Isn't it BEAUTIFUL?!
I'm 5'3" heightwise, and don't weigh very much, so needed something smaller than that big old 120-base monster I had been trying to play. I dropped my requirements to the 72-base (that's the number of "buttons" on the base side, incidentally) and I find it to have been a very good decision. It's much lighter. There are five registers. These are those black buttons on the case in the picture above. They are selectors for tone changes on the piano-keyboard side. I'm fairly clumsy at changing them at the moment, but I'll get better soon!
With the brand new, crisp bellows, it's a challenge for this old lady at the moment. I'm not as smooth as I need to be. But oh, what an exercise machine this is! Practice will re-develop my arm muscles and at the same time will loosen up the bellows. So, I pick it up in the a.m. and the p.m. to...would you believe, PRACTICE! There's that word, again: PRACTICE. My fingers are gradually re-finding the scales on the bass side. What you don't use, you will lose! Takes awhile for them to remember what was routine so long ago! But my progress is rapid and memory is regaining the repertoire of songs I know in my head. So it's also a good mental exercise.
Some of our fondest memories are of camping (for three months) down the east coast of Australia waaaaay back in the 1970's. Whenever we would reach someplace where we wanted to spend a few days, we'd find a spot where we could park (and they were everywhere, along with free outdoor showers, campgrounds, or simply wide spots in the road)...and eventually, after camp was made, I would take out my accordion and begin to play. Gradually people would start to gather 'round. Some would sing, (Waltzing Matilda and Tie Me Kangaroo Down, were overwhelming favorites), some would talk, some would simply sit and listen. I'd play for an hour or so, and by then we'd made many friends.
Music IS international. I took an accordion when we made our way slowly across the U. S., into Mexico, into Canada and it was always welcome. The accordion is a truly wonderful portable instrument with all your music in one box! And I love it!
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ELORA -- SO NICE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR ACCORDION AND THE MUSIC YOU PLAYED WHILE ON THE ROAD. I WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOSE IN THE CROWD LISTENING TO YOUR ACCORDION. I USED TO WORK WITH A MAN THAT BROUGHT HIS ACCORDION TO WORK, SOMETIMES, AND WOULD PLAY IT FOR US AT LUNCH. WE LOVED IT. TOOK AWAY MANY OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE FACED AT WORK. -- barbara
ReplyDeleteWhat fun! I wish I could play a musical instrument but after various failed attempts have decided just to enjoy listening.
ReplyDeleteOh, she is beautiful. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteSince you prefer the old standards, I wonder if you've ever heard The Who's "Squeezebox." I'm posting the lyrics here, and thinking you should change the title of this post to "Mama's Got A Squeeze Box." Looking forward to a concert!
ReplyDeleteSqueezebox
The Who
Mama's got a squeeze box
She wears on her chest
And when Daddy comes home
He never gets no rest
'Cause she's playing all night
And the music's all right
Mama's got a squeeze box
Daddy never sleeps at night
Well the kids don't eat
And the dog can't sleep
There's no escape from the music
In the whole damn street
'Cause she's playing all night
And the music's all right
Mama's got a squeeze box
Daddy never sleeps at night
She goes in and out and in and out and in and out and in and out
Cause' she's playing all night
And the music's all right
Mama's got a squeeze box
Daddy never sleeps at night
She goes, squeeze me, come on and squeeze me
Come on and tease me like you do
I'm so in love with you
Mama's got a squeeze box
Daddy never sleeps at night
She goes in and out and in and out and in and out and in and out
'Cause she's playing all night
And the music's all right
Mama's got a squeeze box
Daddy never sleeps at night
Barbara,
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely memory! And what a generous person that man was! Nothing like live music to soothe the soul.
Oh, Debbi!
Thanks so much for taking time to type all that! Fabulous...you know, in the deeeeep, dark recesses of this old mind, I seem to remember this song! It's simply GREAT!!! Best part: playing all night and the music's all right!! It isn't bad! What a hoot! Great comment! Thanks so much!
NCMW...Carolyn did you realize that I didnt' realize you had a blog??? It took me all this time to figure that out! Duh! And that you "formerly" lived in WI. Got it straight now, though!
Vicki, I know you've heard the old "saw" that if a tree falls in the forest, and there's no one around, it doesn't make any sound! It's kind of like that with accordions...thanks for being a listener! We musicians need you!
Julia,
How neat that your dad played. It's amazing when I did a little research on it,how this portable one-person band, has crept into cultures worldwide. Most don't have the (good-natured) derision that we seem to have in this country for it. We do seem to malign many of the good things that are simple. however inadvertently.