The Mighty Accordion, Volume Two

Book excerpt: The Mighty Accordion, Volume Two is an essential and unique method book for improving the left-hand skills of the accordionist. The comprehensive series of graduated exercises are designed to improve finger strength and dexterity while teaching how to play melodies and walking bass lines. These skills are then used to explore ways to play contemporary chord progressions. The book contains three sections. Section One offers a brief review of standard bass/chord patterns. Section Two focuses on playing left hand melodies, starting with simple scale-based patterns, and proceeding to more challenging pieces. Also included are a series of exercises specifically designed to strengthen the typically weaker fifth finger. Section Three focuses on chord progressions commonly heard in popular music. Exercises explore the use of arpeggios and walking bass lines to connect chords and integrate a variety of rhythmic patterns. The final chapter presents numerous blues riffs played within the standard 12-bar blues format. Fingering suggestions are provided for each exercise. Includes access to online audio of all exercises. The material in this book offers the accordionist valuable tools to markedly advance their mastery of left-hand techniques and to improve overall musicianship.