How hard is it to learn to play the Accordian?
Eileen asked:
I really want to learn how to play, it looks like so much fun. I already basically know how to read music, (I’ve played piano for like, 3 years.)
So how hard do you reckon it will be for me to learn?
Also, do you have an idea as to how much a new/used one would cost?
December 29th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
I paid $150 for my accordion on Ebay, and it is a decent one. Not as easy to learn as I thought – and that’s coming from a fairly good pianist with 20 years on the keys. I mean, I “got it” and understood the concepts instantly, but it is just a completely different way of playing. Trickier than I thought.
December 30th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Since you already know how to read music & play piano you have most of the basics. The main two things you’ll need to learn are how to use the left hand – the accordion is set up differently than the piano for that – and how to coordinate the movement of the bellows while you play.
While you’ll probably be able to play some music right away, it may take a while to get the “feel” of how to make it sound good. The accordion uses the bellows to produce air to make the sound. All of the expression comes from the bellows and that is usually the most complicated thing to learn (as far as sounding “good”)
Accordions vary greatly in price – for a new beginners model, expect to spend $350 – $500. Professional accordions can cost upwards of $20,000.
For the most value, I’d look for a used Italian made accordion from the 1960’s. These tend to be very good quality & make it easier to learn on. Lots of deals can be had on ebay & a lot of other sites. Expect to spend about $200 or so for a decent used instrument, or about $600+ for a top brand (Excelsior, Titano, etc.)