Accordions: Lowly but Lovely

Accordion Playing: Service or Disgrace?

If you play an accordion are you serving mankind or disgracing it?

Is there a reason that no other instrument is the butt of so many jokes?

“What is the difference between an onion and an accordion? You cry when you cut up an onion.”

“What is the definition of a gentleman?

Somebody who knows how to play the accordion, but doesn’t.”

“What do you call a group of topless female accordion players?

Ladies in Pain.”

“What did people say when the ship loaded with accordions sank in the ocean? “Well, it’s a start.” or how about:

“What is the difference between a terrorist and an accordionist? Terrorists have sympathizers.” (All jokes courtesy Accordions.com)

Indeed, why is it that accordionists are so disliked? There is speculation that the resonance and the acoustic range of the accordion are not pleasing to the human ear. And up until this point I had thought that accordion playing was limited to Lawrence Welk and polkas. Lawrence Welk and polkas are beautiful – that that is Lawrence Welk – and polkas.

After researching for this lens I think that the disdain for the instrument is just because the instrument is quite often played by people who really need to practice their instrument more!

The accordion is relatively easy to play, and many people do not perfect their instrument. Since it is not a traditional band or orchestra instrument, there are limited chances to perfect their craft with others.

I have discovered that there is no reason that an accordionist cannot be a virtuoso, and there is an enormous range of music that is beautiful on the accordion.

Hohner Panther GCF, Matte Black Accordion – Great Mid-Priced Accordion

Since 1857, the Hohner name has been the best known and most respected in the accordion world. Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH & Co. KG is company serving up traditional fine German craftsmanship. Hohner is famous for harmonicas, but also excellent accordions, including this fine model. This is an excellent accordion for most players – one reviewer commented that the next available accordion was $1200.

Note that this accordion is available only in keys of GC and F – but you can play a lot of music with that. The instrument was almost universally reviewed as easy to learn, with the biggest complaint being that the straps are hard to figure out. It comes with a Hohner Method book as well to get you started.

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Annie Gong Plays Roll Out the Barrel – Beer Barrel Polka on Accordion

Annie Wong is an exceptional accordionist, and here she plays one of the best known accordion classics. This may be the only accordion song some of you know – but just hang around for a while.

How Did the Accordion Come to Be?

There are ancient representations of accordion like instruments, the ” p ortative and the regal,” both bellows-like instruments with keyboards.

On the other side of the Earth is the Chinese instrument the ancient Chinese instrument the “sheng,” which is similar to the accordion. They are both free-reed instruments.

But the modern accordion with its bellows and and keyboards is usually attributed to Christian Friedrich Ludwig Buschmann in Berlin in 1822. He is also credited with the development of the harmonica.

2 Accordions 24 Countries | Traditional Music

Accordion Crimes Paperback by Annie Proulx

Accordion Crimes by Annie Proulx

Award winning novelist Annie Proulx – known for “The Shipping News” and “Brokeback Mountain” weaves a lovely and moving tale of American immigrants through the vehicle of one,old green accordion that goes from one person to another.

Proulx is wise to have chosen the accordion – an instrument so known in different folk music- to illustrate her story of the American immigrant. By a series of coincidences, one accordion is passed down through several different immigrant groups: Mexicans, Poles, Africans, Irish-Scots, Franco-Canadians and many others and Proulx uses the music to weave the tale.

Exceptional Accordion and Trumpet Improvisation

Cafe de Paris: 1930-1941: 24 Accordion Classics

Enjoy this video and enjoy the CD for more accordion music to take with you.

The Parts of the Accordion

No matter what the accordion player looks like, accordions are basically the same. However, there are different sizes based on the size of the treble keyboard. The keyboard can be larger than usual, which of course allows for a wider range of notes that can be played.

The treble keyboard is on the right hand side of the accordion and it just like a piano keyboard.
The Bellows is in the middle – it is also called the heart of the accordion. These push air through reeds that are inside the accordion to make the unique accordion sound.
The bass keyboard is to the left of the bellows, and it has buttons that play either chords or specific notes.
There are other parts of the accordion that you will learn as you learn your accordion: straps to hold the bellows shut and to support the instrument, internal parts for example.

Where do you Weigh in On According Music? Is Accordion Music Pleasing to the Ears?

So What do We Conclude?
Should We Run over the Accordion?
I have decided that the accordion can be a beautiful instrument well played and that it can bring a lot of joy to people.

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