learn me some accordians

My father has been cleaning out his house since he retired last month, getting ready to sell it so he can go on the road for a few years. We refound this the other day...

Its been sitting in the back of the closet in my old room for as long as I can remember, pretty sure it was either my grandmother's or my grandfather's. It does work, or at least it makes noise. Other than being an old Hohner, I know nothing about it.

Anyone on here know about accordians that can give me some information on it?

I know Weird Al can make some kick-ass music with it.

Accordians: at least there's no smell.

Shawn

It's a bellows instrument, in the same vein as an organ. Opening and closing the bellows moves air through slots (I don't think they use reeds) to make the noise. Many accordions have switches to create different voices (similar to an organ). That one doesn't look like it does. Keys make the same noise on intake or exhaust of the bellows. Volume is a factor or how hard/fast you move the bellows.

The right-handed keys work just like the ones on a piano, each one plays a single note.

The buttons play chords. I forget exactly hot they're arranged, but the ones in a line are related. One button is a major chord and going up and down goes through the scale of chords. Across the diagonals, you get variations on that chord (minor, diminished, augmented, etc.... I don't know the order).

Normally you play the melody on the keyboard, and flip through the buttons for the chords. Pretty strait forward,

Whats the difference between an accordion and a banjo?
An accordion takes longer to burn!

Whats the difference between an accordion and an onion?
People cry when they cut up an onion!

What do music lovers and accordionist have in common?
Absolutely nothing!

Thanks! I'm here all week!

Tom Waitts' album "Rain Dogs" makes heavy use of accordion in many of the songs. Tom Waitts is awesome.

"Rain Dogs" performed live, complete with accordion solo at 1:01

An accordion player parks his car in a bad neighborhood with his accordion in the back seat. Willing to take the risk, he goes into the store. When he returns, sure enough someone has broken into his car and put in three more accordions.

What does an accordion player say when he knocks on your door? "Domino's."

Do you know the range of an accordion? 'Bout 20 yards if you have a good arm.

What's the difference between a harmonica and an accordion? The harmonica only sucks on half the notes.

What's the definition of "waste"? A bus full of accordion players going over a cliff with six empty seats.

What is the difference between an accordion and an onion? No one cries when you cut up an accordion.

What's the difference between an accordion and a trampoline? You take off your shoes to jump on a trampoline

How do you get two accordion players to play in perfect unison? Shoot one.

'Perfect pitch' is when you can throw a banjo down an open mine shaft and not hit any of the accordians.

Thanks folks, I'll be here all week. Be sure to try the waitress and tip your veal.

But seriously folks...

I like accordions, when used properly. I dislike zydeco and other cajun music almost as much as Irish music, so I don't go for the noodle-y crap, but if you think of an accordion as an easily portable pump organ, I'm in.

On the one I had for a while (borrowed from my girlfriend's mom, and I believe it was her grandmother's), the buttons were major, minor, 7th, augmented, diminished, from inside to outside, and they descend following the circle of 5ths (don't ask me to explain that - I skipped that day of music theory).

That old Hohner looks pretty nice, Skierd, although I think the lack of 'stops' for various sounds might limit it in terms of collectability to those who play these old things, I'm betting it's worth a couple/few hundred, if you're looking to sell it.

Raindogs = Best album EVER

Shawn

I'm tempted to sell it, but I'm also tempted to learn how to play it. Right now I was more curious to know something more about the damn thing than anything else.

Learn how to play it? Strap it on and start squeezin'!

Really, the toughest part for me (aside from not being a trained keyboard player) was figuring out the circle-of-5ths arrangement to the buttons, but any basic book you'll find on accordion will spell it out for you.

Get to it, man!

"Mama's gotta squeezebox, Daddy never sleeps at night"

Don't like Zydeco? You obviously haven't heard proper zydeco.

Accordions rock.