Accordion

The Minstrel

Thinking of getting an accordion. Was looking at a piano accordion for €325 made by Martini, and a button accordion for €285. Has anyone got any thoughts on this brand? Also, is the button accordion difficult to learn how to play? I can already play a piano so perhaps I'd be better off getting a piano accordion. Can anyone give some advice?

Thanks

trad

They say the definition of a gentleman is someone who can play the accordion but doesn't. There are pro's and con's for both. A piano accordion has the same general layoutforthe right hand, not sure about the bases but importantly, they are chromatic ie. you get the same note when the bellows are on the way in as on the way out. They can be big and awkward and a pain to carry around.

A button accordion is more compact but less versatile and is diatonic ie. you get a different note on the way in to the way out. They also come in different tunings, the most common for Irish music is B/C although some play C#/D. Depending on what key a tune is in you may have to play across the rows but you get used to it.

For the sort of money you are talking about you are not going to get much in terms of quality or sound. You should budget around a grand for a half decent secondhand button accordion. but you could try Sean Garvey at www.allaboutaccordions.com .
He's based in Walkinstown and has a huge array of boxes of all types and prices.

PMI

trad wrote: »

They say the definition of a gentleman is someone who can play the accordion but doesn't. There are pro's and con's for both. A piano accordion has the same general layoutforthe right hand, not sure about the bases but importantly, they are chromatic ie. you get the same note when the bellows are on the way in as on the way out. They can be big and awkward and a pain to carry around.

A button accordion is more compact but less versatile and is diatonic ie. you get a different note on the way in to the way out. They also come in different tunings, the most common for Irish music is B/C although some play C#/D. Depending on what key a tune is in you may have to play across the rows but you get used to it.

For the sort of money you are talking about you are not going to get much in terms of quality or sound. You should budget around a grand for a half decent secondhand button accordion. but you could try Sean Garvey at www.allaboutaccordions.com .
He's based in Walkinstown and has a huge array of boxes of all types and prices.

Almost all covered above but not all button accordions are diatonic small things there are also 5 row continental style accordions using a B or C system key arrangement on the right hand and are often the same or larger than the piano accordions.

I was classically trained up to grade 7 in UK on a 5 row B system, good luck with your quest

The Minstrel

PMI wrote: »

Almost all covered above but not all button accordions are diatonic small things there are also 5 row continental style accordions using a B or C system key arrangement on the right hand and are often the same or larger than the piano accordions.

I was classically trained up to grade 7 in UK on a 5 row B system, good luck with your quest

Would a 2 row BC accordion be a good introduction for someone who wants to play a 5 row continental style?