I want an accordion...and your help

Cafe Society
1

Out of nowhere, I suddenly have a burning desire to buy an accordion. I’ve been fruitlessly trying to find cheap ones on eBay, getting outbid at the last moment, cursing the Gods, then starting all over.

Then it occurred to me: I know nothing about accordions. I guess that’s an exaggeration. I understand how they work, I read the wikipedia article, I’ve seen them in action and tend to be pretty good at watching how an instrument is played & being able to convert that into actually playing it (not well, of course, but passably). But I don’t know what an accordion is worth, which kind I should be purchasing for my purposes, or anything more than someone with a passing interest might know. So:

Any accordion players out there? Would you be willing to engage in a little SDMB conversation about the pros & cons of different accordions? If I’m planning on using it as more of a layer in recording and less for a central melody. Put it this way: I won’t be spending an innordinate amount of time, you know, learning to Zydeco and Polka. What kind of accordion would you recommend for this reason (I’d like it to be fairly innexpensive too)? How many buttons?

Basically, give me a primer. I’m floundering.

2

Accordion? That’s just weird.

I, on the other hand, have become entranced with the idea of bongo drums.

3

Ah, see, I think that’s weird. Perhaps we can put our differences aside, find a ukelele player, and take over the world.

4

I’ve got a hand-me-down accordion from my father. He grew up in the Camden area of north Minneapolis and a door-to-door accordion salesman convinced my grandparents to buy him the accordion which is now in my possession. Gone are those days of immediate accordion consumption and we’re left with Lawrence Welk reruns on PBS.

As for my accordion, I can’t find a name on it (I’m sure if I opened 'er up, I would). It’s a lumbering beast and still plays quite well (23 lbs is considered ‘light’ in the full-size accordion world). The billows are worn but still completely functional. Your left hand plays the bass notes and your right hand plays the melody. Your left arm will bulk up as well since this is the one which will be doing most of the work pushing and pulling.

I’m not sure where you’re located, but an antique shop might be a better bet to finding one. Make sure to ask before playing as some folks don’t care for the sound or it could fall into dusty pieces. Make sure that all of the buttons and keys produce a note. I’d be hesitant to buy a used one off of eBay. As with any instrument, unless you know the specific brand and model and are just going for a better price, you could end up with an instrument you don’t want. Each accordion has a different timbre. Some are mellow and low, some are reedy, and some are ear-piercingly bright and sharp. (It seems to me, the more expensive, the more mellow it is.)

There are different sizes of accordions. Some with bass keys that go on for days (and are what seems to be completely random order at first, but I believe, IIRC, are arranged by 5ths.) This is a daunting part of the instrument as they are not labeled ('cept the C which has an indent on it on mine). The more keys, the more to learn. Here’s a dizzying map.

Of course, with any instrument, perceived value and sound goes up with price. The more you spend, the better the instrument. Not always completely the case, but it’s a good rule of thumb.

If you want to do an introductory instrument to accordion, try a concertina. They’re smaller, relatively cheaper, and simpler to learn. There are several types with varying complexities (anglo/english/duet with some having the same push-pull note and others having it be different note like a harmonica).

I’m not sure where you are in the world, but locally for me, there’s a store called Hobgoblin Music down in Red Wing, MN or Lark in the Morning (which sends wonderful catalogs full of musical instruments to taunt me in my dreams).

I’m sure I’m forgetting lots of things here.

5

I’m in!

6

Wait, twickster: don’t you play banjo…I feel like I remember this. Fuck the uke. Bring on the clam hammer.

7

And stpauler: thanks. I found that enlightening…especially the antique shop thing. slaps head “Why didn’t I think of that?”

8

Nope. I am a tap-dancer, though – thus my new interest in bongo drums. It’s all about the rhythm, baby!

9

I am now thinkin of that Far Side - “Welcome to hell. Here is your accordian.”

10

Actually, you know who used to play accordion? FairyChatMom. No shit.

11

I was raised a middle-class child with a first gen German immigrant father. It was almost cursory to have an accordian. I remember well my aunt pulling out her accordian at family gatherings, and yes, Laurence Welk was a star.

Took lessons from about the time I was 7 until about age 13, which was long past the point of it being anywhere even close to cool. I got ribbed all the time. I competed, and came home more than once with the 2nd place trophy because Paula always came in first. bitch! I remember my favorite songs were The Pink Panther and The Entertainer.

It’s difficult to keep the beat going with the bass and treble when you’re seven and the accordian weighs about half of your body weight.

Good luck in your quest…I’ve nothing more than anecdotes about the humiliation associated with the lumbering instrument. I was able, though, to play half-way decently on a piano because of my right hand. Hey, that’s why I always lost. I’m a lefty and should’a had the keyboard on the other side!

12

RSSchen: Too bad you have no info. We’re neighbors. My Dad too was forced to play the accordion, but his folks were Italian…not as accordion-y as Germany, but, you know, they do their best.

13

Bongos? Feh. They’re overrated (and the accordion simply needs to DIE). But gimme a good ukelele and I’ll sign up for lessons.

14

I have an Italian friend who said accordion lessons were almost compulsory when she was a kid (50s, I think). But only girls. Go figure.

15

Okay, we’re good, then: Birdmonster, twickster, and Kalhoun – because vaudeville didn’t die, it was just pining.

16

Can I join in with my cowbell?

17

…because you need MORE COWBELL!!! [/Christopher Walken]

as for a cool band, I gotta let my mom know - she plays accordian, ukulele and dixieland (i.e., 4-string tenor) banjo…not the coolest thing to bring your teenage friends home to, but now I think she is the coolest, period!

I play guitar and never picked up accordian from mom, so I can’t help - I think the idea of checking antique shops makes sense. How about eBay or craigslist? I bet there are a ton of listings…I bet there are accordian-related message boards - that’s what the internet is great for…in fact:

http://www.accordionpage.com/accmb.html - a message board; who knew?

http://www.zydecoach.com/accordion.htm - lists manufacturers and other stuff

http://accordionguy.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2006/4/26/1913279.html = a blog by an accordion player.

Have fun!!

18

Hell yes. We could record & send them thru the mail, add layers of whatever weird instrument we have on hand…yes. That would actually be genius.

(yes I know postal service did this, hence the name). But still…

19

My dad wasn’t one of those guys that said ‘Back in my day, we had to walk barefoot up a hill in the middle of winter to go to school!’. Oh no, he did that to get accordian lessons! :dubious:

His current accordian is his baby. He got it about 20-25 years ago, and its worth is amazing. I have fond memories of him playing it when I was little, but his back is too bad to properly support it anymore. He’s turned to banjo. :smiley:

I’d say go to a specialty music shop, every city has that one place operated by that old guy and his family for 8 million years, that’s the place to go. Regardless if you find an instrument in your price range, they’ll sincerely help you out. If possible, grab someone old that’s preferably gone to that store before. I know this all sounds very ageist, but it is true. My dad and the local oldtime music store owner have known each other for decades, so that business relationship was favourably passed onto my brother who plays bass guitar.

20

Sure! But only if you promise to play knee cymbals, too. A cowbell just doesn’t cut it without knee cymbals.