Thanks Jude and RJ... Yes this is a lot of help.. I see where the shock absorber idea comes in .. I guess if one plays really loud or hard good chance of breaking a reed. I learned that playing blues harps.. Lol.. Stretch to far and 'ping' there goes a reed. So be similar with this box.
Just wondering while I am here.
I put a Danny Dyson Bass Padded strap on my 114.. I am wondering however Just how snug it should be. I was told forget who to have it snug with my hand through the strap and bent as if playing at the knuckles...
Can that be right or no ??
Thanks so much for the tips.. I will be at it again !!
I held both of my accordions to make sure. The base side strap shouldn't be so tight that you have to shove and manipulate your left hand into it. It should just slide in and let your fingers reach the two base and chord buttons on the front side. It should also be nice and padded with the softer leather lining on the inside. The hard outer leather is for keeping the shape and to prevent stretch out. The pinky and pointer fingers should "not" sit flat on the base/chord buttons in the front, but set on them at a 45 angle at the center of finger tips mid distance from the fingertip to the first knuckle crease line . At the same time, that fat padded part under your thumb should rest on the back air control button about 3/4" to 1" below your (first) big thumb joint. But this is for an accordion with buttons and not paddles. I can also see that my left hand (punching knuckles) line up with the back edge of the hand strap. Like they're just starting to go inside the strap, but not quite covered by the strap completely. My strap is even stretched and shaped on the rear edge to accept that row of knuckles. The straps didn't come like this. They shaped over time. Well the soft padded leather shaped like this.
The size of the block is also a determining factor of your grip. I don't think the HA-114's have fat blocks, but I could be wrong. They are probably made smaller than the standard Cajun accordion, or match the size of smaller Cajun base blocks. Just remember those two "middle grip" fingers should remain still and gripping the front of the block. Very important. You should almost be able to play without the strap with that correct grip. The strap should be there to help you hold onto the accordion, not make you to hold onto the accordion in my opinion. Sure is hard to explain something that you never think about. When trying an accordion, you should choose one that feels nice on the base side. Not only that, it should feel and function in such a way that your playing base side is easy and not a struggle. You're going to be putting a lot of miles on that accordion, so you want it fitting right! Otherwise you'll give your hand a hemroid or something. LOL..
I have tried the finger tip method and it just doesn not work for me. The top of the paddles are not flat. Tips just slide off. I have my fingers pretty as they fall when I put my hand through the strap.. I use the index finger and small finger.. When I start to tire I notice its the small and ring finger working.. But I have so much more control..
I looked all over internet and also youtube.. I found a video by Per van der Burgh and you can see his left hand. Thats more or less what I find the best for me. So far anyway..
Johnny, I'll give it a try. See if this makes any since to you:
in the course of playing a tune, you will have a run of pushing notes followed by a run of pulling notes. If you had a guitar accompanying you, this change of bellow direction would dictate a chord change on the guitar. The air button is used to "recover" to a desired bellow position. In other words, you set yourself up for the next "run". Using the Love Bridge Waltz as an example, the first run of notes is pulling. the next run is pushing. So, on the last few pulling notes of the first run, open the air button to recover the bellow to a more open position,and let off at the beginning of the pushing run. I always felt like it was more important to know when to let off, rather than when to open the air valve. Facts is, I probably play with it "cracked open" through the whole tune and only fully open it and let off of it at key times. If you haven't been explained this before, that air valve is a "shock suppressor" for the reeds. It takes a lot of the shock off when playing a "loud" note, if that makes since to you. It takes just a little while to develop the feel of using the air button, but once you get it, it will come natural to you. It's just like singing. You have to know when to catch a breath in between lines.
Hope this helps.
Jude
The April 2011 Dewey Balfa Cajun & Creole Heritage Week
