Let’s Play the Amazing Accordion

Music is universal, simply because we all belong to the same human species. The percentage (99.9%) of genes or DNA that we share, makes all our similarities, traits, and tastes common. As a universally appealing interest, music makes itself well worth pursuing and sharing! This book is written with a specific goal to promote learning accordion as an amazing musical instrument. Accordion owes its popularity to its splendid sound and its versatility in producing them with ample facilities for improvisation and rendition. The mainstream population in the subcontinent and the African continent have not yet embraced the musical instrument, missing out on a global selection of beautiful songs, rhythms, and genres. A major impediment is the fact that many music systems emphasize monophonic melodic parts, and seldom the harmonic components. They are accustomed to enjoying music somewhat differently. Each element of the music, melody, rhythm, and harmony are played by another set of instruments by specialist musicians. The music is codified, organized, played, and enjoyed that way. Those who venture to try it out, soon find out that the instrument is foreign where harmony, polyphony, chords, counterpoint, etc. are emphasized and prolifically practiced. This musical instrument still amazes me in many ways, hence the title is chosen to reflect the same sentiment. Arguably, the accordion is the most scientific, musical, systematically thought-out, ergonomically built, and intricately packaged piece of musical instrument. Certainly, the accordion looks a bit formidable and complicated with its array of chord buttons and switches requiring full body coordination. But let the look alone doesn’t deceive anyone! Here, I like to make an earnest attempt to change the status quo and make it a lot easier to learn and play accordion as well as any other instruments. Accordion is designed to integrate several of the musical features into one instrument and make it a one-man band capable of ’solo’ and all other styles of playing. In this book, many of the concepts, music theory, and playing techniques are explained in depth with the aid of diagrams, illustrations, charts, and tables in scientific, mathematical, acoustic, and accordion-specific info in a holistic approach. This will provide music enthusiasts and hobbyists with varied backgrounds, and skill levels with alternate ways of understanding, and following their own natural learning paths. It describes the essential theory, all elements of music, and skills needed to play and enjoy the amazing instrument. Note intervals, harmony, scales, chords, quality, progressions, accordion button layout, music notations, Key & time signatures, scale degrees, Circle of fifths, Rhythm, cadence; scale degrees, consonance, dissonance, counterpoints, Physics of sound, human voice production & hearing sensitivity, pitch, frequency, accordion anatomy, reed tuning, equal temperament, are some of the many topics explained. Several examples and comparisons are made from nature and everyday life experiences to music, also explaining its health benefits and well-being. The learning should result in life-long enjoyment for themselves and others around them appealing to a wider audience. This book is deemed to provide a richer and wider perspective to all musicians, stage performers, sound engineers, recording artists, entertainers, hobbyists, and listeners. Music, originally as a purely aural art form, has spectacularly evolved into a multimedia display articulating the cryptic components in sound & Lyrics; movements in Rhythm, as well as the drama and emotional contents highlighting its synesthetic effects. Let many more may enjoy the amazing accordion!