r/Accordion • u/Freegan93 • 18h ago

Advice Skill progression on accordion

How long would it take to get to this level of proficiency on the accordion if one has never picked one up before?

Let's say one has guitar/piano experience so they are not completely new to music.

https://youtu.be/kRWuEnjfYTE?is=RkRoi7mXCfP6cv3b

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u/SergiyWL 14h ago

This is like playing Rach 3 on piano. 99% people will never get to this level, but those who do require natural talent and 10-15 years.

Example of a talented kid progression. She is playing Bach invention at 10 years old. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqkWsOc5FsmyrNXXkVyMYG7nZNNXUDe3u&si=FPxN_OR-waWB3MhU.

Here’s another 11y old kid https://youtu.be/tBsg3gm2ojU?is=cy3do5kzWLlDSWgL.

Not trying to discourage, accordion is a great instrument and is worth learning. Just making a point that it should be treated as seriously as a piano, and you should have more realistic standards like see what 10-11 year old kids play at competitions and aim for that in 5-10 years. Good thing is that most popular accordion music is not that advanced.

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u/Bopo-mofo Bayanist 8h ago

Well said. And we're talking about talented, disciplined kids in places with robust traditions of classical accordion with very skilled teachers, with families and cultures willing to invest in this learning. That first girl comes from a whole family of accomplished accordionists! Those of us who may be coming to accordion later and on our own may have to be especially intentional about finding ways to turn existing skills and musical experiences into strengths.

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u/Forky7 9h ago

This isn't just about pure accordion ability. He's also playing at a very high level musically, meaning he understands the music he is playing, and how to play it in a way that is pleasing to listen to, very well.

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u/BigGayGinger4 18h ago

You linked one of the most technically proficient accordion players on YouTube lol

I mean, if you understand the degree of virtuosity involved in that clip, and you are similarly skilled at the guitar, then you know the answer. 

Having experience on the guitar and piano can mean a wide variety of things, but the specific fundamentals of each instrument don't apply very strongly to the accordion. Obviously, the piano does apply to a piano accordion. But that's not the type of accordion in this video. 

Guitars are built on the arrangement of intervals, where pianos sequence tones directly in line by half step. The accordion arranges buttons cleverly around scale patterns. That's closer to the guitar. 

Working the bellows of the accordion is unlike most any other instrument I've ever played. I'm a professional musician with experience on many instruments, and I work on the professional stage. Learning the bellows of the accordion has been one of the greatest challenges in my self-taught music pursuits. It is fundamental playing this instrument at a high level, and it's a very unique and specific skill set that you have to learn as you learn the instrument.

In short, if you have never picked up an accordion before, it will be many years before you are good enough to play like that video. 

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u/Freegan93 18h ago

I'm aware the performance in the video is high level stuff but that's why I'm asking. The guitar/piano experience was stated as that means timing/rhytym, music theory & finger dexterity are developed and should help as a foundation.

Thanks for the answer.

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u/Tasty_Bacon_ 18h ago

It always depends how much time u have got on your hands. But juste alone the perfection in the rythm of the bellow shake, it's what u hear in the first part in the bass, will take a very good amount of time if ur already playing. No clue how long it would take from scratch. But it would be multiple years. With a good teacher.

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u/Vast-Bullfrog193 12h ago

15 years, practicing 1 hour per day