How To Play The Accordion For Beginners: Lesson One for Piano Accordion and Chromatic Accordion!

Before you even start playing the accordion, there are some things you must know which will determine your level of success.

I've adjudicated many international accordion competitions all over the world and, I can tell you, if accordionists don't have these eight basic elements down, it affects not only the overall program, but the quality of sound and control they have with their instrument.

In this video, to set you up for success, you'll learn eight crucial things you need to know before you even play your first note on the accordion. This applies whether you play piano accordion or chromatic accordion! We've included a shortened transcription below the video. We have lots of in-depth, step-by-step training on how to play the accordion and some freebie at AccordionLife.com.

1. Chair Position

Most accordionists sit to practice. Choose a straight-backed chair without arms or a bench. A soft cushy bench works. Sit on the front edge of the chair with your back straight and your feet flat on the floor.

2. Posture

Sit on the front edge of the chair with your back straight and your feet flat on the floor. 

3. Shoulder Straps

The left shoulder strap closest to the bass side should be tighter than the right strap. Adjust the shoulder straps until your chin is directly above the point where the grill and the keyboard meet.

4. The Back Strap

To keep the shoulder straps positioned correctly, a back strap is often used. Attached the back strap to the shoulder strap, snap in place, and adjust as needed. Your back strap can be straight across, at an angle, or some like to use two back straps. Just make sure the shoulder straps are close to the neck, fairly tight, and that the instrument feels secure against your body.

5. Bass Strap

To tighten or loosen the bass strap, adjust the small wheel on top of your accordion. If the strap is too loose, tighten it by turning the wheel away from you until it's snug. You'll have much more control when the bass strap is tight against the wrist.

6. Position of the Keyboard

The bottom of the keyboard must be anchored inside the right leg. This will keep the accordion anchored in place and steady when you squeeze the bellows. Keep both legs parallel to each other, but not too close. To find the perfect position, use your two fists and sandwich them between your knees. Keep your feet directly in line with your knees. With your keyboard anchored and legs parallel, the weight of your accordion should rest on your left leg. Be sure it's not the bellows that take the weight, but the actual accordion body.

7. Right Arm Position

It's very important that you have your right arm in the correct position. We demonstrate this in the video and it is crucial for success and ergonomics. If your straps are not adjusted properly and your accordion is too far to your right, it will be hard to maintain a proper arm position. You can use a mirror to check that you're in the correct position.

8. Left Arm & Hand Position

Slide your left arm into the bass strap until all the fingers can reach the second row of the bases. Use the very tip of your fingers to play. If your fingernails are kept trimmed, it's easier to maintain this posture. When you're playing, keep in tight contact with the instrument. This will give you more control of the sound.

Conclusion

As some of you know my main instrument is the 96 Bass HOHNER Fun Power. One reason I switched to a 96 bass, besides the double bassoon register, which is amazing, is for its size.

I used to play a 120 Bass accordion. I didn't know there was a problem with that until I was given the opportunity to play a 96 Bass accordion. To my surprise, my sound and accuracy improved dramatically. Why?

Well a 120 Bass accordion, as much as I loved it was tall, and I'm not so tall.

I have a shorter torso. So the accordion laid on me at an angle instead of straight up and down. This obviously gave me a different type of technique, positioning, etc. Once I switched to a 96 bass instrument, I could control it better and it sat vertically in an upright position on me because it was shorter and fit me well. That one change made a huge difference in my playing. Everything we talked about as far as the importance of positioning plays a critical role for how your music will ultimately sound.

Let me know in the comments below what you struggle with when it comes to playing the accordion, or any accordion content you'd like more of so we can continue to create videos that will be helpful for your accordion life.

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