THIS  ACCORDION SITE :   An Introduction


1.  Read This First
​For this site, you will need a button-accordion that you are familiar with.  By "familiar" I mean that you already know
  • - the musical key (C or D or ...), or keys (A-D or G-C or ...), to which it is tuned, 
  • - how to handle and hold the accordion, and
  • - how to play some melodies (not necessarily as smoothly as you would like), using the right-hand buttons.
You will also need access to a computer with a good Internet connection and an up-to-date browser, so that you can access this site, and control and play youTube videos, without interruption.

Whether you are a "beginning", an "intermediate" or an "advanced" learner, it may also be useful to set realistic accordion-playing goals that this site can help you meet over a reasonable time period, and still have fun.  Depending on learning level, such goals may include one or more of:
  • learning to play favourite melodies, using the right-hand buttons.
  • adding a rhythmic beat and/or harmony using the left-hand buttons.
  • playing by "ear".
  • adding interesting embellishments (sometimes called ornamentation).
2.  Mastering the Accordion:  The "Intro" Menu
The drop-down "intro" menu at the top of each page can help you
  • learn the basics of the accordion and its musical terminology.
  • become familiar with this site's button-accordion notation, as illustrated at right for the first line of the song "Morning has broken".  (This shows button-number pushes and  pulls* for each note, dots for each note's time duration (in beat intervals, one dot per beat in this case), and vertical lines marking the basic beat pattern (bars or measures, three beats per bar in this case).  The lyrics-line sometimes includes forward  slashes / to separate musical phrases.
  • learn to play and control the embedded youTube videos, as given at right.  To play the video, click on the button in the center of the screen.

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|  .3  .4   .5  |  .:6   | .:7*  |  .6* .5* .5  | .:5*  | .:5 |
  Mor-ning has    bro -    ken,   /   like the first    morn  -  ing 

3.  Learning Accordion Tunes:  Using the Tune Pages

The tune pages, from the four drop-down menu categories, make up the bulk of this web site.  Each tune has its own page, mostly with three parts:
  • Musical information, such as time-signature, sometimes a suggested tempo or pace (for some tunes in beats per minute, but often with descriptors such as slowly, moderate, lively, etc.), and the name(s) of its composer(s), included in the header.  Extra lyrics and other background information may be included at the end.
  • The tune's button-accordion notation, with some lyrics in the case of songs.  This notation includes the treble buttons to be played, the duration that each button is held, the bar lines for beat patterns, and, in some cases, the melodic phrasing identified in songs.
  • A number of youTube videos of the tune, along with each video's musical key, performer or poster name,  and, in some  cases, the performance tempo (pace).

How these components are used is up to each person, with his or her individual approaches to learning tunes.  Some may dive directly into the accordion notation, and still others may move immediately to the embedded youTube performances.  Some may stick with playing the right-hand melody, while others may want to play the left-hand bass and chord buttons as well.  Whatever works!

However you do it, do it for fun.  A number of short sessions will usually be better than one long tiring one.  Also, don't "try" to memorize tunes, as that might make it burdensome;  rather, just let it happen, and take pleasure in the progress you are making.  Finally, you may want to begin and end each playing session with a tune you already know and enjoy, thus starting with a warm-up and ending with a warm-feeling!

Heads-Up 1:  The tune pages assume an awareness (though not necessarily an in-depth knowledge) of the contents of the various "intro" pages, especially the introductions to the youTube, the Accordion and Accordion Music.  If you are a beginner you perhaps should also look at the "basic" Accordion Music, Button Layout, and Accordion-Notation pages.  For those at the  Intermediate and Advanced levels of learning, there are additional materials, if you are interested.  Don't try to memorize this stuff; a single reading should make you aware of what it is and how to find it again if you need to; you can always come back to it.