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Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

In self defense I must reveal that I was also learning 50+ other songs along the way.

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

HA! +50 I hope is an exaggeration, but if that's true you're not doing yourself any favors. At least for me, when learning anything, I try to never focus on more than 3-4 things at a time. Our brains aren't made to do that. We have space up there in our working memory for at most 7-8 things. Just think about all the things going on when you're playing the accordion. Bass note, push/pull, the melody, the rhythm, the ornamentation. It starts to fill up the working memory real quick. I'm only able to play because I've moved some of those things out of my head and into...my hands, I guess for lack of a better way to explain it. If I don't have to think about it, I can focus on improving something else.

If you think about our brains like a computer, we only have limited space on our discs for new things so if you have over fifty songs in the queue you will never be able to focus on the little things in each particular song that give it flavor and personality. Plus once you get those little things down, learning the other 50 songs will become easier as you've developed a base knowledge that will serve you as you tackle those other tunes.

Right now, I'm working on Creole as well as solidifying the lyrics of Mulberry Branch. I have songs like Musicians Paradise and Step it Fast that I want to get to work on, but if I start to switch to them in the few minutes that I'm able to practice, I'll miss my opportunity to focus and improve on these two. I'm about where I want to be on the Mulberry, but I have a good amount of distance I can still travel on the Creole Stomp. I'm not sure I can explain what that distance is exactly, and that's probably why I'm feeling stuck as I work through it.

However, that stuck feeling is EXACTLY where I want to be. That's where my brain gets to work and grow. If I'm stuck I know that I'm on the verge of a new tier of understanding. I just need to be patient as my brain starts chunking the information and I don't have to be thinking about it anymore.

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

Ehren, it's hard to build a repertoire working on one song at a time. Single file, a dozen cookies would take a baker all day to cook.

If you address 2 or 3 at a time, you play the first one until you want to scream, then you can move on to the next song to preserve your sanity. Keep working the rotation and when you get one playing solid, replace it with a new one. Repeat this sequence until you die.

Maintain a playlist and review all your songs frequently. This takes the "grind" out of learning, and gives you some freedom to grab a breath of fresh air.

You brain will appreciate the break from repetitive torment.

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

Exactly my point. 2 or 3 songs in the rotation and constant revision based n your progress. If you're reaching your goals, then your process works and that's the important part anyway.

How are you working toward the goal of keeping from rushing? I've had a great deal of difficulty with that and working with a metronome makes the practice experience miserable.

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

I fight rushing the tempo every day, and I seem to be losing! Metronomes? Necessary but I hate 'em like a snake. Amplified drum app works good for me, but a good rhythm guitar is my first pick.

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

Hey Nedro, glad to see someone with the where-with-all to chronicle the accordion learning stages over the years. It's not done often. Thank you for allowing us to see. I studied you with both an open and stubborn mind, and started to notice something. I am not criticizing you negatively, so please read on. I am worried about that vicious angle of your thumb in the thumb strap and that your punching knuckle of your pointer finger is lined up to your 4th button on the 10 button side. To play more flexibly, you should try something. I'd hate to do it, but I will put Marc Savoy on video below. At around 0:40 into the video, pause the video and look at his thumb angle, and the alignment of his pointer finger punching knuckle and notice that it lines up with the 5th button. I personally have alignment between the 5th and 6th buttons. I believe it's your shoulder strap, thumb strap and thumb position that is doing this to you. I gave away all of my shoulder straps. Sitting is the best, on a chair that makes your lap flat, when it comes to correct angles and playing to top potential when starting out. That thumb should lay along side your finger board edge turned ever so slightly inward toward the finger board. We should be able to see almost all of the fingerprint of your thumb. When you do that, your whole hand will drop down about an inch or more and your pointer knuckle will line up with the 5th or 6th button from the top. And lean that accordion forward while it's on your knee. That will help with your hand angle too. The accordion is held in place by your knee, your base side strap and left hand grip mostly. That thumb in your thumb strap should not be taking hardly any strain at all! Also,you want to be eagle clawing those middle buttons 5-8, not playing them with straight fingers. Long fingers or short, you don't play those middle buttons with straight fingers! That will mess with your play speed and muscle memory. I've been seeing a whole lot of this "straight finger" playing lately, one player in particular is Big Nick. Ever since that god dammed instruction video of Steven Riley's did I start to notice this straight finger playing. And it's spreading like a dam disease! I'd like to see it cured for good. The only buttons you should be playing straight fingers are 1-4 top buttons and 9-10 bottom buttons when you reach for them. I've gone off on a tangent. I digress..Most of this came to my awareness when I dropped off both of my accordions with a local accordion repairman to have new thumb straps put on them. He didn't even take measurements of my thumb and I was pretty worried about him not getting it right! Picked them up a few days later, and my thumb straps finally felt nice and fit good. And the angle of my thumb became as I described above. Been playing the right way, and with a certain certainty ever since. I'm trying to help you man and anyone else that happens to read this. Don't be upset, just think about it? A lifetime of watching Cajuns play accordion and 25 years of playing personally makes me have the gall to say this. I offer this both freely in hopes of everyone's improvement and reluctantly in fear of being judged as an A-hole.

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

Greezy, you're preachin' to the choir. The thumb is double-jointed, both are that way, inherited from my dad. It forces a bad angle, and playing on the knee is difficult because the arched thumb wants to rotate out of the loop. I've got a few work-arounds and can play OK sitting, but better standing. 'Even tried to fashion a splint, but it didn't work. My alignment is dictated to me rather than the other way around, so I have to work a little harder at to find a good compromise.

As a kid I played trumpet, 3 buttons with the fingers arched and resting lightly on the button tops. 50 years later, I forgot about that, and learned the accordion with flying fingers. I've worked on it gradually over the last 3 years and have improved, but I ain't there yet. Steve Riley told me as long as I was hitting the right buttons, don't worry about it.

Thanks for your observations and advice. That's what we're here for.

The group anxiously awaits your video debut on the SOTM. When may we expect your offering?

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

Oh, you're double jointed at the first knuckle too? Seriously, give it a think. Come on man, you can do better than that. I wasn't born yesterday.

No near future videos of me on accordion. It is not necessary.

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

Wait a minute Nedro. You spoke to Steve Riley and he addressed your thumb angle, or did you mention it to him?

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

I showed it to him when we first met. We did one session a year for 3 years to address songs that I specified. He did what he was hired to do.

Blake Miller and I also discussed the thumb and flying fingers early on. He said to keep playing and the fingers would settle. Gradually they are.

Over the long haul, rhythm and timing have been the problems, not articulation. When I've got the timing solid, I'll focus more on fingers.

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

Nedro, please tell me Steven Riley didn't charge you $50 and hour for teaching you the accordion??!!! Did he go over anything associated with keeping rhythm such as foot tapping etc?

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

My faults are not Steve's fault! Above all he stressed rhythm and timing. I failed myself by years of undisciplined solo practice.

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

Nooo, you didn't fail yet Mr. Nedro. You still got years to go. And this conversation will be in the back of your head from now on. It will drive you toward your goal. Failure would have been to never have tried like some of my relatives who had all the opportunity. Them dirty bstrds still look upon Cajun music as if it were something dirty and a bad memory for them. I am a fierce advocate that an accordion player should take time to sharpen his/her skills mostly in private because of those relative's harsh judgement. This fate probably fell on the masters of the past too. They got discovered once they had sharpened those skills to the point that the people couldn't help but to notice them, or they recorded a record. But you know, some never recorded nor sought attention, or even a bandstand out of humbleness and fear I bet. The accordion was just a past time. They worked for a living at other things that actually put food on the table. Stick with it friendo.

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

Eh Grebe, I thought it was customary to share dem sounds from de ol street organ?

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

Er Frosty. Sure I would share some sounds from my accordion with you. But it would depend on whether I felt up to it when you'd come to my house and asked me to play something for you in person. If I was feeling good, then I'd play my soul out for you through my music and song. And might even let you record me with your phone or video machine if I trusted you enough. But if I wasn't feeling too good, I'd make you play something first. Then I'd ask you to play more and more and more until you reached the end of your repertoire and confidence. Then I would slowly take out my accordion and put it on my lap and say, "^***&@#$"":">>>>$.
That's why I don't share too much of my music.

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

Why don't you show us how it's done accordion master Greezy.. You sure talk a great deal about your Cajun accordion techniques and expertise. Especially about the old timers way of playing (I agree, it's the best and it's difficult to imitate those powerful emotions).

The best way to try and learn these techniques of playing as you already know is by listening and watching closely. Why not inspire us and show us how you express yourself on the Cajun accordion that you seem to have so much knowledge and expertise on. You say you have 25 years experience lets see it.

At least Marc gives us something to learn from. That includes you.

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

GF, I'm sensing hostility from you. You should know, that if I were to show my face on video, I would be instantly transformed into one who has to protect his reputation. By hiding my identity, I don't have to conform to anyone's rules and niceties if I don't want to. I can tell it like it is and get right to the root of the bull **** without fear of judgment by my peers and strangers alike. I am the one who will hit on "unspoken" topics in hopes of having clarity come out of the discussion for everyone. I do not care for all of the mystery, magic, and misguidance of accordion playing because it slows accordion players down from learning the fact that..(it's not all that hard to do if you only had the guidance). There is a whole lot of secrecy, lies, ignorance, and misinformation associated with Cajun French music and the money made from it believe it or not. Lots of musicians have copied or outright plagerized other musicians songs and never gave credit to the original creator. All to make a good reputation for the "theif". "Scrath a Lie, Find A Theif." I've seen it time and time again, and it shows it's ugly face more and more as I delve into the history of Cajun music. Everybody wants to be the King, or the God Father, or the Duke, or the Queen of Accordion. Well, I will be the one in the crowd that calls "Bull ****!" I am embedded right in the heart of Cajun Country. You'd should know that. And I am Cajun and a Cajun musician. 4th generation accordion player to be exact. Just be grateful I've jumped the fence and taken up the fight for the innocent beginner, novice, and advanced accordion player, and even the "outsider".

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

I'm Cajun as well and agree with you on the BS that surrounds the music; especially in the "Heart Land". Just post something without your face. A sound file would even suffice for me.

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

I'm reminded of the Wizard of Oz...

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

Get a drum machine or a looper, if practicing at home...create a backing track of drum/guitar. That'll keep you alert to the tempo. I found that, although I have a well developed natural rhythm, it's great to have an accompaniest or a band behind you to keep the accordion playing up to the mark...it's like your adrenalin kicks in and suddenly you're on the beat, and you may just surprise yourself ! My Humble Opinion.

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

Darryl, you're exactly right. I'm not rhythmically challenged. With accompaniment, I do OK. Without, there's just way too much going on with the squeezebox. Working past the jerkiness, then come the rushing tempo. My goal is unconscious consistency.

Re: LEARNING THE CREOLE STOMP

ON THE OTHER HAND..you simply need to have the skills of fellow Discussion Board contributor, Robert LeBlanc, and sit in a nice reverby room, then all would be well with the World of UN-Accompanied Cajun Accordion playing...LOL.

https://youtu.be/6WIvRsGkKj0

Re: LEARNING THE GREEZY STOMP

Mr Greezy - somewhere in all your excitement I usually find an opinion I can agree with. The sometime mystic belief in the Cajun accordion and its music quite often astounds me. I rejoice in you not putting out a video and thus we avoid yet another prophet of the Church of Cajun Accordion who shall be revered and his scripture quoted. So thanks for that.

Re: LEARNING THE GREEZY STOMP

You're welcome Mr Guy. Hey Nedro, I got something that might help with that thumb and thumb strap of yern. Go to the accordion maker and make him adjust your thumb strap to fit your situation. Or, you can adjust the strap yourself and make that thumb do right by you. That's what I'd try.

Re: LEARNING THE GREEZY STOMP

Greezy, thanks, but "my accordion builder" is 300 miles away. I am my own accordion repair man.

I've developed a small leather shop experimenting with various leathers and softening treatments, along with every possible width, length, thickness, and angle. Adding lacing at the midpoint and constraints is another modification.

I've got it under control. YOU seem to be the one most uncomfortable with it, and I apologize for your discomfort.

Re: LEARNING THE GREEZY STOMP

Not uncomfortable. Antsy maybe. The right thumb strap and playing hand position make a lot of difference in the outcome of playing accordion. Lots of people overlook it, but what's the very first thing we notice when we get to play someone else's accordion. (The thumb strap feels or looks too loose, or too tight) And Nedro, because I care makes me antsy.



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