Piano Accordion Basics

Piano Accordion Basics is for the absolute beginner. The first five lessons concentrate on the right-hand melody, with a new tune covered in each lesson. Lessons cover simple Irish tunes that are well known globally. Hand and finger positioning, and basic ornamentation—cuts, triplets and slides—are discussed and demonstrated. From lesson seven onwards, the left-hand bass is introduced. For the bass lessons, mp3’s of the melody on its own are included, giving you the opportunity to isolate and perfect the accompaniment aspect of playing. Singling out the melody in this way facilitates that progressive shift in learning: from the foreground, almost one dimensional, melody to the textural backdrop that is the foundation of a lively ceilí.

It can take some time and practice for both the left and right hand to be co-ordinated with each other, but this is where the beauty of video tutorials come in. You are encouraged to stay with a particular tutorial until its elements are mastered. Listening to how the tutor is playing the tune and then mimicking it is the age-old way the tradition has been passed down through generations. With the video footage, you have the added benefit of pausing and repeating as often as you need, without any fear of testing the tutor’s patience!

The course offers a really diverse mix of tunes, all beginner, well known Irish tunes and song airs: