How to Play the Keyboard

Here is a basic outline on how to play a keyboard, in addition to opinions on why you should buy one and how the keyboard measures up to the digital piano. This article will explain how to play the keyboard, how much easier a keyboard is to learn than a piano, and how the keyboard gives you more playing options than similar instruments, like the digital piano. This also tells you about performing in bands or solo.

When first positioning your fingers, please be aware that some sheet music has little numbers, which represent each finger placement next to some black dot notes on the sheet music stave. These are 1= THUMB, 2=INDEX (pointing finger), 3=MIDDLE FINGER, 4=4Th or ring finger, and 5=LITTLE FINGER. This sheet music shows you, by placement of these numbers, which fingers play either the white or the black keys.
Learn how to read sheet music first.
Play a tune on the keyboard in 1 of 2 ways: either play a song you remember "by ear," or follow the sheet music.
Learn to play "by ear." Remembering the sound of a song and finding which notes on the keyboard to press is not easy to do. Here is how you can start.

Sound Colours. Particular songs are closest to one of 12 "sound colours." If you know DO RE ME FAH SOH LA TI DOH or the song "Doe a deer a female deer," then press a C to begin (again see the fingering exercise linked below to find out where this is.) Now sing the next note UP while pressing each WHITE note to the RIGHT of the C on the keyboard. Play the following notes: C= doh D=re E=Me F=Fah G=Sol A=Lah B=Ti C= DOh again. You have just sung or played one of those 12 colours!
Key of C: The entire combination of notes is called the key of C. When your ear is good and practiced, you then begin to recognise some songs on the radio as "fitting" into the Key of C. You will need to know that there are another 12 quite different keys to recognise and that some songs might "fit".
Think of the keyboard as having 3 kinds of "brains," each of which is a type of memory. The first type of brain is called a sound brain, or more commonly known as a tone. This works by storing all the sounds like pianos, strings, flute, and even combines some of these tones to make new ones like "fantasy" or "synthesized " keyboard sounds. A 2nd sound brain is known as the "rhythm brain," called "rhythms" on some keyboards or "styles " on others. Here the keyboard sets off a whole little band of drums, bass guitar, piano and other combinations and allows you to play a right hand melody along with it. The other kind of keyboard brain or memory records what you play. For instance, if you played a left hand Bass guitar part, you could later play accompaniment with that. You could then play something entirely new, like a piano or voice melody, to "fit together" with what you originally recorded.
Decide between keyboards versus digital pianos. Consider the following:

Learning to play the keyboard seems easier than learning to play the piano in some ways. Some beginners find playing a keyboard easier to learn because they can play a larger variety of music, like pop, rock, country and jazz.
Don't confuse a keyboard with a synthesiser or a digital piano. These instruments have different abilities.
Classical music sounds far better played on a piano than a keyboard. A digital piano is comparable to a piano, but doesn't operate like a keyboard. A keyboard is more like a one-man band, and a fun way to learn music as a beginner.
Try taking it up a notch, play in a band. Get a couple of friends who can play drums and a another one who plays guitar. With the instruments, the guitar does chords in C major, the keyboard does the C major scale, and the drums outlines the rhythm patterns.

Try and learn from people who know.
Avoid silly mistakes, especially in performing.
Don't expect to learn overnight. Mozart and Beethoven didn't learn things quickly, so practice.
You can choose any instruments in the keyboard, but the properties of the sound differ to other instruments. Like the tie in in the piano. If you do this when you select the trumpet, the sound will stal forever.

How to Play the Concertina

The Concertina is a free reed instrument with a bellows similar to an accordion. It is smaller, lighter, and a little more difficult to play.

Decide what kind of concertina to play. Anglo-German or English are the two most available.
Procure a concertina. Buy, rent, or borrow one.
Learn about the fingerings for your particular concertina. The website www.concertina.com is a good place to start.
Get a book of simple songs, or even a specific book for your concertina. "Del Rey's Deluxe Concertina Book" is older, widely available, and good for the Anglo concertina. "The Concertina: A Handbook and Tutor for Beginners on the English Concertina" can be found on the concertina.com webpage.
Learn how to use the bellows. Gently pull the bellows or push the bellows while holding down individual buttons. Don't worry about playing specific chords when you start. Concentrate on first making a scale from "C to C". If you aren't able to get the basic 8 note scale, or octave ("oct"=8) you will have a difficult time learning songs.
Learn a few simple songs with melodies that you know in your head. If you can't read music you can learn how to play by ear as well.
Practice. Practice. Practice!
Get a friend who plays the guitar to play chords for you while you play melodies. If you can download sheet music on the internet you can find notes and chords to match. Most songbooks or "fakebooks" have simple melodies with chords.
Study the history of the concertina so that you can be a proud concertina player!
Search YouTube for "concertina". There are quite a few good tutorials there, as well as talented performers to help give you an idea of what can be played.

Search YouTube for "concertina". There are quite a few good tutorials there, as well as talented performers to help give you an idea of what can be played.

There are several types of concertinas, but you'll likely only run across the two major ones: Anglo-German and English. The Anglo concertina plays different notes on push and pull (diatonic, much like a harmonica) whereas an English concertina plays the same notes on push and pull (chromatic, like a piano accordion). The easiest way to tell the two apart from pictures is that the Anglo has a wrist-strap while the English has a thumb strap with a metal "J" at the bottom for the pinky finger.
An Anglo is good for Irish music or folk music, with push/pull on the bellows quickly changing the notes. An English is more versatile having additional buttons for the accidentals (sharps and flats). If you are used to playing accordion or want more choices in the music you play choose an English.
Look through eBay for one on sale, ask your local musicians where you could rent one, or ask if anyone happens to have one from their grandpa in an attic that you might borrow. There are a lot of expensive or antique concertinas out there (1800's-1900's) so don't be dismayed to see concertinas selling in the multiple-thousands of dollars. A good starter instrument should run from $80-$200.
An Anglo will typically have a particular chord associated with it "C/G" or "G/D" for example, and have rows of chords. An English will have columns of buttons, the middle 2 columns are the natural or "white notes", and the outer two columns of buttons are the accidentals. A 30 button English will have some missing places for sharps/flats, whereas a 48 button English should have all 4 columns filled with buttons.
The number one producer of accordions and concertinas in the 21st century is China and you may see die hard concertina players grumbling about the quality of Chinese instruments. Don't get the cheapest one available, but you don't need to spend more than $200 on a starter instrument.
There are some producers of concertinas in the United States and Europe. If you eventually get to the the point where you wish a high quality instrument, seek out one of these manufacturers. These tend to be private individuals making them rather than mass produced, so the quality can be high but also more expensive.
A concertina has about the same range as a violin. Sheet music for the violin is playable on the concertina.
Chords are playable on concertinas, but start with simple melodies first. On an English or Duet concertina just about any major or minor chord can be made, if you are dexterous enough. An Anglo is more limited in that regard.
English concertinas tend to be a little more expensive than Anglos: More reeds and buttons!
Because it is diatonic (different note on push/pull) an Anglo can be more difficult to play for experienced musicians with other instruments. A lot depends on the type of music or sound desired. For more questions ask on a Concertina forum such as at www.concertina.net. Some players prefer one over the other than many players do have strong opinions about their chosen style.

Beware paying high dollar values for "antique" or "vintage" instruments that need repair. Older instruments can have problems with bellows, leaky wax around the reeds, buttons that stick, or other issues that a starting player shouldn't have to deal with it. If you are purchasing a used instrument as a starter be sure you can hold it, play all the notes, that no keys stick, and that the bellows are solid, tight, and leak free. Most newer instruments that are sold on eBay are okay, but likely to be made in China. The older ones sold on eBay for thousands of dollars, and made in 1890, are much like the electric guitars made by Gibson in the 1950's, a 1960's hotrod, or a grand piano. You're wanting to learn how to play, not get the highest quality instrument you can get.
A soft case gig bag is good for taking your concertina around, but when you remove it from the case don't pull it out! Always "pour" your concertina out of any box it is in otherwise you may stress the bellows and could damage your instrument. A hard case for your concertina is a good investment.
Never push or pull the bellows without holding down a button. All concertinas have an air button that allow you to close or open the instrument without making noise.

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).