remove the buttons to change their position to what you want for c griff. (You can easily end up with a functional c griff accordion with the buttons in the wrong colors.)
If you just want to play this accordion, waiting for another one that is actually c-griff I suggest to ignore the first two rows and just play with the inner three rows, pretending it's c griff.

Thanks Paul. How did I end up with this accordion? By ignoring your good advice a few years ago to give it a pass. But I don't entirely regret buying it, it has got a nice sound and feel to it. And in responding to Jerry, I've realized the answer to my question - because the 3 rows I get on the bass side, with no repeats, are the same as the outer three on the treble, I think the decision is made for me.

 

[JerryPH]

I kind of know why I choose the exact accordions that I chose, it's very interesting to see that many fall victim to that same call for whatever their own internal reasons are.

Bottom line, no one else's opinion really maters why all that much after that point... lol

 

[debra]

How so? He doesn't even touch the innermost row. While he uses the fourth row more than I do, quite a bit of play appears to be on the three outermost rows.

Possible. It's not always clear but I had the impression he used the inner rows a lot more than I'm used to see from C griff players (who stay more on the outer three rows. He sure knows how to use all the rows.

 

[craigd]

Possible. It's not always clear but I had the impression he used the inner rows a lot more than I'm used to see from C griff players (who stay more on the outer three rows. He sure knows how to use all the rows.

 

[craigd]

Just watched it on my phone, so pretty small image, but it sure looked like he was using that inner row a fair bit, especially towards the end.

Paul would you agree with my conclusion that I should base my right hand playing on the outer three rows, because they are the same arrangement as my bass buttons?

 

[debra]

Just watched it on my phone, so pretty small image, but it sure looked like he was using that inner row a fair bit, especially towards the end.

Paul would you agree with my conclusion that I should base my right hand playing on the outer three rows, because they are the same arrangement as my bass buttons?

Definitively. Give it time (and a lot of practice) and you should find out that Finnish system is just as easy or difficult to learn as any other CBA system. And you will be pretty unique as a Finnish system player in Canada.