Junior Button Accordion

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 04 Dec 03 - 11:18 PM

The Best pressie for the kid of someone you don't like, is a DRUM!

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 04 Dec 03 - 08:51 PM

G'day MC Fat,

You obviously haven't heard the racket from next door when the 3½-year-old gets one of these for Christmas ... from parents with no musical background or guidance ... the shoe is definitely on the other foot - (musical) abuse-by-child!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: GUEST,MC Fat
Date: 04 Dec 03 - 08:25 AM

This is surely a form of child abuse !!!

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: GUEST,pavane
Date: 04 Dec 03 - 07:52 AM

Just a note that my program HARMONY does tablature for melodeons (& anglo concertinas). Not much use for a single row, but for 2 & 3 rows it can highlight different ways of playing the same tune, crossing the rows.

You can also use it as a chord-finder - just make up a little abc file with the notes (letters) of the chord you want, and it will show the buttons.

It is found at
www.greenhedges.com

By the way, a new version is coming soon, which can import multi-voice abc files, display aligned lyrics in all voices, with multiple verses, display tonic sol-fa note names, lplay parts from a formula, (i.e. like A(AB)*3), play selected voices only, and many other enhancements.

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 04 Dec 03 - 02:41 AM

Ah Bob,
rummaging in "My Little Bottom Drawer" (unfortunately not in the DT!) I have one of those Hero diatonics - with the external "Cajun style" keys. I also have the white "piano key" version too.

I got mine a few years ago from somewhere on the net - if was not Lark in the Morning, then might have been Elderly Instruments? never have got the hang of harmonicas/these boxes though...

Robin

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 03 Dec 03 - 10:09 PM

G'day Charcloth & all,

(I was avoiding the Australian mid-summer Christmas weather by stopping atop the Blue Mts when this thread had its first run, so I didn't get to respond.)

I think some of the responders may have missed the point that this is very small button accordion - just seven treble buttons, two basses and an air-valve. I first bought one of these back around 1964 for (Australian) £3/7/6 ... about US$9, in those days. It was a handy thing to take on hiking trips, as it neatly slipped into an outer pocket on my old pack - but I already had a 10-key button accordion in 'German' style.

Some of what I told Rick, way back, still applies to this little one, but the button numbers I quoted won't be right ... and there are now two distinct types of 'baby' Hero/Tower/? models. The older ones had the 'key' notes (invariably C) on the third and sixth keys. There was a slightly different arrangement of notes at the bottom (typical of all Chinese accordions and mouthorgans) to allow playing in (A)minor ... and not much of the second octave.

The more recent models start lower - usually with the key note on the first, fourth and seventh buttons. This gives you an almost complete two octave range (missing the high 'b' that would be on button 8).

These do give you more range in the key of C major ... but can stop a bit short in A minor, which has to start from the draw A on button 3.

D (Dorian) minor works well - starts on the draw note of buttons 1 or 5 and alternates between Dm (outwards) and C major (inwards) ... but you don't have the minor chords to accompany!

Myxolidian (often used in Scots music ... and blues!) starts on the button 3 push G ... and is a fairly major made.

Hero / Tower / ? (Chinese factory that inherited the former Hohner Far East factory & tooling after WW II) also made a compact 9-key "button" accordion with white 'piano' keys ... but sounding in button accordion fashion, with different notes in and out. One of these is a much more practical starter for working on a wide range of styles ... but I haven't seen a new one in decades!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: GUEST,HiHo_Silver
Date: 03 Dec 03 - 05:04 PM

Hohner publishes a book of insructions for the diatonic accordions. Shows how to hold the instrument, left and right hand keyboards for 1,2 and three row models, both german and Stradella Models in key of C. I assume you have a stradella model. Book is published by Hough & Kohler Limited, 1969 Leslie Street, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada. [phone]. Hohner in Virginia should be able to supply you with one of these books. If all else fails give me a mailing address and I will scan these pages and send them to you. I have never had anyone have a problem to learn to play these basic models with the help of this instruction book. They are relative simple to handle once you get onto the push pull idea of producing the proper notes. God luck and enjoy Hope this helps.

These single row accordions all have 10 buttons sounding 20 notes on the trebel keyboard. The Stradella has four base buttons. I have never seen a single row accordion with 14 buttons on the trebel side in any key.

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 02 Dec 03 - 09:22 PM

While not expressly for the button accordion, this thread Technique: Piano Accordion for The Recycled Muso contains useful and interesting info.

Robin

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: GUEST,Mr Red
Date: 14 Feb 02 - 12:15 PM

Pulling it apart
how does that tune go?

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: Ditchdweller
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 02:10 PM

I took mine into school for a low abillity set Y11 Sound class. If you pull out the four pins on the right side of the thing you can take it apart and show the reeds inside to a class. Those of the class that were interested were quite fascinated.

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: GUEST,noble savage
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 02:04 PM

Oops, just read this here; now I understand. I have 2 of those little boxen myself. Yes it's possible to play 'em simply-I have also (once) played for a set of reels with one. It was a lot of work, more trouble than it was worth, but-well, I just *had* to know... 1. Replace the left hand strap with something bigger 2. Ditto the thumb-strap(you'll need it with one of these) 3. Place it on the outer part of your left thigh 4. The air button is the bottom one on the left side. Press it(think of it as a clutch pedal) draw the bellows out a moderate distance. 5. I recommend "Oh, Susannah" as a good practice tune. Work the melody side first, add the chords as you learn them. Write here if you need help. Hope this helps...

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: Charcloth
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 11:02 PM

looks like John from Hull is busy refreshing old threads

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 09:46 PM

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: Ditchdweller
Date: 31 Dec 01 - 01:17 PM

I got a couple of them for the children. (Good swap!!) After a bit of messing about I can now actually get a couple of tunes!

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: Mr Red
Date: 31 Dec 01 - 09:29 AM

As I remember it (am in the library right now) it was a beginners tutorial and seemed right for its purpose, one day I will learn but I am really a bodhranner at heart. Dave (Mally) Mallinson sold his squeezebox business to be a musician again but it & his books on the subject thrive. The websites I suggested are folk shops and the Music Room catalogue has a lot of books & video's (not sure about NTSC). I have been to John Kirkpatrick workshops (purely as an observer) and found him, perhaps, not quite such a good teacher for beginners so maybe his books may reflect that too. Dave Jolly is another squeezebox specialist if you can find his website. I know Hobgoblin pride themselves on their international reach via the web.

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: Charcloth
Date: 31 Dec 01 - 12:21 AM

Thanks Mr. Red I tried to find the book but was unsuccessful. Does it make any difference as to what styles or anything else that I try as a tutor for this little gizmo. I just want to tinker with it & have fun with it. Maybe play a tune or two for folks at a rest home or something like that.

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: Mr Red
Date: 30 Dec 01 - 11:47 AM

Roger Watson published a starter book here in the UK. Mallinson'd Music or Hobgoblin or the Music Room have website and might still sell it. I point to Hobgoblin from my site at cresby.com.
Good luck I too have one of the Chinese onerows in C. AND it is red. 'twas a b'day present from Miss Red. The Xmas version was a departure - that had nothing to do with the learning process.

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 11:30 PM

Here it is

click

Rick

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 11:26 PM

Hi Charcloth. I bought a single row melodeon last year and got a tremendous amount of help here from Auzzie Bob Bolton and several other good folks. Perhaps someone can find that thread (I'm hopless at that sort of thing) or perhaps the REAL Bob Bolton will come to your rescue.

Rick

Subject: RE: Help: Junior Button Accordion
From: Charcloth
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 10:59 PM

refresh

Subject: Junior Button Accordion
From: Charcloth
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 10:31 AM

Ok I know there are other threads addressing learning how to play the accordion but...
My wife got me one of those First Act Junior button Accordions for Christmas. It ain't a bad little instrument! Anyway it is a 14 note button accordion (key of C.)The learning material that came with it sucks. I have no teacher so do any of you know if there are any books videos or tapes that could help me out with this thing. I know there is a lot of material relating to the accordion but I don't know which of these that I could addapt for use with my little squeeze box. Thanks Charcloth