THIS GUITAR SITE : An Introduction
1. Checklist: Before You Start
First, you will need a guitar that you are familiar with. Familiarity, at a minimum, means that you already know
You will also need access to a computer with a good Internet connection and an up-to-date browser, so that you can access this site, and control and play youTube videos, without interruption.
If there is anything in the minimum list above that you cannot do, you can check with a guitar-playing friend, get help from a guitar-teacher, or you can perhaps learn how with the aid of the Internet, using such tools as Google and/or youTube.
Then, decide which of the following best describes your current level of ability:
Set realistic guitar-playing goals that this site can help you meet over a reasonable time period, and still have fun. Achieving these goals will take you to the next level from the one on which you started.
- * how to handle and hold the guitar;
- * how to replace old or broken strings;
- * how to tune your guitar and keep it in tune;
- * the "open" chord finger positions for some
- common major chords, such as C, F and G;
- * how to do simple (down-stroke) strumming;
- * how to finger and strum for a few simple (perhaps
- slow) songs using the C, F and G chords.
You will also need access to a computer with a good Internet connection and an up-to-date browser, so that you can access this site, and control and play youTube videos, without interruption.
If there is anything in the minimum list above that you cannot do, you can check with a guitar-playing friend, get help from a guitar-teacher, or you can perhaps learn how with the aid of the Internet, using such tools as Google and/or youTube.
Then, decide which of the following best describes your current level of ability:
- Prepared Beginner - one who knows the finger positions for only a few major chords (such as C, F and G), and can form and strum these chords for only a few simple (perhaps slow) songs, where the chord symbols are given with the lyrics .
- Early Intermediate - one who (i) knows some of the musical terms (such as PITCH, NOTE, OCTAVE, HARMONY, MELODY, BEAT, KEY and TRANSPOSE), (ii) knows the finger positions for several major chords (such as A, C, D, E, F and G), a few minor chords (such as A, D and E) and a couple of dominant 7th chords (such as D7 and G7), (iii) can strum these chords for several simple tunes, and (iii) can use a capo to transpose to other musical keys.
- Early Advanced - one who (i) has "muscle memory" of all of the chords can smoothly play many melodies with the right-hand, and enhance the rhythm using a matched pair of left-hand outside-row buttons.
Set realistic guitar-playing goals that this site can help you meet over a reasonable time period, and still have fun. Achieving these goals will take you to the next level from the one on which you started.
- Prepared Beginner - Goals related to (i) learning to finger additional major chords (such as A, D and E major), selected minor chords (such as A, D and E minor), and selected dominant 7th chords (such as D7 and G7), (ii) learning to move smoothly from one chord to another; iii) improving your strumming so it matches the desired beat and tempo, (iv) improving the smoothness and rhythm of your playing, and (v) using a capo to transpose to keys that better match your singing voice (or other instruments you may be accompanying).
- Early Intermediate - Goals related to (i) learning to smoothly play new treble (right-hand) melodies (a few / several / a dozen or more?) following an accordion notation for some and by "ear" for others, (ii) enhancing the rhythm by playing the matched pair of left-hand outside-row buttons, (iii) including tunes with accidentals.
- Early Advanced - Goals related to (i) learning to smoothly and rhythmically play new tunes, mostly by "ear" (a few / several / a dozen or more?), using both left and right hands, (ii) enhancing harmony by including, as appropriate, the left-side inner-row buttons, (iii) playing tunes in minor keys, and (iv) adding interest through embellishments, including cross-playing and right-hand chords.
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You will need to be sufficiently motivated to
In this one-line example, the notation includes button-number pushes and pulls* for the pitch of each tone, dots for each tone's time duration (in beat intervals), and vertical lines for the basic rhythmic counting intervals (bars). The lyrics-line uses forward /slashes / to separate musical phrases. |
| .3 .4 .5 | .:6 | .:7* | .6* .5* .5 | .:5* | .:5 |
/ Mor-ning has bro - ken, / like the first mor - ning, / |
2. Climbing Tune Mountain: Accordion Activities
Learning to play the button accordion is an up-hill progression from the initial creation of squeaky sounds to the competent and confident playing of musical tunes. In learning a new tune, it may also be viewed as a progression from a dependance on notation (such as printed lines of button numbers) to being able to play by "ear" after listening to it being played or sung and then practiced a few times. The following is one way of dividing these progressions into (hopefully enjoyable) accordion activities:
Learning to play the button accordion is an up-hill progression from the initial creation of squeaky sounds to the competent and confident playing of musical tunes. In learning a new tune, it may also be viewed as a progression from a dependance on notation (such as printed lines of button numbers) to being able to play by "ear" after listening to it being played or sung and then practiced a few times. The following is one way of dividing these progressions into (hopefully enjoyable) accordion activities:
- Get the tune in your "head", by listening to it as many times as necessary.
- Exercise your right fingers by playing some accordion treble (right-side) buttons.
- Play and practice the melody, using the button-accordion notation.
- Further develop the melodic rhythm and tempo (pace), with the aid of youTube videos.
- Play & practice the full tune along with youTube, using the accordion-notation as needed.
- Exercise your left fingers by playing the accordion bass & chord (left-side) buttons.
- Play and practice the tune with both hands, using the accordion notation as needed.
- Play & practice, with both hands, along with youTube, mostly by "ear" (using the notation as little as possible).
- Add your own flavour to the tune, with your own embellishments, or those suggested.
- Play & practice the tune by "ear" (or memory), without youTube or the accordion notation.
3. Learning Accordion Tunes: A Practice Schedule
The tune web pages (drop-down menus at top in eight categories) are designed for practice at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of player ability. It is recommended that:
If you want to learn these tunes, but don't want to bother with practice activity details, that is OK as well.
The tune web pages (drop-down menus at top in eight categories) are designed for practice at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of player ability. It is recommended that:
- Beginners focus on the first five activities listed above.,
- Intermediates on the first eight activities (perhaps passing relatively quickly through the first two or three for familiar tunes), and the
- Advanced focus on all ten (though perhaps passing relatively quickly through the first four or five for familiar tunes).
If you want to learn these tunes, but don't want to bother with practice activity details, that is OK as well.
4. Learning Accordion Tunes: Using the Tune Pages
The tune pages, from the eight drop-down menu categories, make up the bulk of this web site. Each tune has its own page with three parts:
How these three components are used is up to each person, with his or her individual approaches to learning tunes. Some may use them for all ten of the activities outlined earlier, while others may dive directly into the accordion notation, or move immediately to the embedded youTube performances. Some may stick with playing the right-hand melody, while others may want to play the bass and chord section as well. Whatever works!
However you do it, do it for fun. A number of short sessions will usually be better than one long tiring one. Also, don't "try" to memorize tunes, as that might make it burdensome; rather, just let it happen, and take pleasure in the progress you are making. Finally, you may want to begin and end each playing session with a tune you already know and enjoy, thus starting with a warm-up and ending with a warm-feeling!
The tune pages, from the eight drop-down menu categories, make up the bulk of this web site. Each tune has its own page with three parts:
- Its button-accordion notation, with some lyrics in the case of songs. This notation includes the treble buttons to be played, the duration that each button is held, the time-grouping of beat intervals, and the melodic phrasing identified in songs.
- A number of youTube videos of the tune, along with each video's musical key and tempo (pace).
- Relevant information. Its time-signature, typical tempo or pace (in beats per minute), and the name(s) of its composer(s) are included in the header. Extra lyrics and other background information may be included at the end.
How these three components are used is up to each person, with his or her individual approaches to learning tunes. Some may use them for all ten of the activities outlined earlier, while others may dive directly into the accordion notation, or move immediately to the embedded youTube performances. Some may stick with playing the right-hand melody, while others may want to play the bass and chord section as well. Whatever works!
However you do it, do it for fun. A number of short sessions will usually be better than one long tiring one. Also, don't "try" to memorize tunes, as that might make it burdensome; rather, just let it happen, and take pleasure in the progress you are making. Finally, you may want to begin and end each playing session with a tune you already know and enjoy, thus starting with a warm-up and ending with a warm-feeling!
Heads-Up 1: The tune pages assume an awareness (though not necessarily an in-depth knowledge) of the contents of the various About pages, especially the "basic" Accordion Music, Button Accordion, Button Layout, and Accordion-Notation pages. For those at the Intermediate and Advanced levels of learning, there are additional materials, if you are interested. Don't try to memorize this stuff; a single reading should make you aware of what it is and how to find it again if you need to; you can always come back to it.