Some people keep it depressed a little all the time.

I no longer pay attention to how much I keep it open. I do sort of keep my hand on it, but I don't know how much I keep it open.

I sat in on a visit with Ray Abshire and as I recall, he suggested that skilled players are using the air release continuously...Ray demonstrated that his bellows rarely ever were distended more than 6 - 8"...if the tune required more push or pull, he used the air button to get it without having to go beyond his 'sweet spot'...

The air button won't change the volume on your accoridon as long as you're tapping only when needed. Slight tapping with the palm.

It can be used throughout a whole song, but you gotta incorporate it when you feel you're pushing or pulling too hard on the bellows.

You obviously don't want to hold the thing in unless you're too far out or too far in with yoru bellows.

Letting very short, tiny breaths of air in with the air button when needed will help you use less bellows and play in more than out and use less energy, thus you can focus on the song better.

Maybe I'll make a video at an angle that can show what I do. The air regulator is your best friend.

I'm like Rick. I know I use the air button but I don't think about it. If I were you, I wouldn't think too much of it. Use it when it helps but try not to concentrate too much on it. As time goes on using the air button will simply become second nature.

couple of things i noticed

using the air button speeds up certain passages
specifically, ones where there are lots of
single-note runs on the pull
because, think about it, if you are pulling
with no buttons open, [which you may
be doing for staccato passages]
it tends to suck and hold
the flappers closed

since a lot of songs are played on the pull
more than the push, you almost have
to use the air button when pushing
to get the bellows back in balance

wle.

Back in the day, many of the old timers used the air button almost constantly as a way to protect the reeds from being "over played" and extend the life of the reeds.

Nowadays, reeds are made better. I don't know if it makes much diference any more.

DP

I use the button almost constantly. It serves as a tool in a couple of ways. If used proactively, you can anticipate a direction change that will need more room than you have. You can suck, or blow more air than necessary in order to make it through the change.

I also use it for dynamics. Using a little airflow most of the time will require to put a little more effort into playing, but adding some hard sounding notes, or softer notes are just a matter of releasing or depressing the air button.

It takes lots and lots of practice as well as good planning.

Ganey - just to make sure I understand what you mean:
Air button depressed (open) gives gives softer notes and makes fast passages easier, whereas air valve shut allows for more forceful accent notes?

I notice that Ray Abshire plays an almost continuous stream of notes, but manages to highlight the melody with dynamics.

Steve Blais

Yup...thats sums it up.

Another way of saying what Ganey stated is, I somewhat play with the air valve cracked open all the time , and let off of it at critical points .
So, you could say that it's more about "when to let off", than it is "when to open". And also more important than "when", is how much to open or let off, in order to soften a note or highlight it.
Jude Moreau

nonc,

Yep .. as everyone has indicated, the leather does
indeed stretch over time and requires peridoic
adjustment!

Now .. if Cajun boxes were built like Fender
guitars, someone would have come up an adjustable
thumb-strap wheel, an adjustable left hand strap
as piano accordions have, and micro flapper stops
to tailor your individual flapper throw .. akin to
the individual pole-piece guitar bridge

I'd call it the Big-Nick-Thumbs-Up adjustment wheel,
(C) 2007, available thru Ronco-Popeil and K-Mart

--Big nick

I like it!

Where can I get one!

As a new-be this has been a great discussion for me. Excuse me for this but I am not playing Cajun music. Trying to play other types of music on this box is very difficult. Always running out of air, one way or another. For example, 'Immigrant Eyes ' by Steve Earl, a tune great for accordion, You really have to study where you can catch a breath, and make it smooth.

And that air button needs to be faster. Has anyone messed with this?

You players have a real advantage that brings the soul of your instrument out because you are using the instrument to write your music.

Also, I bet as you learn a tune you are also placeing the bellows position and not even thinking about that part of the learning. Enough of this, Jerry