CLIMBING MELODY MOUNTAIN
Activities for Learning Accordion Song-Melodies
Learning to play the button accordion is a progression from the hesitant creation of squeaky sounds to the competent and confident playing of musical melodies, somewhat like climbing a mountain, a melody mountain.
For learning new melodies, it may also be viewed as a progression from a dependance on button-accordion notation to being able to play them by "ear" after hearing them only a few times. The list below is one way of dividing these progressions into learning activities.
- If you don't already know the melody, learn it by listening as many times as needed.
- Exercise your right-hand (treble) fingers on the accordion.
- Practice the melody, using the button-accordion notation.
- Further develop the melodic rhythm and pace, with the aid of a youTube video.
- Play & practice the melody along with youTube, as much as possible by "ear," but using the accordion notation as needed.
Every learner is different, so you may prefer a different approach. Whatever works for you, gives you the most fun and benefit, .. go for it!
1. Learning the Melody.
If you don't already know the melody, learn it by listening to it (and possibly also singing it) as often as possible.
When you have the melody "in your head", it will be much easier to learn to play it, and you will progress much more quickly to "playing it by ear".
Each tune page contains at least one youTube video for you to listen to.
When you find yourself humming the tune, or singing the lyrics, without even thinking about it, then you know that you have it "in your head".
When you have the melody "in your head", it will be much easier to learn to play it, and you will progress much more quickly to "playing it by ear".
Each tune page contains at least one youTube video for you to listen to.
When you find yourself humming the tune, or singing the lyrics, without even thinking about it, then you know that you have it "in your head".
2. Exercising the Right-Hand (treble) Fingers
Exercise your right-fingers, by playing the first part of the melody (for example, the first line), using the given button numbers (for pushes and pulls) in the accordion notation. Don't worry about other notation details.
Repeat until you can play these notes clearly and move smoothly between buttons while pushing and pulling on the bellows.
An Aside: Don't worry if it doesn't sound very much like the first part of the tune you just heard on the radio, on a CD, on your cell phone's mp3 app, or on youTube. Focus instead on being able to move somewhat smoothly from note to note, or button to button, whether bellows are being pushed or pulled.
Repeat until you can play these notes clearly and move smoothly between buttons while pushing and pulling on the bellows.
An Aside: Don't worry if it doesn't sound very much like the first part of the tune you just heard on the radio, on a CD, on your cell phone's mp3 app, or on youTube. Focus instead on being able to move somewhat smoothly from note to note, or button to button, whether bellows are being pushed or pulled.
3. Practice the song-melody, using button-accordion notation
The aim here is to play a complete verse of the song-melody smoothly and somewhat rhythmically. It starts as an extension of the finger exercise, but gradually the melody emerges.
The aim here is to play a complete verse of the song-melody smoothly and somewhat rhythmically. It starts as an extension of the finger exercise, but gradually the melody emerges.
- Before playing, take a few moments to consider the melody's rhythmic features. Starting with Unit 3, these may be determined, at least in part, from the button-accordion notation. With this in mind, and the tune in your head, you are ready to play and practice.
- Play the tune on your accordion, following the given accordion notation. Practice until your fingers are moving relatively smoothly between the buttons, and your bellows are being pushed and pulled rhythmically, without undue hesitation, and you are using the air button as needed, and you are comfortable doing so. All of this will take time, of course.
4. Further develop the melody, aided by youTube videos
As you gain experience and reach a comfort level with your accordion, you will probably be able to do this activity much more quickly, and use these videos mainly as an aid to learning by "ear". In the meanwhile, they provide a means of further developing the melodic rhythm. Here is how.
As you gain experience and reach a comfort level with your accordion, you will probably be able to do this activity much more quickly, and use these videos mainly as an aid to learning by "ear". In the meanwhile, they provide a means of further developing the melodic rhythm. Here is how.
- Match the melody you wish to learn with one of the youTube videos (in a key that is matched to one of the rows on your accordion).
- Play along with the video, adapting to its pace and rhythm, following the accordion notation, as necessary. For some song-melodies the notation may be easier to follow if the youTube play-back speed is initially cut to 50%, or, as you progress, to 75%.
- Practice until you are satisfied with the result.
5. Play the melody partly by "ear" (along with youTube)
To be able to play melodies by "ear" (or memory) is a common goal for students of the accordion..
Playing along with one of the youTube videos will help, even if you have to look at the accordion notation frequently.
TIME AND PATIENCE
As has been stated, all of this takes time and patience.
It is important to start slowly, using a larger number of short practice sessions rather than a smaller number of long ones. Playing the accordion is a physical, as well as a musical, activity; for some people this may involve the slow and gradual strengthening of certain finger, hand, arm, shoulder, neck and back muscles. Give your muscles time to recover between playing sessions. Don't over-do it. Make sure that it is pain-free and FUN!
To be able to play melodies by "ear" (or memory) is a common goal for students of the accordion..
Playing along with one of the youTube videos will help, even if you have to look at the accordion notation frequently.
TIME AND PATIENCE
As has been stated, all of this takes time and patience.
It is important to start slowly, using a larger number of short practice sessions rather than a smaller number of long ones. Playing the accordion is a physical, as well as a musical, activity; for some people this may involve the slow and gradual strengthening of certain finger, hand, arm, shoulder, neck and back muscles. Give your muscles time to recover between playing sessions. Don't over-do it. Make sure that it is pain-free and FUN!