Buttoned accordions can be an excellent way to learn traditional Irish songs, and many websites and video lessons can provide instruction in how to play these straightforward tunes.
The melody notes are controlled with the right side of the instrument while bass and chord buttons reside on its left. See the diagram for more detail of how the buttons work together.
Buying an Accordion
When selecting an accordion, there are various factors to take into account when making your selection. These may include your musical requirements as well as what accordion would provide the most comfort during long playback sessions.
Full-size accordions offer more keys and buttons for advanced players who require a wide tonal range. Meanwhile, mini accordions are smaller and lighter, making them suitable for intermediate players or those prioritizing portability.
Accordions come in both wet and dry versions; jazz musicians typically favor dry accordions while folk and Irish musicians usually favor wet accordions for playing folk and Irish music styles. Piano keyed accordions offer access to all the chromatic notes on an accordion’s musical scale while diatonic button models only produce one note when the bellows is compressed or stretched, depending on your style of playing music.
Getting Started
Button accordions can be more challenging to learn than pianos due to having more buttons, but once you master them you can create beautiful music! Take your time when practicing, don’t fear making mistakes, and don’t fear making them again; the more often you practice will make remembering which button corresponds with which sound easier!
Start playing an accordion by placing it on your lap on the left side and pressing the air valve button (located at the outside edge of the bellows). Open up the bellows, press buttons 3, 4, 5 and 6 that produce different sounds; move your fingers around when pressing them for best results, as each produces unique tones; move up and down diagonal rows to find root, minor 7th chords as well as diminished chords – you may also discover perfect 4ths by switching buttons between diagonal rows.
Chords
Button accordion buttons are divided into two sets; one for bass notes and the other for chords. As you play melodies on it, you become more acquainted with which buttons make which sounds and can then string them together to play songs. Be patient as getting familiar with your button layout may take time and practice but be amazed by what can be accomplished with some effort!
Add chords to your music with ease using an accordion’s easy chord system! Play a full diminished 7th chord even on a button accordion; though be careful in planning how this should look on its keyboard!
For those that are limited to three row chromatic C system button accordions and don’t wish to expand into the outer rows, here are some easy major scale chord patterns tailored specifically for these buttons.
Melodies
Button accordions are diatonic instruments, meaning they only play notes belonging to one key or set. As a result, they don’t naturally cover every note in a scale and, even on high-quality models, it may take practice before sounding individual notes at their true pitches.
A basic button layout resembles a circle of fifths – up and down diagonal rows of buttons represent chords (root, major, minor, seventh and diminished). To sound a note with your right hand thumb against the edge of fingerboard and expand or contract bellows by pushing or pulling. Press index finger of left hand against button above thumb & push and pull to make sound.
Repeat this process until you feel more at home with it, until the arrangement of buttons becomes instinctive and familiar sounds appear on the instrument. Many of the great accordionists, much like jazz musicians, improvise entirely by ear.