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"Accordion World Magazine" ................. Karina Fodden (Editor)

Written by Neil Lane

Monday, 28 April 2008

The Accordion World Magazine - Please click here for a Free Trial Issue & subscription details in the UK!

John Leslie (Accordionist - Teacher - Composer - International Adjudicator)

has been asked to write a series of articles on chords and chord symbols for accordionists, in the

Accordion World Magazine.

UKAO are informed that the first of John's articles will appear in the July/August '09
issue of this fine,
informative and glossy bi-monthly magazine.

UKAO suggest that you contact Karina Fodden (Editor) for subscription details.

Tel: 01283 219 725
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Accordion World Magazine
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Extract from one of John Leslie's articles on Alternative Chord Harmony.
(see below)

The E dim triad does have an E - G - Bb - however, when you play the E dim button on a normal stradella bass accordion, it will not sound those pitches, it will sound an - E - G - Db - This is a disaster for anyone wanting to play an Em7-5 because the 7th of that chord is the D, so to sound a Db instead of a D is a huge mistake. Another mistake. is that by playing the D in the fundemental bass, the D will become the lowest sounding pitch, because the fundemental bass uses a lower set of reeds than the chord buttons. In the chord of Em7-5 (E minor seventh with a flattened 5th) or (E minor seventh flat 5) Its important that the lowest sounding pitch is the E Ao(Unless the accordionist is using the D as a passing note in a melodic bass progression)

The previous writers second choice, to play a bass button E with a chord button Gm is much better, and will provide exactly Em7-5 providing your playing a stradella bass with a pitch range of E to D sharp, or Eb to D - otherwise that will not work either, because with any pitch range other than E to D sharp, or Eb to D, you will not be able to produce an Em7-5 (it will sound as a 2nd)

It is my experience that most accordionists have no idea of the pitch range of their stradella bass, in fact, on most occasions when I have asked an accordionist what the pitch range was on their stradella bass, he, or she, had no idea what I was talking about. so my advice to accordionists that do not have the knowledge to cope with certain chords, is to keep it simple, if the chord symbol has an "m" play the minor button - that way you will not play anything that will clash.

Above extract is compliments of John Leslie - Accordions of London
www.accordionsoflondon.com