Schweik, got your PM - probably best to answer it where all can later find any crumbs of wisdom I may reveal....

Guran, I agree, and the word "fanning" probably produces the best visual image of that process.

Actually the 'shake' is easiest produced by me with ABSOLUTELY MINIMAL movement, but a fair amount of force (hence the need to build power and endurance, especially for the big size boxes - more inertia!) - also it works easiest with NO 'fanning' but just straight horizontal movement 'twitching' from the whole shoulder muscle complex - what or how, I don't know or care, as long as it works. If done right, it almost can't be seen by external observers, so videos really wouldn't help much I think. Perhaps thinking of 'the chicken dance' may be the right approach... :-) I also keep the left elbow joint fixed - cause it doesn't flex in that direction at right angles to the 'shake' movement anyway! The whole left arm sorta 'wobbles', but with a lot of power, like those martial arts experts who can move only an inch, but throw power enough to send someone across a room! :-)

The bellows move in and out about half an inch, but you can set up standing waves, of pulsing...

I can produce a range of speed of 'shake' - the really slow one has its uses.


The really fast 'ripple' really makes people sit up and take notice ;-0 especially once you learn how to make some movements 'harder than others around them' - so you get a rhythmic set of louder and softer pulses during the 'ripple' eg A b c d A b c d and many variations, eg A b c A b c :-)

Next you learn how to hold the piano side note down and use this procedure to 'pick out' the tune when repeated notes occur... when synchronised, it works! and being lazy, I find that I can play some tunes easier! :) eg 'Cotton Fields' becomes a physical doddle and at incredible speed - once you have got the technique right! :-) Another 'tour de force' with this technique are things like 'Me and Bobbie Macgee' - faking a harmonica 'shake' sound (you play a set of thirds on the keys) - can't 'blues bend' though - but if you bought a 'Blues Box' they replace the reed sets with ones DESIGNED to 'blues bend' - wish I could afford one!

Of course the 'experts' who have never SEEN this before keep trying to tell me I am 'wrong' hahahahahahaha! and of course they then get extremely annoyed after 30 years of only playing ONE instrument when I tell them that I am applying/modifying techniques from 'the other dozen families of instruments I play'..... hehehehehehe! eg the 'banjo rapid repeated plucking sound' is generated from the judicious use of 'shake'. I have actually TRIED hands on to teach some, but many of them just couldn't seem to get the technique thru their head quickly.

In Advanced Piano Accordion tutors, you get introduced to the 'shake' after some years of playing, but since I am a 'recycled muso' - see my thread ;-), I did many years and exams, practical and theory, and played several different instruments (as well as vocal work) before hitting the P/A, so ALL of those tutors are only designed for the starting total newbie, I suppose...