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Group Accordion Lessons This Spring, we will be offering 3 options for group accordion lesson / band as follows: 1. Beginner Group Accordion Class -- Thursdays 6pm-7pm, No prerequisites, class will be at the level of Palmer Hughes Books One and Two. Focus will be on major and minor scales, basic left hand rhythms, reading music, playing in a group, simple melodies by ear. $15/hour session 2. Intermediate Group Accordion Class -- Tuesdays 6-7pm. Prerequisites are basic understanding of playing the accordion at the level of Palmer Hughes Books 1 and 2 (or Sedlon 1A, 1B or Mel Bay Teach Yourself Accordion). Classes will be workshops on the many genres of accordion music with one featured piece each week. $15/hour session 3. Accordion Band -- Sundays 2-4pm. We play a variety of songs with multiple parts arranged for accordion ensemble. The band can accomodate all levels of ability and provides supplementary practice for individual lessons. Free! The group lessons, individual lessons, and band are designed to be complementary to each other. Therefore, the best course of study would be to schedule individual lessons supplemented by group classes and also band. Group lessons should be prepaid one lesson in advance and will be cancelled if there are not at least 2 people coming to the lesson. Individual Accordion Lessons Below are a few sample lesson programs that we've customized in the past. 1. Getting Back into the Accordion -- Intended for the adult student who took lessons as a child and wants to get back in touch with the instrument. Lessons include accelerated review of the basics and a broad study of many musical styles, rhythms, and genres. 2. Absolute Beginner's Guide to the Accordion -- This course assumes no previous knowledge and goes through the fundamental concepts of music in a fun way that involves many practical examples of different types of music. Focus is on reading music and developing ear training, harmony, and good technique. 3. Advanced Studies in Accordion -- Intended for the future virtuosos who are looking for a solid grounding in music theory, ear training, improvisation, harmony, and technique. Includes jazz chord combining, bellows techniques, accordion sound effects, and free bass instruction. 4. The World of Accordion -- This course emphasizes the role of the accordion (and its cousins the bandoneon, concertina, etc) in just about all of the world's cultures. After completing this course, you will have a sound structure in playing a wide range of music such as blues, latin, jazz, cajun, zydeco, swing, polka, tango, bossa nova, rock, salsa, middle eastern, irish, tex-mex, italian, french, scottish, klezmer, balkan, and much more! We teach all levels at our studio near Rittenhouse Square in Center City Philadelphia during evenings and on weekends. Our rate is $40 for an hour session or $25 for a half hour session ($5 discount if you are a full time student). No former experience needed, although other musical experience may help you move along faster. We can provide an accordion to use during the lesson to avoid transportation issues. Feel free to email with questions or references of current students. Frequently Asked Questions How long does it take to learn the piano accordion? If you can read music and maybe play some other instruments (esp piano or guitar) you should be able to learn a number of songs within a few months. If you are starting from scratch, 6 months to 1 year is enough time to learn the basics. Accordion is a simplified, portable piano and is much easier and less frustrating than piano because it is designed to play chordal accompaniments which allows you to sound much more textured and advanced than other instruments with only little experience. Ok, so I just bought an accordion. Which books should I use to learn? Here are my reviews of popular accordion courses: 1. Mel Bay Teach Yourself Accordion Good book for someone with previous music experience. Covers all the basics with interesting songs. Difficult for a complete beginner because it is fast-paced and doesn't do a great job of building solid music theory, developing fingering techniques, or teaching advanced techniques. Good if you just want to play accordion as a supplementary instrument or as a hobby. 2. Palmer Hughes Accordion Course These books set the gold standard in the 1950s and have been a trusted resource ever since. Despite their 1890's-themed music, outdated cartoons, and horrendous song lyrics, the content is quite thorough and timeless. If you go through these books dilligently, you will progress steadily. 3. Sedlon Accordion Course Not recommended as a primary source but contain some good supplementary material. Like the Palmer Hughes books, they are also ancient but the content is unorganized and not very thorough. Some songs are too easy while others just keep repeating the same techniques. I do recommend the Sedlon Band books, however, because I think the arrangments are good for an intermediate band. 4. Santorella Accordion Course These newer publications offer updated songs and CDs to listen to the material. Very approachable and a good introduction for the more contemporary accordion student. 5. Arretta Accordion Course These books are not as well known as Palmer Hughes or Sedlon but offer a complete and comprehensive accordion course. They have a good selection of practice songs and perhaps their best feature is an emphasis on technique throughout the series, especially in the bass clef. |
Liberty Bellows Accordion Studio provides accordion instruction for all levels of study and musical genres. Classes are taught on an individual or group basis and include participation in one or more practice bands at no extra charge. All studies are individually tailored to fit your interests. |
Liberty Bellows P.O. Box 2051 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Tel: 267-263-3056 Email: web@libertybellows.com Store Hours: Tuesday 10am-6pm Wednesday 10am-4pm Thursday 10am-8pm Sunday 1pm-5pm Please call or write to make an appointment to visit the studio at the corner of 18th and Sansom Sts. |