Please give advice to lowly newbie. Thank you in advance.
Please give advice to lowly newbie. Thank you in advance.
I am a 53 year old musician, covering popular music in America professionally ( I know, primarily a waste of my talents, meager as they are) for about 10 years and 30 years semi-pro as 6 string/ 12 string guitarist. Dabbled in keyboards, own 4 and play with only modest proficiency on the side. Only recently, and thanks primarily to the Internet, have discovered some of the beautiful tones and Music of the Accordion, Bandoneon, Musette, and Concertina. If Only I had been exposed to these at an earlier age!! I feel as though I have stumbled out of the Darkness and into an entirely new Realm of Music, one with substance and a connection with a rich and wonderful past. This evening, while searching the internet for information, I found your Website, and quickly recognized the Talent and Experience that visit here. What a Wonderful Resource You ALL share!! I am asking for your advice in selecting an Accordion to play the better music I am familiar with, such as Ballads, love songs, from the years 1960's through today in America (Please bear with me) as these I am most familiar with. Since I am familiar with the standard Piano Keyboard, I would appreciate advice in that direction. I have about $400 US Dollars available to spend, and would appreciate anything you can tell me about bass button arangement that would contain Major, Minor, Counter Bass and 7th note chords. How many chord buttons do I need to play these type songs? and what you may know about the Brand I saw on the internet called "Del Sol" 32 key, 48 chord. It is Junk? Would it make a good beginners Accordion? The information says it has 5 selectors that provide differing timbres with and without Tremello....Please help me!! Hopefully as I mature with the Accordion, I will move closer to a relationship with the European Music that I know litteraly nothing about, other than it touches my heart and inspires me to learn more. Please excuse my Ignorance and my poor spelling also. Best Regards and Thank You for considering my question, Will Dalton
Re: Please give advice to lowly newbie. Thank you in advance.
There's a chap who frequents here called Conan McDonnell - http://www.thesession.org/members/index/search?name=conan
who plays piano accordion and might be able to advise. But most folks playing Irish trad. on accordion use a button accordion where you have a different note on the push or pull.
Re: Please give advice to lowly newbie. Thank you in advance.
You've asked a lot of questions there! If you search for accordion on the tab off the discussions home page here you'll get lots of helpful info (and opinions and prejudices!)
Re: Please give advice to lowly newbie. Thank you in advance.
Will
I am a piano accordion player who made the move to button a few years ago in my mid-fifties. I also live in the states so I can offer some thoughts.
Piano accordion is less common in Irish much more common in Cape Breton and some of the non-Irish Celtic traditions. However that is not to say that there are not some superb players out there. For your purposes. you may want to get ahold of David DeGuiseppes book which is a nice starting point for Irish PA. His web site is http://www.daviddg.com/pages/bks_irish.html
However, you can also get it at Elderly instruments which is in Kalamazzoo Michigan (not as romantic a ring as some of the Irish Town names!). They have an extensive web site. His book gives you the bass layouts you are looking for.
For $400 you are not going to get much. Stay away from the Chinese and eastern european PA's. Best starting point is Italian ideally from Castelfidardo-the absolute center of of the PA universe.
Talk to Italo American in Chicago. They have are a major PA source in the middle west. Avoid the Sam Ashes and Guitar centers if you are buying instruments.
Italo American's phone is 708-422-2992. They have a web site, but it is a bit primitive. Also they have Pompelio who is one of the better accordion repair people around.
Minimum 64 button. Go for 120. 48s are kid's boxes and you will not be at all happy since they limit your flexibility.
Please give advice to lowly newbie. Thank you in advance.
Please give advice to lowly newbie. Thank you in advance.
I am a 53 year old musician, covering popular music in America professionally ( I know, primarily a waste of my talents, meager as they are) for about 10 years and 30 years semi-pro as 6 string/ 12 string guitarist. Dabbled in keyboards, own 4 and play with only modest proficiency on the side. Only recently, and thanks primarily to the Internet, have discovered some of the beautiful tones and Music of the Accordion, Bandoneon, Musette, and Concertina. If Only I had been exposed to these at an earlier age!! I feel as though I have stumbled out of the Darkness and into an entirely new Realm of Music, one with substance and a connection with a rich and wonderful past. This evening, while searching the internet for information, I found your Website, and quickly recognized the Talent and Experience that visit here. What a Wonderful Resource You ALL share!! I am asking for your advice in selecting an Accordion to play the better music I am familiar with, such as Ballads, love songs, from the years 1960's through today in America (Please bear with me) as these I am most familiar with. Since I am familiar with the standard Piano Keyboard, I would appreciate advice in that direction. I have about $400 US Dollars available to spend, and would appreciate anything you can tell me about bass button arangement that would contain Major, Minor, Counter Bass and 7th note chords. How many chord buttons do I need to play these type songs? and what you may know about the Brand I saw on the internet called "Del Sol" 32 key, 48 chord. It is Junk? Would it make a good beginners Accordion? The information says it has 5 selectors that provide differing timbres with and without Tremello....Please help me!! Hopefully as I mature with the Accordion, I will move closer to a relationship with the European Music that I know litteraly nothing about, other than it touches my heart and inspires me to learn more. Please excuse my Ignorance and my poor spelling also. Best Regards and Thank You for considering my question, Will Dalton
# Posted on January 24th 2008 by Will Dalton
Re: Please give advice to lowly newbie. Thank you in advance.
There's a chap who frequents here called Conan McDonnell - http://www.thesession.org/members/index/search?name=conan
who plays piano accordion and might be able to advise. But most folks playing Irish trad. on accordion use a button accordion where you have a different note on the push or pull.
# Posted on January 24th 2008 by the wounded hussar
Re: Please give advice to lowly newbie. Thank you in advance.
You've asked a lot of questions there! If you search for accordion on the tab off the discussions home page here you'll get lots of helpful info (and opinions and prejudices!)
# Posted on January 24th 2008 by TomB-R
Re: Please give advice to lowly newbie. Thank you in advance.
Thanks to "The Wounded Hussar" and "Chadmills" for you replies! I appreciate your time and info! Sincerely, Will
# Posted on January 25th 2008 by Will Dalton
Re: Please give advice to lowly newbie. Thank you in advance.
Will
I am a piano accordion player who made the move to button a few years ago in my mid-fifties. I also live in the states so I can offer some thoughts.
Piano accordion is less common in Irish much more common in Cape Breton and some of the non-Irish Celtic traditions. However that is not to say that there are not some superb players out there. For your purposes. you may want to get ahold of David DeGuiseppes book which is a nice starting point for Irish PA. His web site is http://www.daviddg.com/pages/bks_irish.html
However, you can also get it at Elderly instruments which is in Kalamazzoo Michigan (not as romantic a ring as some of the Irish Town names!). They have an extensive web site. His book gives you the bass layouts you are looking for.
For $400 you are not going to get much. Stay away from the Chinese and eastern european PA's. Best starting point is Italian ideally from Castelfidardo-the absolute center of of the PA universe.
Talk to Italo American in Chicago. They have are a major PA source in the middle west. Avoid the Sam Ashes and Guitar centers if you are buying instruments.
Italo American's phone is 708-422-2992. They have a web site, but it is a bit primitive. Also they have Pompelio who is one of the better accordion repair people around.
Minimum 64 button. Go for 120. 48s are kid's boxes and you will not be at all happy since they limit your flexibility.
good luck.
# Posted on January 25th 2008 by zippydw
Re: Please give advice to lowly newbie. Thank you in advance.
Elderly Instruments is in Lansing, Michigan - not in Kalamazoo.
# Posted on January 27th 2008 by tocotodo
Re: Please give advice to lowly newbie. Thank you in advance.
You must be from Michigan
I'm a FIP. Still they are a great resource for the book
# Posted on January 28th 2008 by zippydw