Liberty Bellows Lessons

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.