Any accordion players out there? Looking for some advice? Harmonicas and whistles to!

[Drame22]

Hello all,

I've been in love with bagpipes, accordions, harmonicas, penny whistles, fiddles, etc since I was a wee lad. Recently, my funds have cleared enough to where I can consider buying an instrument.

My first choice would be an accordion, but I have literally zero idea how to find one, how to play it, what makes it quality as opposed to cheap, etc.

I've only ever fiddled(no pun intended!) with a penny whistle and harmonica, and I can play the first bit of Yankee Doodle on a guitar. Clearly, I am the next master musician, haha.

But I digress. I'd like to know basically how hard it is to learn an accordion. I don't need to know fancy complex songs or anything like that. My personal favorite music, in fact, is the simple fiddle and drum, stomp-your-feet style folk music. So I'm looking for any advice about accordions, and also on harmonicas, penny whistles... something to play a rousing tune around the campfire.

I also have no idea where to begin in terms of actual accordions. Several sites have suggested to others that they look at Goodwill, and I did find several there for less than $60, which would be perfect. However, I have no idea how to judge the quality of any of these instruments.

As a side note, is it hard to learn harmonica? Figured I'd just throw it all into one post and save y'all some time.

Any advice is appreciated, I've an empty head that's yearnin for some learnin.

EDIT: Also I've heard some positive reviews on someone called Palmer-Hughes for accordion books? Can anyone speak for these books, or ones that are better? I have no money for lessons, so anything I learn will be home-based. However, I have money for books, and internet for video lessons.


Cheers all,
Drame22

[Jerome]

Sorry can't help - don't know a thing about either. Must be something on the web somewhere???

[CRAZY-HORSE]

....and i thought that if anyone on MD could help it would be you Jerome????, guess we'll have to sack you mate!, your severance check is in the mail!!!!

[Drame22]

Not to seem rude, but if you couldn't help, why did you post?


There's a tad here and there, but what I'm looking for I think can only come from someone who's played it, since I'm basically asking compared to other instruments, how hard is it to learn, and what to look for in a quality accordion.

[SteveO]

Welcome aboard MD, Drame! Take it from me ...if you're looking for an easy instrument to learn ..there isn't one! even the ukulele is no walk in the park! ...practise and patience and yes lots of practise is mandatory! Did you try to search by ...ACCORDIANS wiki?????

Not to seem rude, but if you couldn't help, why did you post?


There's a tad here and there, but what I'm looking for I think can only come from someone who's played it, since I'm basically asking compared to other instruments, how hard is it to learn, and what to look for in a quality accordion.

[Drame22]

Well..... not exactly. I'm more curious about what instruments I could learn that are easy relative to other instruments. Guitar, for example, I found extremely hard to even get the notes to sound right.


I don't mind practice, and I know that comes with the territory of instruments. I'm just looking for one that maybe has a few simple tunes I can start off with to get a feel for it. But I've never so much as touched an instrument that wasn't a piano, guitar, or whatever those annoying little flutes we had to play in elementary school were.


I love the accordion. It's one of my favorite instruments, right up next to chello and bagpipe. But I believe those last two are way harder to learn than accordion. But hey, if bagpipes are easier, than to hell with my roommates, we'll wake each morning with a rousing scottish tune!


I did have a go at a harmonica recently, and apart from having difficulty blowing on one... reed? at a time, it was pretty fun, and in the vein of lively campfire music that I'm trying to get into.

EDIT: Alternatively, I've also loved fiddles since I was little. Those are basically violins right?

Cheers all,
Drame22

[SteveO]

a musician friend of mine has told me that the accordian is difficult to learn,,,,have you seriously tried the ukulele...I'm pondering the idea!

[Drame22]

Well alright. Failing the accordion, does anyone know anything about banjos and harmonicas? My next two favorite instruments. Past fiddles at least, and I KNOW those are hard to learn!



Thanks for the help all, really appreciate it.

Drame22

[jazzboCR]

Can't help you otherwise but check this (CAUTION: may depress you further): http://www.allmusic.com/artist/those-dar.../biography
Some perfs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ2QoOs-WRo and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNb6McA4vgo and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPtjPfgXRMA and, finally, for us ABBA fans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87RzHJ7gThM
Seriously? You can do no better in music, especially not Latin music, than Astor Piazzolla: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAx3kxeytVA and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUAPf_ccobc << his best-known piece, covered worldwide
Now about that bass ukulele... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k-8cyUtMJo << bit o' both--some hip squeeze playing and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HchbmLIV3w
Hve you considered a wind-driven instrument like a harmonica? Start at the top--a Hohner Chromonika III chromatic will get you goin'... Good place to start your search: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p...&_from=R40
A Japanese master: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET01Wq-lo90 << tell me this guy doesn't kill on the 2 necessities of harp--soul and breath control. But some other options: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ovDo2T0lbM
Would a Thread talking about accordion be complete without this? Doubtful: http://www.accordionlinks.com/lady.html and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44Nt8WOHyyU << swing it, Bro!