Button-Accordion Tunes 2 Play 4 Fun
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    • BA1-main
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    • BA5-main >
      • BA5-Unit 4 >
        • I walk the line
        • I saw three ships
        • Norwegian Wood
        • Home_on_the_range
        • Blessed_Assurance
        • Down_in_the_valley
        • Heave_away
        • Old flames
        • Wonderful_words_of_life
        • Connemara Cradle
    • BA6-main
  • Canada
    • 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.
      • Marys_lullaby
      • Mummers song
      • Old_Christmas_waltz
    • BY "EAR" >
      • Bluebirds_sing
      • Capelin time
      • From an island to an island
      • Land_and_Sea_Theme
      • Land_of_fish_and_seals
      • Light and Power Boys
      • (The) Music takes me back
      • Mussels in the corner
      • Newfoundland_waltz
  • USA
    • 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
      • Far-Side Banks of Jordan
      • 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
      • We shall overcome
      • 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
    • Australia - older >
      • Waltzing_Matilda
    • (The) Bahamas >
      • Sloop_John_B
    • England - newer >
      • Bread_and_Fishes
      • Fiddler's Green
      • Let it be
      • Let me be there
      • Norwegian Wood
      • Streets_of_London
      • World_of_our_own
    • England - older >
      • Dirty_old_town
      • Drink to me only ...
      • Girl_I_left_behind
      • Heave_away
      • It's a long way to Tipperary
      • Jerusalem
      • 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
      • Connemara Cradle
      • Danny Boy
      • Galway Bay
      • Galway Shawl
      • Home by Bearna
      • Irish washerwoman
      • Maid in the Garrett
      • Molly Malone
      • My wild Irish Rose
      • Red_is_the_rose
      • Rocky Road to Dublin
      • 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
      • Comin' through the rye
      • 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
      • Beautiful Sunday
      • 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
  • Dance Tunes
    • Jig family >
      • Auntie Mary (Cock of the North)
      • Father O'Flynn
      • Garryowen
      • Haste to the wedding
      • Hundred Pipers
      • Irish washerwoman
      • The Kesh
      • Larry O'Gaff
      • Pop Goes The Weasel
      • Up_the_pond
    • Reel family >
      • Aunt_Rubys_garden
      • Aunt_Rubys_garden (guitar)
      • I rowed up in a dory
      • Maple-sugar-reel
      • Maxwell's rant
      • Pretty_little_Mary
    • Marches >
      • Banks of Newfoundland (Up the Pond)
      • Cock of the North (Auntie Mary)
  • 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, Open My Heart
      • 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 ...
      • Make_Me_A_Channel_Of_
      • Precious_Lord_take_my_hand
      • Softly and tenderly
      • Take time to be holy
      • Trust and Obey
      • 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
    • (My Darling) Clementine
    • Frere Jacques
    • If you're happy
    • London_Bridge
    • Mary had a little lamb
    • Pop Goes The Weasel
    • Twinkle little star
    • Where has my little dog gone
Rhythmic  NOTATION

This may look like music "theory", but it is really button-accordion "reality", except for the references to time signatures (such as 2/2, 3/4, etc.).  We prefer, up front, to identify the beat symbol and state the number of beats per bar, using simple English.  

An example for Part 2 below:
                                               Number of beats per bar = 3
                                               Beat symbol = the period, or dot  ( . )


Back to BA1-Unit 8
1.  Bars - Where Beat Intervals are Grouped.

Up to this point, our notation has focused on playing the treble (right-side) buttons, giving us melody and melodic rhythm.  Now we need a notation that will guide the playing of the left-side (bass and chord) buttons, to accent the "beat".  

We will use the bar (or measure) notation, where groups of beat intervals are separated by vertical bar lines for this purpose.  Unless otherwise indicated, each bar in a tune contains an equal number of uniform beat intervals.  For example,
​
  • if the time signature is 3/4, indicating three beat intervals in each bar, the groupings might look like    | .3   .4    .5  | .:6  | .:7* | .6*  .5*  .5  |  .:5*  |  .:5   |       with three dots (or periods) in each bar.

  • if the time signature is 4/4, the groupings might look like    |  .4    .4    .4*  .5  |   :4*   .4   .3*  |   where there are four dots (or periods), indicating four uniform beat intervals, in each bar.

  • if a note is to be held for more than the designated duration, the button number will be followed by the tilde symbol, such as   | .:6~ |  .5*  :4  |  where button 6 in the first bar is held for more than three beats, but the tune returns to three beat intervals in the next bar.  Unless otherwise indicated, the player decides how much longer to hold button 6.

  • if a note is carried over from one bar to another, it could be written as    |   .:5~ | ~:    .4   |    showing  that button 5 is held for a total count of 5 beats (three in the first bar and two in the second bar) and then button 4 is played for one beat interval to complete that bar.

The bars can help the accordion player use the left-side buttons to establish an underlying or basic rhythm, commonly called the "beat".   The first beat in a bar is normally given a greater emphasis than the other beats.  Possibilities include:

  • Playing the bass button on the first beat, followed by the chord button on the second beat, and so on, appropriately matching the bass and chord buttons to the key being played.

  • Playing the first button louder than the second button which follows it.

In general it is not a good idea to hold the bass or chord button for too long, as you tend to run out of air-flow.  Thus short taps using the first option above (sometimes augmented by the second) may be better. 
  • In 2/2 time or 2/4 time, the left-hand rhythm is commonly  | Bass-Chord | Bass-Chord |  Bass-Chord |, where each Bass note is given the same emphasis.  (Covered in Unit 8 of our mini-course)

  • In 3/4 time, the left hand often follows the rhythmic pattern  | Bass-Chord-Chord | in each bar.  (Covered in Unit 9 of our mini-course.)

  • In 4/4 time, the left-hand rhythmic pattern is commonly  | Bass-Chord-Bass-Chord |,   where the first Bass is given greater emphasis than the second Bass, which is different from the chord. 
  • An alternate 4/4 pattern is   | Bass-Chord-Chord-Chord.  (Covered in Unit 10 of our mini-course)
​
An ASIDE: 
Bars (or measures) are even more important for an ensemble of multiple instruments (as in a band or an orchestra).  Here the beats in each bar, with their different emphases, help to keep the instruments playing together, so that notes that are intended to be played together by different instruments, actually are.

2.   Bar Example - Morning Has Broken
    
 Each bar (between the vertical bar lines "|" ) is a counting region, where we play the BASS and CHORD buttons.  Because these button locations vary with accordion type and musical key(s), we cannot be more specific in the general Accordion Notation.  
The Haley Westenra youTube video at right is in the key of C for verses 1 & 2, then in D for verse 3, returning to C for a final singing of verse 1.  
   
It follows a 1 - 2 - 3 (waltz) pattern, which can be illustrated as follows for the first line:

    Sing      Play R.H.     Count      Tap L.H.
   "Mor-"          .3              1           BASS
  "-ning"          .4               2          CHORD
   "has"           .5               3          CHORD


  Sing      Hold R.H.     Count      Tap L.H.
 "bro-"          .:6               1            BASS
                                       2           CHORD
                                       3           CHORD
 

  Sing      Hold R.H.     Count      Tap L.H.
 "-ken"         .:7*              1           BASS
                                       2           CHORD
                                       3           CHORD


  Sing      Play R.H.     Count      Tap L.H.
 "like"           .6*              1            BASS
 "the"           .5*              2            CHORD
 "first"          .5               3            CHORD


  Sing      Hold R.H.     Count      Tap L.H.
 "mor-"         .:5*             1           BASS
                                      2           CHORD
                                      3           CHORD
 

  Sing      Hold R.H.     Count      Tap L.H.
"-ning"         .:5               1            BASS
                                       2           CHORD
                                       3           CHORD


Morning Has Broken  (Time signature: 3/4)

|   .3    .4     .5  |  .:6  | .:7*  | .6*   .5*   .5   |  .:5*  |  .:5   |
  Mor-ning has   bro -  ken,  like  the  first    mor  - ning,

|   .3     .4      .5   |  .:5   |  .:5*  |  .5    .4     .3   |  .:3*~|~ .:  |
  Black-bird  has    spo -  ken,    like  the  first    bird.

|   .5    .4    .5  |  .:6   |  .:5*   |    .5      .4   .3* |   .:3   |   .:3*  |
Praise for the    sing  -  ing,    praise  for  the    mor  -  ning,

|   .4     .3*   .4   |   .:5     |  .:5*  |   .3*    .4    .3*  |   .:3~|~.:  |
 Praise for them  spring -  ing     fresh from the    world.

Note that at the end of the second line, you sing "bird" while playing .:3*~ for a count of three, and then continue to hold this note  ( 3* ) for an additional count of three ( ~.: ).  There is a similar carry-over of the .:3~ note at the end of the fourth line.
Continue with the remaining lines, following the same uniform 1-2-3 counting and BASS-CHORD-CHORD tapping rhythm for each bar in the song.  Don't be discouraged if it feels "impossible" at first to do different things with the two hands ... keep trying and your brain and fingers should eventually get into it.

Remember that the left hand is providing a beat rhythm, so don't hold the left hand notes too long, just tap (perhaps, as though you were a slow one-handed drummer).   Apart from not sounding quite right, "holding" the left hand notes too long for some tunes can cause you to quickly run out of air, closing, or dangerously extending, the bellows to its limits.



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