Stradella Bass System Puns

I'm trying to learn my first song on the accordion. Now I can play this short waltz on the piano just fine, its a very easy tune. However I'm finding that the bass notes are just killing me. Even if I find center C with the little indent, if I get lost, I'm really lost and have to figure out where my left hand is.

Does anyone have any precision tips or something I could practice to get my left hand up to snuff?

I have only ever played on a stradella. personally I like it however I can see how free bass might be useful for a intermediate to advanced accordion player.

What do you think the pros and cons of each? I feel like free bass might be superior but harder to play and learn. While stradella is easier to play and learn but somewhat limits what cords you can play.

Occasionally, I see cajun, zydeco, or text max players with diatonic three row accordions and stradella Bass. Where can one acquire such a thing?

thanks!

Can this be done in a reversible way?

Sorry if this is a FAQ. I tried to check the sidebar, but, since the new UI I have trouble finding normal resources.

Due to the 'rona, I've been revisiting all the instruments that I own, but don't really play or know how to play. I've had tons of fun annoying backyard critters with my attempts at ukulele, banjo, mandolin, etc. Then, I remembered that I owned an accordion! Now that is a quarantine worthy instrument to learn! Plus, I'm not too shabby at piano, if I do say so myself.

I had always assumed that the left hand would be labeled and obvious -- how wrong I was. However, I do know a little music theory, so, I do understand the concept, and with a few youtube videos, I get the gist, but, boy do I suck. My timing is terrible. My sausage fingers have trouble finding the diagonals, etc. So, now I have some noob Stradella questions:

Fingerings

1. Online, some people use their middle finger on the C, some use ring. It seems like I can remain in home position easier using my ring finger, and allowing the index and middle to help feel for dimples / mistakes. But, I have a hard time twisting my hand enough for my middle to hit C-Major.
2. Is there a good technique for fat fingers?
3. Any hints about getting lost when moving position?

Oom-pah rhythm / timing

I'm having tons of issues with the left hand rhythms. Mostly, due to not knowing where to go. I'm pretty good at finding walks on bass, but, I'm terrible since I don't know the root rows on Stradella very well. And, that may be causing some of my timing issues as I guess wrong, or try to remember where I want my hand to go.

Anywho, do you guys have any pointers to easy songs or bass lines to learn on Stradella? I can't even figure out the normal Oompah line. I generally play something like this for a 3:4 style (waltz) - Oom-pah-pah:

I: C - C Maj - C Maj
V: G - G Maj - G Maj
IV: F - F Maj - F Maj

But, I'd rather that the I, IV, and V have different notes for the root, and that I walk between for transitions. (And, that V should probably be a V7, too)

So, any pointers on songs, runs, riffs, etc that I can start learning while I'm working on accuracy and rhythm?

Non polka songs

While I don't hate polkas, many do, and so I'm trying to add variety into the EASY songs I'm trying. I found aa version of "In the Jungle" from the Lion King somewhere on youtube (I'll add link in comments). They even added a polka-ish bass line to it, and it sounds great. This is becoming my goto practice so

I'm a composer wanting to write for accordion, but I'm also very particular about the sounds of chords I want to use and their inversions. What I want to know is, playing a bass chord on accordion, what are the exact sounding pitches I'll get, presuming on an 8' reed/register (sounding at written pitch)? Will it all be a closed triad, will it be an open triad in some inversion, will it be like four-part SATB writing with one of the notes doubled? What are the exact pitches/intervals of the chord (root, third, fifth, seventh if applicable) I'll get in order when using S.B. on an accordion?

Thanks for all responses!

So i was watching a jackson paraodi video and noticed when doing jumps he'd use his pinky and ring finger for chords and his first 2 fingers for chords higher up.

is this standard? I was always moving my hand (in sometimes long jumps) but this other approach seems to minimize movement and makes sense even if its a big adjustment. The most fascinating/challenging part of accordion for me is the bass section.

Ok, this is one I haven't thought much about until watching jackson paraodi videos (again).

Say you're playing an Aminor chord. Would you only play the Aminor button? All this time i'd play the root A while hitting the Aminor button as well.

It seems redundant now that I think of it but I'm completely self taught so maybe its incorrect.

I was looking at the Barber of Seville Overture post when /u/michinoku mentioned a converter instrument. I have never heard of such a thing, only a stradella system and free bass/m3.

I did a quick youtube search and found this video.

This is, perhaps, one of the coolest things I have ever seen. My accordion has switched on the left side (to go up an octave for the bass side) but never could I fathom that you could have both bass systems in one accordion!

In any event, I thought you all might appreciate this video!

Hi chaps -- is there a good way to know whether an accordionist is playing using a free-bass system or stradella?

Might be an incredibly nooby question to ask but I my way of trying to figure out if they are playing between the variations is if in free-bass user is using multiple fingers to structure chords, as opposed to a stradella player using less.

Is this right?

Thanks : -)

Here are some mnemonics that have helped me remember the Stradella and free bass* system.

I'm putting them here partly to help myself remember them and also in case any of you find them useful.

Stradella (down) - B E A D G C F

Because

Every day

All

Dogs

Go

Cunningly

Forwards

(up) F C G D A E B

Fish

Create

Global

Demand

Also

Exotic

Birds

Free bass (down - I have included the first note at the end, to help remember where the pattern starts again) D B Gsharp F D

Don't

Bring

Greatly

**(sharp)**ened

Fantasy

Dice

(Up)

Did

Freddy's

Gloves

(sharpened)

Bring

Death?

*There are lots of free bass systems, but I use the one called 'cajun' in my accordion's manual. It's the one that increases in semitones along the columns.

Also: Stradella Diagram: www.imgur.com/pjgJc

Edit: If somebody can tell me how to put in blank lines, I can neaten up the formatting a little.

I wanted to know since accordions in the U.S. and Europe never, at least that I'm aware of, just mirrored the right hand keyboard on to the left hand accompaniment which sounds for more simpler to play and make, instead they went for single button chords and basses until they reached the Stradella system, so I wanted to know why double keyboard accordions were never developed in the West and what are the advantages of a Stradella system over a conventional keyboard, for instance does it make playing chords easier and faster is it easier to navigate things like that?

Thank you

I'm looking for some more detailed resources and advice for setting it up myself. I have four Dayton pucks and two amps on the way. Now I'm trying to sort out best positioning and such. Just looking for some thoughts on what you like about your setup and what you'd do differently.

Any recommendations? I am leaning towards am SUV because I'd like to stick four 15" subs in the back.

Stage Info

Weather

Raining early on, then sunny. From 15°C to 25°C

Stage Breakdown

At 231 kms of length, stage 18 is the longest of the Giro. It’s a mostly flat stage, a necessary evil to bring the race close to the mountains where the last two stages will be held, but the finale could spark some fireworks.

We’re kicking off in Rovereto, the second largest city in Trentino, not far from where we finished today. The city is mostly known for its MART modern art museum and the Campana dei Caduti, one of the largest bells in the world, made with metal scrapped from WWI weapons.

The race heads south along the Adige river, soon reaching Veneto and the Po plains. The course will then turn west, passing by Lake Garda- the largest lake in Italy- and crossing another regional border into Lombardy. There is an intermediate sprint in Cremona, a lovely city mostly associated with local artesan Antonio Stradivari and his world-famous violins… but also delicious torrone, a very sweet treat often eaten during Christmas time. Cremona is the seat of the first intermediate sprint; after that, the race dwells in Emilia-Romagna for a while, passing through Piacenza- the city where stage 4 started, it feels like an eternity ago!- before returning into Lombardy.

The last 30 kms are the trickiest, as the stage gets a bit hilly. There is only one categorized climb- cat 4 Castana, but there are three additional ascents here, as well as an intermediate sprint in Broni, a town clearly popular with adult My Little Pony fans^sorry

T

I'm from the UK and I tend to mostly listen to hip-hop but I also listen to indie music and edm or just anything with a good beat.

Idk if hifi is the write place for bass and I'm also a beginner so I don't want to spend thousands maybe £250 £300 at the max I'm not sure if that is to low

Bought a new truck with an awesome aftermarket system. I’m new to car audio and it was working wonderfully when I bought the truck. My friend messed up my settings on my kenwood KDC-X500 stereo and now my system is only pushing out bass. I’ve got 2 3.5” Memphis tweeters, 2 6.5” Memphis, and 2 Rockford Fosgate 12”’s with a prime r1200-1D. Everything was working perfectly fine until my friend messed around with my settings on my kenwood. In serious need of guidance I’ve played with the LPF and HPF and have had no luck!