Liberty Bellows Lessons

Got an accordion in your attic? Ever wanted to play blues, latin, jazz,
cajun, zydeco, swing, polka, tango, bossa nova, or rock on your
accordion?

We teach all levels at our studio near Rittenhouse Square during evenings
and on weekends. Our rate is $35 for an hour session or $20 for a half hour
session ($5 discount if you are a full time student). Our approach is to teach
the basics using the Palmer Hughes Accordion Course series of books, and
move on as early as possible toward focusing on the music genre that
interests the 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. Bi-weekly band practice included at no additional
charge.

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, I would say that 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:
Mel Bay Teach Yourself the 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.
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1890's-themed music, outdated cartoons, and horrendous song lyrics, the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.
Sedlon Accordion Course -- Not recommended. 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.
Other Books -- I haven't seen any other books out there that teach as
thoroughly as the books listed above (Let me know if you disagree!)
However, if you are looking for good intermediate books I really like Gary
Dahl's Chord and Melody Method and to a lesser extend Gary Dahl's Master
Scale Book. The Palmer Hughes Jazz series is also pretty good, but they are
light on music theory.