I'll say it again, when playing, tap the air regulator gently and slightly at the right time when playing.

Do this and your stiff (i.e. new / correctly made) bellows will act properly.

PLEASE, don't hurt your bellows, don't hang 'em up.

It's funny how many people think the air regulator is only to be used when the player draws out too far. That is only one slight aspect of air regulator use.

If one does not use the air regulator, the brand new bellows will not feel right, plus the player will be tired out quickly

Jim

another thing about the bellows,
it;s my impression that fast passages with
quick notes, go better with the air button slightly
open.

seems like when it;s closed, the reeds just
stay stuck longer, they take longer to get started.

wle.

Good points Larry

__. Larry, have you noticed that bumping the air button like that also lowers the volume of the note and makes the start-up of the sound a little "fuzzy" (not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just what I've found).

__. Larry, have you noticed that bumping the air button like that also lowers the volume of the note and makes the start-up of the sound a little "fuzzy" (not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just what I've found).

--it will lower the volume, sure, you may have
to play harder to get the same volume.

--as far as fuzzy starts, i hadn;t noticed that.
seems reasonable though..

--it also helps for the song to have a lot
of rapidly alternating push and pull, since
you use more air with the button open..

wle.

Bumping the air button is important. If one does it correcty (slight and proper, depending on where the bellows are when player is when playing, both in the respect of pushing and pulling), tight/new bellows will work to your advantage.

Be happy when your bellows have broken in naturally, by this time you will be a pretty good accordion player, if you've listened, watched and learned from the masters.

Don't rush it

Bruce,

please understand that when you push the air regulator, you must not hold it in. Perhaps if you feel that on quick push/pull situations you must hold it, this may work for you. Don't hold it in too long and volume will not be sacrificed. Think of the regulator as a tiny breath that the accordion must take in order to keep from dragging out too far. This will keep you pulling out only a few inches. That is, if the compression is correct in the accordion (if your leather's are curling inside, then you have a problem)

Handmade accordions from Louisana mostly don't require one to man-handle them in order to get volume, even with the slight palm-tapping of the air regulator

__. Yes, understand and agree with everything you say. And, somewhat slightly in the same vein, Sabin Jacque (a dynamite Quebec player) teaches to start a note with the air button slightly depressed and them letting it up smartly. The resulting "bump" of pressure will make a reed sound more quickly than you can do otherwise. (Of course, this is an effect that must be used very infrequently but it's great when you need it.)

This is very true. To initially open the bellows a bit to play in the dominent key of the accordion....d,c,bflat, whatever, is important.

although, i find that starting a song on the pull position, or second position at the very start of the song, the air regulator is not needed.

I mean, AT FIRST, I STRESS AT FIRST (but the air button is needed more-so throughout the rest song on the pull position than if it is a song based inititally in the push key or first position).

The air regulator is needed even more so but again, slightly used correctly, in the third position

jim p,

you make it sound as if using the air
regulator can harm the accordion.

please advise..

i don;t see how it could..

wle.

I'm not sure i know what you mean. the air regulator does not hurt the accordion. Are you joking with me?

ok, i may have misunderstood when
you advised 'only slight tapping of the regulator'.

i thought you were saying, "never keep it press for a
long time"

wle.

Sorry for the misunderstanding. I meant never press it for a long period of time for it will hinder your ability to play. It's like having a huge leak in your accordion

Jim