Button-Accordion Project

(Dual-row G-C or A-D, with Accidentals)
Based on  tunes2play4fun.com  &  Facilitated by ZOOM

MINI-COURSE BA1
The Button Accordion, its Music & Notation

UNIT SIX (of TEN)
​Harmony and Preparation for Unit Eight

Return to BA1 - Unit 6
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                                                                                   SLIDES   &   COMMENTS
​Slide 1 

Welcome to Unit 6 of BA1​

Unit 6 provides an introduction to harmony, introduces four new melodies, all as a preparation for Unit 8 which provides an introduction to tunes with two beats per bar.

​Slide 2  
Picture
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Units 2 to 5 covered "melodies"
Units 7 to 10 cover "tunes"

Unit 6 is a "bridge" from melodies to tunes.

​Slide 3  
We'll begin with a brief exploration of harmony.

Although HARMONY is important in accordion music, our exploration in this BA1 mini-course will be rather limited.  First, we'll attempt a description of musical harmony.

​Slide 4 
We may think of melody as the tune's dominant musical movement through time.

We may think of harmony as  musical windows in time.

Rhythm is related to the tune's melodic and harmonic patterns in time.

Harmony makes an important contribution to the listener's response to the music.
​Musical responses are, of course, subjective.  What one person hears as pleasantly harmonious may be somewhat painful to someone else.

Composers can include both consonance and dissonance in their choices of notes and chords, to achieve various emotional and intellectual responses.
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​Slide 5  
A "wee" bit of music theory and info, using the simplest  major scale (C), played on the white keys on a piano.

It has been known for at least 2500 years, thanks to a fellow named Pythagoras, that notes will sound great together if their pitches (or frequencies) are related by simple ratios, as shown by the percentages at left (middle).
However, for real-world instruments, covering multiple scales and keys, such as a piano (and your accordion), it is not so simple; compromises have to be made.  The music community is, for the most part, in agreement that the (equal-temperament) compromise, as represented by the percentages at the bottom of the above slide, is the most suitable of the potential compromises.
​Slide 6 
The C major scale can be played on the inside row of your G/C accordion, using buttons 3 to 6  (or, alternately, buttons 6 to 9, plus 10*).

Nothing to memorize here ... it is just to make the point that even the most perfectly manufactured (& terribly expensive) accordions cannot achieve "optimum" consonance within the scale.  Bear this in mind as we move on to the next slides on treble harmony.
​Slide 7 
This slide lists the pairs of notes (mostly from the C major scale) that we will be listening to, with an "ear" to gauging levels of consonance & dissonance.

The blue is generally held to be consonant and the red to be dissonant.  

​Slide 8 
The earliest button accordion (about 200 years ago) didn't have any bass-end buttons.
Perhaps it is right to call it an ACCORDION because there are at least 15 popular three-note chords (triads) and at least 11 four-note chords that can be played using the treble buttons on a 21-button dual-row with accidentals.  

That is the point of the slide at left.  Nothing to memorize.

Slide 9 
Only two treble chords, G & C (major) are featured in this BA1 mini-course.

In future courses (should there be any), other treble chords may be utilized.

​Slides 10  
An alternate ending to the last verse of "Red River Valley".

So, instead of holding only button 6 (push) for six beat intervals (as was done earlier), we start with button 6 for two beat intervals, and, while continuing to keep 6 pressed, we press buttons 3, 4 & 5 and keep them pressed, along with button 6, for four more beat intervals.
 
​Slide 11   
We are particularly interested in harmony as it applies to matching the treble and bass-end buttons of our accordions.

​We'll first focus on the outside row of buttons on the bass-end.

​This is an important prelude to playing tunes.

Recall that tunes contain melody, harmony and rhythm.
Slide 12 
An alternate ending to the last verse of "When the Saints Go Marching In".

So, instead of holding button 3 (push) for four beat intervals (as was done earlier), we start with button 3 for one beat interval, and, while continuing to keep 3 pressed, we press an outside chord button on the bass-end. (Chord button 1 if we are using the outside treble row, and chord button 3 for the inside treble row)
Slide 13  
Although the relationship between bass-end notes and chords and treble notes were briefly highlighted earlier in our mini-course, it bears repeating.

DEMO:  With your mikes muted, play and listen as we press buttons 2 to 11 on the outside row and buttons 2 to 10 on the inside row, one after the other, accompanied by the appropriate bass-end buttons, for both pushes and pulls of the bellows.

​Slide 14
My observation that "all the matches on the push are pleasant" is, of course, subjective.

There are wide variations both among cultures and within cultures as to which musical sounds are pleasant and which are unpleasant.
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​Slide 15 
This is also true of my observation that "there is mostly a pleasant match" on the pull." 

To me, some are very pleasant, and others are merely somewhat pleasant.
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​Slide 16
However, I believe that they are pleasant enough for the two conclusions I have stated at left.

This is important as we prepare for Units 7 to 10.

Slide 17 
Merely a suggestion:

Pick one or two from the nine melodies listed here and below to practice until they are smooth and comfortable.

That way, when we start playing the bass buttons, you won't have to keep looking at the accordion notation for the right-hand treble notes, but can instead focus on the left hand and fingers.

Slide 18 
See web site for additional verses.

​Slide 19
​See web site for additional verses.
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​Slide 20
I've included four new melodies for the following two reasons:

1.  Not everyone may want to start playing the bass-end buttons at this time, but would prefer to learn more melodies.

2.  If, and when, you are ready to focus on tunes, playing with both hands, these selections can provide a suitable next-step.

​Slide 21 
This is a classic song-melody,
and is used by many accordion tutors to introduce left-hand bass notes & chords.

​Slide 22 (Topic 5e)
See web site for additional verses.
Slide 23
See web site for additional verses.
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​Slide 24
See web site for remainder of the melody
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Slide 25
See web site for additional verses.
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Slide 26
See web site for additional verses.
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Slide 27
This melody is also used as a doxology in many churches, sometimes titled "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow".
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Slide 28
Unit 7 is a preparation for Units 8 to 10, and for your future efforts to smoothly include the bass buttons in your play.

Continue to practice the selection(s) you have chosen from list 2 at left.

Feel free to also practice one or more melodies from list 3 (optional) at left, especially if you are primarily interested in adding to your collection of melodies at this time.
Slide 29
The "Beginners" part of this web site includes these slides with commentary, as well as additional materials.
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