72 hohner - you can do anything!!. i play with the irish here (my preference is balkan and scanderwegian and classical, but, not around here)and we do lots of jigs (you syncopate the alternations). start learning alternating basses ie d - dmajor - a- dmajor, hold just the bass or the chord for some parts, play with the basses. in addition to the above suggestions - listening to the music you like and experimenting is the way to get things done.The bellows are the breath control of the instrument, the reeds its vocal chords. unlike a piano, pounding harder on the keys does not make more sound. i too have a dilemna with monotonous basses -ompahpah- and am still working on that, makes the piece more interesting for the listener as well as the player. re mysterious: you have found the right instrument - additional accordion references: Loreena Mckenna, arabic music (they use is alot), "The tango project" cd, "planet squeezebox" dittoes, Guy Kluveschek (jazz, contemporary). listen, watch, and give yourself time. Palmer-Hughes has some good books on the market, a series 1-10 - don't get hung up on the pieces used, look for the concepts expressed.---i am assuming you got this instrument 2nd hand and that it is a double middle on the right and no shifts on the left. the bass should be dry ie, no/minimal vibrato. the right, vibrato but clean. was it been tuned/cleaned before your purchase? enjoy.