Top 3 Mistakes Accordionists Make With The Bellows

It's the MOST important part of the accordion, the part that USUALLY gets ignored, the heart of the accordion … yes, I’m talking about the accordion bellows!

Today I’ll reveal the TOP 3 mistakes accordionists make with their bellows (the last mistake may surprise you) and at the very end, I’ll add a couple pro tips so you can be more confident, certain, and more comfortable with the bellows of your accordion.

Watch the video below or read on for the transcription!

Mistake No. 1: Bellows Basics & Proper Movement

This mistake has three parts to it as there are three precise moments where we need correct bellows movement.

In order to do any of this you must first know how to properly open and close the bellows while playing. Open your bellows like a fan, and close them the same way. You do this by keeping the arm pressure towards to lower part of the bellows.

Now let’s talk about the three precise moments where we need correct bellow movement. PRIOR to the sound of the note, DURING the note and AFTER the note has been released. Plus there’s one other spot I’ll mention in a moment.

Let’s start with the first one. PRIOR to a note being played, you must PULL the bellows first THEN press the key or button. Likewise on the return, PUSH or squeeze your bellows first THEN press the key or button. It’s like taking a breath before you speak. So practice the PULL then play, or the PUSH then play.

The second part of Mistake No. 1 is what we need to do DURING the time we have a key or button down. The longer the note duration is, the more you must focus on keeping a consistent pressure on the movement of your bellows. This will keep an even volume and not let the sound die off in the middle. Keep the momentum of the bellows going strong and steady, no jerking or bouncing.

Now we have the part AFTER a key or note has been released. What happens so often is that the bellows get stopped just before the note is actually released creating an abrupt end or choking of the note, OR worse yet we don’t even get to hear the end of the note. So when you’re finished playing a note, practice CONTINUING to pull or squeezing the bellows AFTER the key or button is released.

During Rests: So far we know what to do before, during and after a key or button is played, but there is one other time that also gets overlooked. The bellows movements during a ‘rest.’ During a rest, there is no ‘audible’ sound, so it’s very common (and understandably so) that accordionists stop the movement of the bellows during RESTS. Keep the same movement you had prior to the rest otherwise the note that follows the rest will be weak or have an abrupt start.

Mistake No. 2: Bellows Changes

The second mistake that that you want to avoid has to do with bellows changes. It’s easy to forget about the bellows, especially when you’re just starting to learn the accordion. You have the right hand to think about, you have all the tiny buttons to deal with and then you’ve got to remember to MOVE those bellows.

And now I’m telling you that you must move those bellows in an organized fashion. Meaning, we don’t move the bellows in and out at random. That would be like taking breaths at random points of a speech or as you’re talking or singing.

Depending on your body structure and size of accordion, there are certain general guidelines for bellows changes you want to follow. Music is broken down into measures or bars and it’s common to change your bellow directions either every four measures, or, if you have a small accordion or a smaller body structure, it could be every two measures.

As you get more advanced, bellows are changed by the musical phrases. Think of this like musical sentences. You open you bellows for one thought or sentence and then you close for the next thought or sentence. If you need more help with this, let us know and we can set you up with a private lesson via zoom: AccordionLife.com

Mistake No. 3: Poor Bellows Technique

So now you know what to do before, during and after you press a key. You also know when to change your bellows and now … this one might surprise you, but another common mistake is HOW to CHANGE the bellows direction.

You’d think it would be simple to change the bellow directions and it is but ... it requires some technique if you want to sound really good.

Let me explain this from beginning to end for a complete cycle of opening and closing of the bellows.

To start, PULL the bellows, then press a key. Just before you change the direction of the bellows, while you’re still pulling release the key or button (so you are still pulling after you’ve released the key). THEN change the direction of your bellows, press your key or button, play and then release your key or button while still pushing.

Technically, for a fraction of a second, you are still pushing even after you release the note. So really if you master the pull before you play and the squeeze or push before you play (that we mentioned in Mistake No. 1) you’ll master changing your bellows very easily.

Final Thoughts & PRO Tips

So often, beginning accordionists have so much to think about that organizing their bellow changes, much less thinking through how to properly move their bellows, either hasn’t entered their mind or they know there probably is some bellow technique they need but they don’t know what it is. OR they completely ignore the bellows and just continue on playing.

Drop a comment if you fall into one of those reasons or have wondered what kind of bellow technique you need in order for your music to sound great.

We cover more inside Accordion Life Academy but for now just practice what we’ve shown you so far to improve your sound.

Now a couple PRO TIPS before I sign off for today!

Pro Tip No. 1: Mark your bellows changes in your music. If you want to get really comfortable and learn to consistently change your bellows at the same time in your music, write your bellows changes in your music so you get into the habit of WHEN you should change your bellows so it stays consistent.

Pro Tip No. 2: Put just as much FOCUS on your bellow control as you do your right hand work or left hand basses. 80% of mistakes that happen when playing the accordion are because of the bellows. That’s how important bellows control is.

Let me know in the comments below what you learned and what you want more of!