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.