Button-Accordion Tutorial Project
(Dual-row G-C or A-D, with Accidentals)
Based on tunes2play4fun.com & Facilitated by ZOOM
MINI-COURSE BA2
Intermediate Melodies & Tunes
UNIT THREE (of TEN)
Accidentals for Melodies Played on Outside Treble-Row
(Dual-row G-C or A-D, with Accidentals)
Based on tunes2play4fun.com & Facilitated by ZOOM
MINI-COURSE BA2
Intermediate Melodies & Tunes
UNIT THREE (of TEN)
Accidentals for Melodies Played on Outside Treble-Row
SLIDE SET & NOTES - INSTRUCTIONAL SESSION THREE
(Repeat) ASIDE #0: If you find the "ASIDES" confusing, just ignore them. They are not "core", merely "asides". You can always come back to them later, if you feel like it.
Many of these "asides", indeed much of this commentary, is very similar to that of Unit 2, except that here it is applied to accidentals used in melodies played on the outside row (in our examples, the G-row).
ASIDE #1 The accordions referred to in this BA1 mini-course are:
Many of these "asides", indeed much of this commentary, is very similar to that of Unit 2, except that here it is applied to accidentals used in melodies played on the outside row (in our examples, the G-row).
ASIDE #1 The accordions referred to in this BA1 mini-course are:
- Dual row, with rows a 4th apart (like G-C, or A-D, or C-F)
- Diatonic for buttons 2 to bottom
- Accidentals on buttons 1
- Fully transposable among similar accordions.
- Mostly transposable between rows, but with some exceptions.
(Repeat) ASIDE #2: The term "tone" has multiple meaning in music, distinguished by the context in which the term is used. For example, we can say that a vibrating physical source emits a "tone", which travels as a sound wave. The term can also be used for something quite different, the musical separation of notes:
A frequency increase of approximately 12% between two notes (such as C & D) is referred to as
a "tone", though I prefer the term "step". An increase of about 6% between two notes (such as E & F) is referred to as a "semi-tone", though I prefer "half-step".
The math may not look like it at first glance, but 2 semi-tones = 1 tone
(same as 2 half-steps = 1 step)
ASIDE #3: A diatonic set, such as the G-set (G, A, B, C, D, E, F# and, G), may be defined by the following (major scale) pattern of successive pitches or frequencies.:
G to A = separation of one tone (or step)
A to B = tone (or step)
B to C = semi-tone (or half-step)
C to D = tone (or step)
D to E = tone (or step)
E to F# = tone (or step)
F# to G = semi-tone (or half-step) then the
pattern repeats for the
next octave in G.
If all of this is confusing ... don't lose any sleep over it ... it's not that important.
ASIDE #4: The following slides show the diatonic pattern of increasing pitches (or, if you prefer, frequencies) for the octave between buttons 3 and 6 on our accordions, and one shows the same pattern between buttons 6 and 9.
Notice the "step step half-step step step step half-step" pattern.
IMPORTANT: Notice that the pattern is identical in each of the following slides. This pattern is what we mean when we say that our button accordions are diatonic. The fact that the pattern is the same for all of them is what makes them transposable.
A frequency increase of approximately 12% between two notes (such as C & D) is referred to as
a "tone", though I prefer the term "step". An increase of about 6% between two notes (such as E & F) is referred to as a "semi-tone", though I prefer "half-step".
The math may not look like it at first glance, but 2 semi-tones = 1 tone
(same as 2 half-steps = 1 step)
ASIDE #3: A diatonic set, such as the G-set (G, A, B, C, D, E, F# and, G), may be defined by the following (major scale) pattern of successive pitches or frequencies.:
G to A = separation of one tone (or step)
A to B = tone (or step)
B to C = semi-tone (or half-step)
C to D = tone (or step)
D to E = tone (or step)
E to F# = tone (or step)
F# to G = semi-tone (or half-step) then the
pattern repeats for the
next octave in G.
If all of this is confusing ... don't lose any sleep over it ... it's not that important.
ASIDE #4: The following slides show the diatonic pattern of increasing pitches (or, if you prefer, frequencies) for the octave between buttons 3 and 6 on our accordions, and one shows the same pattern between buttons 6 and 9.
Notice the "step step half-step step step step half-step" pattern.
IMPORTANT: Notice that the pattern is identical in each of the following slides. This pattern is what we mean when we say that our button accordions are diatonic. The fact that the pattern is the same for all of them is what makes them transposable.
Zoom Slide 14
For many melodies, we can transpose directly between rows - meaning we can play the melody on either row following the same notation. This is NOT the case for melodies that include missing notes. Nor is it simply the case for melodies that include ACCIDENTALS. For ACCIDENTALS, we must modify our notation for different rows |
NOW . . . ON TO UNIT 3, ACCIDENTALS FOR OUTSIDE-ROW MELODIES
Although "accidentals" are found in only about one-quarter of the melodies & tunes on tunes2play4fun.com, they include some of the most popular selections and pages.
Zoom Slide 15
(Repeat) In the music notation that originated in western Europe, each octave contains twelve unique and "equally"-spaced notes. For the G-octave selected at left, these twelve notes are labelled: G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F# By "equally" spaced, I mean that each piano note has a fundamental frequency that is about 6% higher than the note to its left, which, accumulated over the full octave shown, results in the high-G being 100% larger than the low-G. |
ASIDE #5 (mostly repeat): Buttons 2 to 11 of the outside row of a G/C accordion make up a G diatonic set. The outside buttons 2 to 11 of an A/D box make up an A diatonic set. This is the case for all such 21-button dual-row accordions, with accidentals on buttons 1. Thus, the conclusions we draw from the G/C accordion will be applicable to the others as well. Finally, our accordion notation will be using button numbers (2-10 for the inside (i) row and 2-11 for the outside (o) row), and not letters, to represent the diatonic set of notes we are playing.
Zoom Slide 16
On a piano, each octave of the G diatonic set consists of the notes G, A, B, D, E, & F# (followed by higher G). These are 6 white keys & 1 black key. For the G-set, the remaining five piano notes (C#, D#, F, G# and A#) are accidentals. Now that we have identified the accidentals, we have to locate them among our accordion buttons. |
ASIDE #6: Approximately 3/4 of the melodies & tunes on the tunes2play4fun.com site are fully diatonic, without accidentals. The others tend to use no more than one or two accidentals in a verse or chorus.
As we'll demonstrate later, it is some-times possible to substitute one of the diatonic notes for a "hard to quickly reach" accidental.
As we'll demonstrate later, it is some-times possible to substitute one of the diatonic notes for a "hard to quickly reach" accidental.
Zoom Slides 21
Here we have a complete mapping of the G diatonic set of notes (outside row) and six of the accidentals. The empty grey blocks (ten of them) are spaces for accidentals that would be available on a piano or guitar, but are not available on our dual-row button accordion. This can limit our freedom in selecting melodies for our accordions. |
Zoom Slide 22
The first verse of "I Overlooked An Orchid" has two accidentals (i1 & o1*), with the i1 appearing at the beginning of lines 2, 3 & 4. The i1 note is preceded by button 5 and follwed by button 7. Many players, even experienced ones, may find it difficult to pick up the i1 note without loosing the rhythm of the piece. |