Piano accordions can be identified by having keys arranged similarly to those found on a piano and bass buttons arranged in 6 linear rows of 20 bass buttons each, making it easy for beginners to locate and play chords.
Children and young people thrive when engaging in social activity, and playing the accordion provides this with great satisfaction. Furthermore, it gives children a sense of achievement which contributes to building their self-esteem.
Bellows
The accordion’s bellows are at the core of its sound. By controlling airflow into and out of its reeds, these bellows regulate how loudly notes sound. Pressing a key activates a mechanical pallet which lifts, allowing air into its tone chamber and exciting the reeds; this process is known as actuation.
Accordion players typically carry their instrument by its shoulder straps while sitting or standing. Their left hands use bass buttons or right hand keys on diatonic button accordions or operate the stradella bass mechanism of chromatic accordions with ease.
One way to practice timing your bellows movement is to bang rhythmically on the right-hand side below the keyboard. This helps build unity between bellows hand and keyboard hand as well as knowing WHEN and HOW often to change directions; otherwise your playing may sound honky and harsh.
Reeds
The accordion’s reeds are integral to its sound, producing vibrations to generate pitches. These vibrations are moderated by leathers which close and open reed plates. Reed blocks fasten them securely to its shell while supporting valves can be operated via buttons on keyboards for extra support of its sound.
Reeds must be properly maintained for them to function efficiently. Cleaning should take place regularly and rewaxing should occur periodically – for optimal performance use a high quality wax formulated from solid beeswax, rosin and linseed oil for best results.
Bass buttons
The accordion has four rows of three bass buttons each, so to play a bass line simply press one button at a time while expanding and contracting your bellows to create chords that can be repeated at will.
Stradella bass systems are one of the most commonly used bass button layouts, providing an easy way to locate notes and their relationships. This approach can especially assist players who wish to learn their accordions from sound production alone.
Another popular bass button layout is the free bass system. Similar to a chromatic button treble keyboard, this layout can help create intricate melodies while maintaining true pitch can be tricky; accordionist Sam Pirt has become well known for using this technique.
Right-hand and left-hand chords
On certain accordions, bass and chord buttons have been strategically arranged so as to enable left-hand players to easily form melodies and chords using their left hands. This arrangement, known as the free-bass system, enables left-handers to perform a wide range of notes and chords using just their left hand.
Left-hand bass buttons can be used to play various chords, from simple oom-pa-pa using three fingers on the right hand, through major, minor, seventh, diminished chords to more complex augmented and suspended chords that require greater skill on piano keyboard.
To hold the instrument, place it on your chest and slip your left arm under the bass strap (or thumb wheel). For the best experience when practicing playing while standing up, it is recommended to play while standing. Professional players use their ears rather than looking at their fingers when positioning their bass fingers – this gives a much clearer indication as to whether they are in their proper places.