Button-Accordion Tunes 2 Play 4 Fun
  • Home
    • Heads-Up
    • Most Recent Tunes
    • Sources - Melody, Chords & Lyrics
  • Search
  • BA-Tut.
    • BA1-Main
    • BA2-Main
  • Info
    • Introduction to Site
    • Intro to youTube
    • Intro to Button Accordions
    • Intro to Accordion Music
    • Basic ACCORDION MUSIC
    • Basic BUTTON LAYOUT
    • Basic NOTATION
    • Basic PRACTICE ideas
    • Intermediate MUSIC
    • Intermediate LAYOUT
    • Intermediate NOTATION
    • Intermediate PRACTICE
    • Advanced MUSIC
    • Advanced LAYOUT
    • Advanced NOTATION
    • Advanced PRACTICE
    • Accordion Links
  • CANADA
    • JIGS & REELS >
      • Auntie Mary
      • Aunt_Rubys_garden
      • I rowed up in a dory
      • Maple-sugar-reel
      • Pretty_little_Mary
      • Up_the_pond
    • NL - newer >
      • Candlelight_and_Wine
      • Fishing_in_a_dory
      • Grey foggy day
      • Joe Batt's Arm longliners
      • Loss of the Marion
      • Music and friends
      • Northern Lights of Labrador
      • Outport people
      • Rose in her hair.
      • Rubber_boots
      • Saltwater joys
      • Song for Newfoundland
      • Sonny's dream
      • Surrounded_by_water
      • Take me to the country
      • The St. John's Waltz
      • This Is My Home
      • Towards_the_sunset
      • Woman of Labrador
    • NL - older >
      • Badger_drive
      • Cliffs of Baccalieu
      • Feller from Fortune
      • Great big sea hove in ...
      • Harbour Le Cou
      • I'se The B'y
      • Jack was every inch a sailor
      • Kelligrew's Soiree
      • Let me fish off Cape St Mary's
      • Lukey's boat
      • Now I'm 64
      • Ode to Newfoundland
      • Old Brown's daughter
      • Old Polina
      • Paddy and the whale
      • Ryans and Pittmans
      • Squid jiggin' ground
      • Star of Logy Bay
      • Sweet forget-me-not
      • Tiny Red Light
    • OTHER - newer >
      • Both_sides_now
      • Did_she_mention_my_name
      • (The) Farmer's Song
      • Four strong winds
      • I'm movin' on
      • Log_drivers_waltz
      • Make_n_Break_Harbour
      • Sea-People
      • Song-for-Mira
      • Working-man
    • OTHER - older >
      • Bluebird
      • Farewell_to_NS
      • Maggie
      • O Canada
      • Peggy Gordon
      • Red River Valley
    • Christmas Songs >
      • (A) Children's Winter
      • Christmas_fancy
      • Christmas in the harbour.
      • Mummers song
      • Old_Christmas_waltz
    • BY "EAR" >
      • Bluebirds_sing
      • Capelin time
      • From an island to an island
      • Land_of_fish_and_seals
      • Light and Power Boys
      • (The) Music takes me back
      • Mussels in the corner
      • Newfoundland_waltz
  • U.S.A.
    • USA - newer >
      • Adios_Amigo
      • Annie's song
      • Ballad of the Green Berets
      • Blowing in the wind
      • Blue eyes crying in the rain
      • Bridge over troubled water
      • Bye bye love
      • Country roads
      • Crystal Chandeliers
      • Four thousand years ago
      • Have I told you lately that I ...
      • I can't stop loving you
      • I overlooked an orchid
      • I recall a gypsy woman
      • I walk the line
      • Me and Bobby McGee
      • Missing in action
      • Moon River
      • Old flames
      • Rambling Rose
      • Ring_of_fire
      • Roses are red my love
      • Send me the pillow ...
      • Try _a_ little_kindness
      • Waltz across Texas
      • What a wonderful world
      • You're my best friend
    • USA - older >
      • America the beautiful
      • Billy_Boy
      • Careless_love
      • Down_in_the_valley
      • Hammer_song
      • Happy Birthday
      • Home_on_the_range
      • My grandfather's clock
      • Oh, what a beautiful morning
      • Old_lamplighter
      • Old_Smokey
      • Shenandoah
      • Star-Spangled Banner
      • Streets of Laredo
      • Tennessee_waltz
      • This land is your land
      • Wabash cannon ball
      • Wildwood flower
      • Worried man blues
      • Yellow_Rose_of_Texas
      • You are my sunshine
    • Christmas Songs >
      • An old Christmas card
      • Frosty the Snowman
      • Here comes Santa Claus
      • Jingle Bells
      • Jolly old St. Nicholas
      • Must be Santa
      • Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
      • Silver Bells
    • BY "EAR" >
      • Edelweiss
      • If I should fall behind
      • Mary Ann regrets
      • Oh so many years
      • You're the nearest thing to Heaven
  • WORLD
    • JIGS & REELS >
      • Irish washerwoman
    • Australia - older >
      • Waltzing_Matilda
    • England - newer >
      • Bread_and_Fishes
      • Fiddler's Green
      • Let it be
      • Let me be there
      • Streets_of_London
      • World_of_our_own
    • England - older >
      • Dirty_old_town
      • Drink to me only ...
      • Girl_I_left_behind
      • It's a long way to Tipperary
      • Long_long_ago
      • Navvy_boots
      • Scarborough Fair
    • Germany- newer >
      • A_little_peace
    • Germany- older >
      • Brahms_lullaby
    • Ireland - newer >
      • After all these years
      • (The) Ferryman
      • Fields of Athenry
      • Gypsy Rover
      • My lovely Rose of Clare
      • Nancy Spain
      • Roads of Kildare
      • Rose of Mooncoin
      • Town_of_Ballybay
    • Ireland - older >
      • Black velvet band
      • Come back Paddy Reillly
      • Danny Boy
      • Galway Bay
      • Galway Shawl
      • Irish washerwoman
      • Maid in the Garrett
      • Molly Malone
      • My wild Irish Rose
      • Red_is_the_rose
      • Rose of Aranmore
      • Wild_Colonial_Boy
      • Wild Rover
    • Norway >
      • You_raise_me_up
    • Scotland - newer >
      • Come by the hills
      • It's a dream come true
      • Mull of Kintyre
      • We'll meet again my friends
    • Scotland -older >
      • Auld Lang Syne - New Year's
      • Cock o the North /Aunt Mary
      • Loch_Lomond
      • Miari's Wedding
      • My_Bonnie
      • Road to the isles
      • Wild mountain thyme
    • Wales-older >
      • The Ash Grove
      • Sweet_Jenny_Jones
    • Mixed origins >
      • Jolly good fellow
    • Christmas Songs >
      • Christmas in Killarney
      • Deck the hall
      • Good_King_Wenceslas
      • We wish you a Merry Christmas
    • BY "EAR" >
      • Among the Wicklow Hills
      • Hills of Glenshee
      • In an Irish country home
      • It's good to see you
      • Love me when I'm old ...
      • My homeland
      • The little shirt my Mother made for me
      • Going out the same way you came in
  • GOSPEL
    • Songs - newer >
      • Because He lives
      • God on the mountain
      • He touched me
      • I_know_who_holds_tomorrow
      • It is no secret
      • May_the_Good_Lord_bless
      • Millenium Prayer
      • One day at a time
      • 'Till the storm passes by
      • Unclouded Day
      • Will you walk with me
      • Wings of a dove
    • Songs - older >
      • Beautiful isle of somewhere
      • Church in the wildwood
      • Count your blessings
      • Do Lord
      • Give me oil for my lamp
      • Higher ground
      • How beautiful Heaven must be
      • I'll fly away
      • In the sweet by and by
      • Just a closer walk with Thee
      • Keep on the Sunny Side
      • Kum ba yah
      • Let_the_lower_lights
      • Life is like a mountain railroad
      • Mine eyes have seen the glory
      • Precious memories
      • Shall we gather at the river
      • Standing in the need of prayer
      • Stranger of Galilee
      • When the roll is called up yonder
      • When the Saints go marching in
      • Whispering hope
    • Hymns - newer >
      • Give_to_us_laughter
      • Here I am Lord
      • How great Thou art
      • Jesus you have come to the lakeshore
      • Morning has broken
      • Pass it on
      • Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness
    • Hymns -older >
      • All people that on earth
      • Amazing Grace
      • Be Thou My Vision
      • Blessed_Assurance
      • Crown_Him_with_many_crowns
      • For_the_beauty
      • In the garden
      • I love to tell the story
      • Immortal_invisible
      • Jesus loves me
      • Joyful, joyful, We ...
      • Precious_Lord_take_my_hand
      • Softly and tenderly
      • Take time to be holy
      • We love the place O God
      • What a Friend we have in Jesus
      • Will your anchor hold
      • Wonderful_words_of_life
    • Christmas Carols >
      • Away in a manger (JRM)
      • Away in a manger (WJK)
      • The First Noel
      • The friendly beasts
      • Go, tell it on the mountain
      • Hark the herald angels sing
      • I heard the bells (Marks)
      • I saw three ships
      • Joy to the world
      • Mary's Little Boy Child
      • O come, all ye faithful
      • O little town of Bethlehem
      • Silent Night
      • When a child is born
    • BY "EAR" >
      • Lord, don't give up on me
  • KIDS
    • Billy_Boy
    • BINGO
    • Frere Jacques
    • If you're happy
    • London_Bridge
    • Mary had a little lamb
    • Twinkle little star
    • Where has my little dog gone

  CLIMBING MELODY MOUNTAIN

Return to BA1 - Unit 2

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.
  1. If you don't already know the melody, learn it by listening as many times as needed. 
  2. Exercise your right-hand (treble) fingers on the accordion.
  3. Practice the melody, using the button-accordion notation.
  4. Further develop the melodic rhythm and pace, with the aid of a youTube video.
  5. 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".
​
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.​
​
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.
  • Before playing, take a few moments to consider the melody's rhythmic features.  Starting with Unit 2, 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.
  • 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!

Go to Top of Page
Return to BA1 - Unit 2


NOTE  1 - Copyright:
​Most of 
the contents of this site, in print, audio and video formats, is "copyright" protected.   
Users are responsible for ensuring that their usage is permitted by Canadian and international copyright law and agreements.  Check the Heads-Up (Read & Heed) button on the home page for additional information.

NOTE 2 - Composers, Performers & Publishers:
Though not revenue generating
, this non-profit educational site high-lights and celebrates some of my favorite composers, performers, and publishers, and encourages you to purchase their products, as I have done and continue to do, whether in paper, CD or electronic formats.
​

DISCLAIMER 1:  Browser Compatibility:
This site has been tested on the 2020 Chrome, Edge and Brave browsers without problem.  However my current (January 2021) Firefox browser does not always properly align the button notes with its corresponding lyrics.

DISCLAIMER 2 - Errors & Omissions:
Many of these tune pages are still in early stages of development, probably with many errors and omissions.  Make corrections as needed.

Copyright © 2015