Playing Chromatic Accordion: January 2024

Friday, January 12, 2024

Whole or Half

B or C

With the Roland accordion, you get both B and C systems. Make a menu selection.

I started with a B-System accordion, but with Roland I still have a B-System but also a C-System.

So, can I get used to a C-System?

Whole or Half Steps

Switching systems means the half-step and whole-step diagonals switch places.

So, the key difference is identifying half-steps and whole-steps in the music.

After playing scales, chords, and grace notes, it is time to start playing some songs.

Play Songs

Getting used to a new keyboard system means getting used to playing songs. The key element is identifying the melodic intervals.

Between the B and C keyboard layouts, the long row is the same (minor third, diminished fifth, major sixth, and octave). So accurately identify and play the half-steps and the whole-steps.

Particularly good songs to practice are those with half- and whole-steps.

"Dark Eyes"

Starts off with half steps.

Then a fourth, a half step, minor third, then a mix of half-steps, whole-steps, thirds, fourths, and fifths.

Here is a French jazz version, ala Django Reinhardt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfiqW1WaGbw

Shostakovich Waltz No. 2

Tritenina plays the waltz.

Can you identify the half steps versus the whole steps?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpcNkSmwPbc

The sheet music --

https://sheetmusic-free.com/shostakovich-waltz-2-sheet-music-piano-pdf/

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Free the Bass

Press the Button

The Roland accordion allows the stradella bass to vanish with a press of a button, the Free Bass button. On converter accordions a mechanical switch provides the free bass option.

The outside four left-hand rows are now chromatic free bass. The two top inside rows remain stradella bass and counter-bass notes.

Chromatic Scale

Get the fingers used to where the notes are. Match them up with notes on the right hand. See what the lowest and highest notes are. Play the chromatic diagonal. Play the whole step diagonal. Play the long rows with the minor thirds and octaves.

Notice that the fourth row duplicates the outside row.

Play the chromatic scale on the outside three rows. Then move in a row and play a three-fingered chromatic scale using the fourth inside row instead of the outside row.

Match the notes with the right hand and notice the movement of both hands.

Do the daily as a warm-up.