Quite a while back I noticed a mention in a post and meant to follow it up. Finally got around to it.

As I read it, the post seemed to suggest that, way back in the early days, different areas, maybe different parishes, played accordions predominently in either first or second position, but rarely both.

I can understand why this might be the case. If you picked up a box for the first time, with no theoretical knowledge of music, you probably would, like I did, find the tune in your head would come out in the home key of the instrument. If, however, being just as ignorant, you picked up a C box, and tried to play along with your pal,who played fiddle, it may well come out in G, and that way of playing might spread to your friends and family who subsequently took it up.

Well, that's my theory, but I'd like to hear the opinions of more learned contributors.

BJ

That's possible. That's exactly what I did when I started. I didn't know anything about keys or positions, I just picked up my accordion and poked around til I found the notes that seemed close to the song in my head.

But I've never really noticed a predominance of a certain position of playing by area. The very old recordings I have all include both 1st and 2nd. Do you have any examples of what you're describing?

I've come to personally much prefer playing in 1st position, where as I used to prefer to play in 2nd. It seemed easier at first to play in 2nd, but once I figured out the patterns of 1st postion, they seem to come easier for me.

The preferred position depends on the scale of the tune you're playing.

Some tunes use a relatively simple scale like 5-notes or penta-(=5)tonic, and would be playable in both positions.

A fiddle tune like Arkinsaw Traveller, Melville Twostep, would only be playable in C on a C accordion because of the notes used within normal major scale.

Some tunes like Old Joe Clarke, Acadian Twostep, Cajun Hot Shoes, use a mixolydean scale, that is a Bb instead of a B in the major C scale.

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixolydian_mode

You'll need an F accordion for that to play it in C as such, second position. Or play it in G on a C-accordion.

Some tunes are somehow playable on a onerow melodeon skipping an occasional less important melody because you only have a limited scale on it: 7 notes available per octave instead of the 12 on a "less abnormal" instrument like a fiddle, guitar or piano accordion. - Nout

I don't have any examples, Bryan. I wish I'd taken more notice at the time the post was put on. Maybe I read it wrong, but it just stuck in my mind.

Interesting theory, all the same.

BJ