Hal,

Let me hazard a couple simple rules for the first
& second position playing ..

When primarily using "push" to play a song on a
"C" accordion, all the buttons, on the "push" on
both sides of the instrument, are going to make
a nice happy "C" chord. (C's and E's and G's).

That is playing in position #1.

When you play primarily in the "pull" position, this
is called position #2 and is used for the key of "G".

In any box, count 4-steps lower that the key of the
box (in "C" .. C, B, A, G) and you've got the key
for the pull, or the key for "position #2".

With a "D" box, (D, C, B, A) you're pull-key is "A".

It always works like this.

The great thing about playing in the pull position
(or "position #2") is that you get one "blue" note.

(That's the "flatted seventh" I had referred to earlier)

And, a blue note is great for blues!

It's easier to hear than it is to write about :-)

I hope we're helping more than confusing ..

--Big Nick

Now what button would that "blue" note be then...please...
Also, above link is a nice lesson where I have learned to play The Back Door. It says its in D as the box is a D but playing up on the high notes and appearing to be 1/2 and 1/2 on the push/pull is that really being played in D or is it in A ?

Still trying to work my way up to learn from your site Nick, looks & sounds great, just gotta get moving my fingers and eyes faster to keep up...Tx

That Back Door is in A on a D accordion.

Pdubya,

The common “C” scale that is played on
the “C” box, is: 3, 3’, 4, 4’, 5, 5’, 6’, 6.

The notes that you’re actually playing are:
C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C

This is a diatonic scale, equivalent to
white keys on a piano.

(Are you familiar with this nomenclature?
The apostrophe means that you pull the
bellows when depressing a button.)

Now, a “G” scale on a “C” box can be played
like this: 5, 5’, 6’, 6, 7’, 7, 8’, 8

The notes that you’re playing are:
G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G

What’s going on here is that the key
of “G” really wants an F-Sharp, not
an F-Natural.

So, for the key of “G”, you’re using
one flatted note (the 8-pull button).

A little more nomenclature ..
Instead of calling the notes by their
absolute names of A, B, C, etc.
you can just give each note in the scale
a number (1, 2, 3, etc.)

In the key of “G”, you’ll see that that
“F” note (8-pull) is the seventh note
of the scale.

Hence, the famous “flatted-seventh” which
is a very blue note indeed

(And, there are more of ‘em ..)

Does that help, or cloud things up?

--Big Nick

Couple of things I wonder about. Why is the 8 pull considered a flatted F? And what about the 4 pull? Which brings me to- isnt the G scale also including those same notes but in the lower octave, like the 3 and 4 along with the 7 and 8 pulls, etc? I am recently sort of relearning several songs in G that I learned only in the higher octaves, and now am playing in the lower octaves (thanks Rick, Cory, and Jude).

Sometimes I get so baffled by all this terminology, it's easier to just play, it'll work out in the end.

Bryan,
Its terminology that you don't HAVE to understand in order to play. In a nutshell:

The C major scale is C, D, E, F, G, A, B and the next note, C starts a new octave. Notice it is only a half step from the last note in the scale to the new octave. The G scale is G, A, B, C, D, E, F# and the next note is G. Every note in the G scale is also in the C scale except the F#. On an accordion, you have to use the notes that is there which is an F (F# flattened a half step). The seventh note is flatted making it a blue note; however the only TRUE blue note is a flatted fifth which can only be attained when playing in F. In that case, you lose the fourth. It gets even deeper.

I would just listen to a lot of music and play.

Talking of blues notes, can anybody suggest some simple blues tune I cold try in position 1 or 2

cheers

bob

Drunkards Blues is a good one to try.