How to Play the Accordion
The accordion is one of the most interesting instruments, a combination of a piano keyboard, with pull and push to get the sounds out of the according. It takes strength and patience to play, but once you learn, you will enjoy it. This is one instrument that can easily be taken with you to all party functions...and makes a great accompaniment for sing-a-longs.
Stand behind the accordion so that the piano keys are on your right, facing away from you. Slip your arms into each strap so that the accordion is well supported on each shoulder.Once you are wearing the accordion, slip your left hand underneath the smaller strap on the left side of the accordion. Now you are in position to play
Undo the safety buckles (one on top and one on the bottom). Do not push or pull on the accordion yet.
While pressing down a key on the piano keyboard let the accordion fall open, supporting it with your left hand. (The right side of the accordion does not move).
It is possible to play music and even perform knowing this much. If you ever had piano lessons as a kid and you know your way around the keyboard you are ready to go. Try playing without looking down at your right hand. From this angle it doesn't help much to look anyway, so try to get comfortable with playing by feel, sort of like typing without looking at your fingers.
Feel under your left hand, the bass and chord buttons are organized in rows parallel to the floor. Find the bass C button. It will have a slight indentation and will be on the second row from the bellows. Some models have multiple buttons with indentations. If yours is one of them, the C is located in the middle of the bass panel, again, on the second row from the bellows.
Hold down this button, play a C scale with the right hand. You'll notice that the accordion falls open much quicker than before and ultimately you will have to push with the left hand to continue to play. After some practice this will become second nature. Eventually, you won't have to think about pushing or pulling at all.
Understand that the bass and chord functions in the left hand are a bit more complicated and require a simple knowledge of chord structure and theory.
The rows of buttons move up in fifths and down in fourths. This makes it simple to play a song with a 1-4-5 progression. For example, F and G are the buttons directly below and above (respectively) the middle-C button.There are six buttons in each row. Each row of buttons contains, in order: the third, the root, the root chord with the fifth in the base, a minor third chord, a dominant seventh chord and a diminished chord.
Play around with these until you get comfortable with each key, their respective chords and moving from row to row. Listen to different styles of accordion music to hear how the left hand is played. For instance in a waltz it is common to alternate (in the key of C) between C and G on the down beats with the two upbeats being on the C chord button with G in the root (the button immediately following middle C).
