I learned a lot of things in Las Vegas, and one of the important things was holding the accordion properly, in a workshop from Gina Branelli of the UK.
I have been playing the accordion since I was 7 years old, and have gotten very comfortable with how I hold the instrument. However, various folks, including Richard Yaus, Bob Smith, Mary Tokarski, John Bonica and others have given me an inkling that perhaps I should consider making some adjustments to my positioning. I decided to take advantage of someone who didn’t know me well to try to learn this, as it can be hard to accept advice when you’ve been playing a certain way for years!
It’s always hard for an old dog to learn new tricks, but maybe some of you will find my new insights helpful, and also perhaps prevent some injuries. I found this quite awkward at first, and embarrassing as well, but very worthwhile!
Instrument Position – First, and most importantly, the instrument should be positioned so that the keyboard is under the CHIN. In order to do this, I had to make drastic adjustments to my straps. The left hand strap has to be very snug, and I had to take my straps in to the shoe man to poke additional holes in my left hand strap. Mary Tokarski mentioned that she sometimes has to order two sets of straps in order to get the left hand strap small enough for her.
Most accordions are very well balanced. The way to get the correct positioning is to balance the accordion bellows on the left thigh. Then, you should be able to slip your arms into the straps, essentially without having the accordion move at all. This way, the accordion’s weight will be off your shoulders and you will have the keyboard under your chin. You will need to have somebody hold the accordion for you so that you can adjust your straps. The accordion should be more or less straight up and down, not tilted to one side or the other. For most people, the top of the keyboard should be about level with the top of the shoulder. If you have a long torso or a small accordion, you might have to put the accordion a little lower.
When sitting, you should sit at a height so that your thighs are absolutely level. Your feet should be flat on the ground, about shoulder width apart. The keyboard should lock into your right thigh, but not so far into it that you don’t have access to your highest notes. In other words, the keyboard rests about an inch into your thigh. You should sit on the edge of the chair, so that your back is straight. Tucking your feet under you or stretching them out puts pressure on your back, and can cause injury.
Getting the correct positioning on both right and left hands is easier when you have the accordion positioned this way. As everyone has told us forever, on the right side, the arm and wrist should be straight out from the elbow, with the shoulder relaxed, and the fingers curved and resting lightly on the keyboard. The left hand positioning was very tricky for me. I have been playing my bass with 2-3 fingering forever. However, I discovered when playing Frank Morocco’s lovely music that my fifth finger was a problem. I never really learned how to use it, and part of the problem was that my hand wasn’t adjusted properly into the bass side. The bass strap should be approximately at the wrist bone. To get the proper positioning, put your hand through the strap and rest all 5 fingers in a row starting with little finger on C, 4 on G, etc. and make sure you can reach the counter bass row in this way as well. Again, try not to cock the wrist in relation to the hand. Another thing that Gina suggested was that 4-3 fingering is really much better for playing, and keeps the hand and wrist in a better position. This is not something you can change overnight! It will be a process of some months before I am able to accomplish this. When pulling the bellows, you need to pull back toward your body rather than out into the air. The left elbow is kept fairly close to the body, but not crammed in, so that you have a full range of motion on the bellows, and you have some support for the bellows as well.
For further information: ewinglynn@sbcglobal.net
