Hi, i’m a piano accordionist from italy and i’m really intrested in irish folk music.
Can someone make me a list of begginer and must-know tunes to learn to get in to the music genre?
and i have heard that the use of the left hand on basses is discouraged, is it true?
Sorry for the newby question and for my bad english.
Thanks!
Here’s a good place to start:
https://thesession.org/discussions/13056#comment268197
Salve, Tom!
Yes, when playing with others you would be wise to go very easy on the left hand, or not use it at all, at least until you have worked out what sort of accompaniment really suits the tunes you are playing, and even then, to be very light-footed.
A steady oom-pah oom-pah left hand is likely to force the tunes into a rhythmic straitjacket that does not suit them. Here is an example of a lad playing reels on a chromatic button accordion. Very fluent melody playing, but the constant heavy bass would make many Irish musicians want to run a mile rather than join in.
http://youtu.be/Mx4QVouu8qI
The PA contingent seems to be really growing this week.
I had heard about the resurgence of the instruments popularity.
It is probably best to give up on the left hand altogether until you get a good feel for The Music, and then add it back in sparingly.
Hi tom
I’ve been playing piano accordion for over 25 years and I can safely say that when playing in a session you need to be very delicate with your left hand. Nothing is more off putting than heavy bass playing among other musicians, it sounds terrible. Concentrate on the right hand til you perfect it then introduce the left hand lightly. Best of luck with it
thanks for all the advices!
ah one last question, wich register you normally use? the master one?
Using master is probably part of what gave the pa a bad name for many years. It’s going to be a bit overpowering. Use either a single middle reed or two middle reeds with as little vibrato as possible. You will like it and your friends will too ; )
As a PA player who loves Irish music, I agree with the above. I rarely play my base buttons in a session (usually only at home or with beginners who can’t keep the time and speed up/slow down maddingly throwing off the rest of us) and use the setting that has only two upper reed banks on the keyboard side. Many session players hate PAs because they can be very overbearing, so light reeds only when playing with others is best.
