The Music
The first score shows the notes in standard notation with the button numbers above. Pay careful attention to the phrases where you are crossing rows whist keeping the bellows direction constant. There are no mid-bar bellows direction changes which means it is possible to keep the tune sounding very smooth.
The chords for the tune are shown here, above the stave. Notice that it requires both an Am and Bm chord. These are not available from the 'normal' button combinations and must be formed by playing 'cross chords'
Am is formed from playing the A pull bass note and the C pull chord simultaneously.
Bm is formed from playing the B push bass note and the D push chord simultaneously.
These are both indicated in the video below.
Why do you lift your fingers so high from the keys? This produces a very bad, distracting clicking sound. I play the accordion and english concertina and have noticed many people with your style of playing. Instead of having a staccato style to your bass playing try a more rythmic roll, especially with your bass playing.
ReplyDeletecheers Hanz
I lift my fingers higher in the videos than I do when I play so that it is clear which buttons I am pressing. If you read other blog posts I do mention the reasons for doing this.
ReplyDeleteThis blog is primarily teaching material I use for my lessons - this one was designed for a student who was just starting to use the basses and playing in 3/4. For this reason, again, the basses are very staccato providing a 1 2 3 rhythm with the bass note emphasising the first beat of the bar.
Piano accordion and English concertina are very different instruments from the melodeon and hence have a very different sounds and approaches, especially when it comes to teaching.
I also find that the button noise of a melodeon is amplified disproportionally when recorded via a laptop microphone and then compressed by YouTube, this accounts for some of the 'clack' on the recording.
Luca
Luca said:
ReplyDeleteso that it is clear which buttons I am pressing.
Quite right too!! full marks and not enough teachers think this thru.
May I suggest a tweak Luca?
Film from above and beind (tripod or shelf above you) to show even more of fingers and also allow learner to view buttons as YOU are viewing them -- rather than them reversing everything in their brain finger coordination.
here's an example tho not the best:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgsiZTnN5UE
and
Another finger lifting site is at
http://www.playintune.net/fr
and this can be rotated to view from the players perspective with
i-rotate free from www.entechtTaiwan.com
Keep up the good work!
I-rotate also works on your video to make it easier (I just tried it on the right hand)
ReplyDeleteSORRY! - ADDED AN EXTRA 'T'
ReplyDeleteshould be
www.entechTaiwan.com