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CAJUN ACCORDION DISCUSSION GROUP

 

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Re: Beginner

Hi Brian. The best advice i can give is that if it's a large group of people jamming , and someone is taking the lead with an accordion, try not to play waty too loud, over top of them. When you're jamming in a small group, and if you're at the point in learning , to where you take the lead....... Make sure you play loud, when it's your turn in the song, but quiet down, when it's the fiddle player's part, and on the same token, play quieter, when it's the vocal's turn.

Re: Beginner

Many thanks for that advice Jim--much appreciated.
One more question,--if I (attempt to) play along with a record (a song)is it best to just play chords (right hand) with bass / chords (left hand)of couse in the appropriate key and tempo ?
Im working my way steadily through the Big Nick dvd ( which is realy great)
but Im wondering what happens if I venture out from the 'set ' tunes and have to improvise. Maybe Im jumping ahead too quickly but just wondered if there was a simple(ish)way I could play along with something.
Many thanks-Regards Brian

Re: Beginner

Jamming to recordings:

Well, it took me quite a while of playing to know what chords are being played, and how to play them on the accordion. Only after I knew how to play songs, and possibly even after I started playing fiddle, which is more of a chord/jam instrument to me than the accordion, did I then know how to improvise some behind another instrument. But that's just me.

You might get ahead of the game by trying it now.

I know what it's like to want to be doing ANYTHING while taking part in that long slow slog to learning the instrument.

the 6/7 buttons on the pull, on a C box, is a G partial chord.
5/7 pull is a D.
6/7 push is a C.

7/10 pull is a G.
7/9 pull is a D.

5/9 pull is a F.

I mostly play in G, so that's why I don't have much to tell you for key of C.

Re: Beginner

Thank you so much for that advice and info Dwight. As always, helpful advice here. I'll try those combinations you gave and do a lot of practicing along to some numbers before venturing out to jam along at a session.
The big Nick video is helping a lot too with some useful slow motion samples. The 2 hand co-ordination is beginning to get there albeit a little bit 'ragged' (to say the least)but Im not letting up. I realise its going to take a while to get it 'flowing' smoothly, so all / any helpful tips always appreciated.
Many thanks, Regards Brian

Re: Beginner

Not sure if you were also considering this, but, at a jam with other people, you'd probably not want to play behind another accordionist unless you play so low only you can hear you. Due to differences in tuning, you can get some unholy sounds with two accordions at once.

I think Jim mentioned something along those lines too.

Where do you live?

Re: Beginner

Hi Dwight, many thanks for that info. and advice. Just to quickly let you know my background- Im into my 'maturer' years now having played guitar from an early age. Based in England but have played (guitar)sessions here and all over Ireland (Celtic routes).
From an early age Ive loved the old (and new)U.S. folky, bluesy, Cajun, bluegrass, songs and tunes. ( used to get my U.S. imports from Dobells record shop in London). So... I struck out and got a Cajun accordion just a month or so ago. Not a lot of Cajun playing here, so I youtubed and got onto Big Nick and found the link to here. Ive got a reasonable sense of rhythm, tempo, beat etc but its the 2-hand co-ordination that Im struggling with at the moment.
Im reading the forum here, obviously not up to, or nowhere near the standard of you guys, but trying to take in as much as I can and grateful for any advice given.
Many thanks, Regards Brian

Re: Beginner

Brian don't know where you are jamming but if in Southwest La you play the accordion your on the sideline. There are so many Pros leading the jams on accordion you never get to play what you would like. Learn the guitar of fiddle and you can play all day accordion forget it they don't let you lead



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