How many Bass Buttons do you need? The big question.
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- Опубликовано: 2 май 2022
- Number of Bass Buttons is one of the most confusing options when buying your first accordion. I was faced with a similar problem. You'd know that 120 basses is the standard full size option and fewer buttons means compromising.
But it's extremely hard to understand what exactly you are compromising. Because the bass buttons are unique to accordions. Each Bass button option (12, 24, 48, 60, 72, 96, 120) has very specific limitations and advantages.
The number of options might make your head spin. When I got my first accordion, I thought that 120 basses are for professionals and fewer basses was for amateurs. Although it is not completely incorrect, that doesn't misses so many important factors.
I made this video to share my experience with people that are starting out now. If I knew the answers for these questions, I would have made an informed decision when I bough my first accordion.
Watch this video to be able to answer these questions
I am an absolute beginner, Should I learn to play the 12 bass accordion before I can play a 48/72/96/120 bass accordion? Not necessarily. You can start with a 12 bass, but you'll have to upgrade to a bigger instrument pretty soon.
What are the pros and cons of 72 bass vs 60 bass accordions? Almost the same, the 60 bass misses the diminished chords.
What can I do on a 72 bass that I can't do on a 48 bass? A lot more.
What can I do on a 96 bass that I can't do on a 72 bass? gives you added convenience with duplicate buttons.
What can I do on a 120 bass that I can't do on a 96 bass? not a lot more. a little bit more added convenience that most people won't need.
In that case is there no point in getting a 120 bass accordion? Not really. You can't find high quality pre-owned 96 bass accordions from the golden age (1950s to 1970s). So 120 bass is your only option for older accordions if you don't want to compromise on range.
I am an adult that has never played any musical instrument, can I learn on a 120 bass instrument as my first instrument? Absolutely.
Is a 120 bass instrument harder to play than a 12/48/72/96 bass instrument? Not at all. May be the 12 bass is easier to play but it is very limited. Other than that the 120 bass doesn't require any additional effort to play when compared to a 48, 72 or 96 bass instrument. 
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Your video series on buying your first accordion was exactly what I’ve needed! I’ve appreciated your thorough yet clear explanations.
I'm so glad to hear that. What kind of accordion are you looking to buy?
i was gonna say the same thing , i watched so many videos on the subject, nobody made me understand this untill now!! well done! i will subscribe!
It is a great explanation 🎉🎉🎉🎉 million thanks for such a wonderful, detailed, explanation 🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤
Thank you very much. Do you play the accordion?
Went from 48 straight down to 12, skipping right over 32, 24, and 18.
Some of these sizes may not be so common nowadays, but they are still seen on many accordions of yesteryear on the used market.
The goal was not to look at every possible combination. It's an overview of popular choices.
Great video! Thanks for helping us to understand the differences in accordions.
Thank you Douglas!
Very helpful video...Thanks..
Thank you Sagar! I'm glad you found it useful.
Thank You so Much
I'm glad you liked it
Thanks!
The real question is what kind of accordion to get. Every style of music has its own accordion that goes with it. A couple of examples Cumbia doesn’t sound right on any accordion unless it’s a 3 row diatonic like a Hohner Corona. The same is true for Tango if it’s not played on a bandoneon. Irish music has to be on a 2 row diatonic with half step difference between the rows.
I mostly play piano accordion. I also play a little bit of the chromatic button accordion. This video focuses on picking the right number of buttons in a piano accordion.
Great explanation thanks.
Thank you Peter. Are you planning to get a new accordion?
@@BreezyBellows - I have an old but perfect condition Hohner Student 2 which has a lovely tone but is a bit limited on the chords, so wondering where to go next.
Well explained🎉🎉
Thank you!
You are the man! Thank you for a very good logical explanation…
Thank you Armando! What kind of Accordion do you have?
@@BreezyBellows it is an old Bontempi, 120 buttons… I just got it from a garage sale. Need to learn. I also have a 12 button one for fun, but I could not figure out the buttons, but now…! Thanks.
@@armandogusa I do teach via zoom. Let me know if you're interested.
This makes so mich sense, thank you!
Thank you! I'm glad you found it useful.
@@BreezyBellows yes! I haven’t invested in an instrument yet but I’m taking all this information in!
@@helenlouiseadams let me know if you have more questions. You can email me at breezybellows@gmail.com and I'll be glad to assist you.
@@BreezyBellows thank you!
Thank you
I'm glad you liked it!
My favourite is a 60 bass but I love a 32 bass too. I just never use the diminished row.
The diminished chord can come in very handy as passing chords. Here is a tutorial I made about this. ruclips.net/video/0E07cKDj_1I/видео.html
@@BreezyBellows thankyou!
I play modified 12 bass accordions. (I silence the 3rds on the bass chords.)
I can play in the keys of F C G D.
I can play in minor keys as well.
That's neat! Power chords!
I need a 140 bass accordion. When they invent it, I want one. 😊
They already exist! They have one more row on top of the counter bass row that plays the minor third.
I have 48, 72, 96 bass accordions. I never feel limited by the 96. The 48 is fun but there are a lot of pieces that don't fit on it. 72 bass can play anything in principle but if you're in a very sharp key like B or F sharp you're gonna have some fearful bass jumps. Thankfully that doesn't come up a lot. Small accordions get limited by the treble keyboard but there are workarounds if you shift things about.
That's a nice summary. I feel exactly the same way. I won't prefer anything less than 96 buttons. Most of what I have is 120 basses.
@@BreezyBellows
And *I* would suggest that most of your instruments are 120 bass, only because that is a default design.
When I get a full size instrument, I don't really see any advantages in reducing the number of bass buttons. The 24 extra bass buttons barely add any weight. Only a few ounces maybe.
@@BreezyBellows I play 96 with a shorter right hand keyboard and those are considerably lighter than a full size and more importantly more manageable for shorter people.
@@TerryClarkAccordioncrazy yes. It's hard to fit 120 basses on an instrument with 37 or fewer keys.
O mention of the 4 row 48 Bass which you need to learn hacks to cover the chords
My main focus was 12, 72, 96 and 120
Hi Anand, Great video on the big decision on what bass size to get when first playing. I got some good insights based on what you covered in this video. On another note, have you been in communication with other accordion players regarding the pluses and minuses of acoustic versus digital accordions? I ask because I have both and every day I ask myself which one do I prefer? My feelings about this change like the direction of the wind.
I'm on the same boat. I play both. I get the most satisfaction when I play acoustic. But I've started to like digital accordions for what they are.
Anand, What kind of digital accordion do you have and/or play? I have almost all of the Rolands. Right now I have the 8X but used to have the 1X, 3X, and 4X.
Let me clarify what I said. I had owned and played all of the Rolands I mentioned but now only have the 8X.
I used to own a FR-4x. I now have a Bugari Evo
Yes, 96 bass you can play everything with it and is lighter to carry, and for standing up playing, strolling, and is more handy. :)
Does your 96 bass have a smaller keyboard as well? I'm not how much weight is saved getting rid of 24 bass buttons from the bass mechanism. I'll be curious to compare the weight difference of a 34/120 accordion vs a 34/96 accordion.
@@BreezyBellows If the keyboard is the same , the difference between the two would only be a couple of ounces at the most. The only difference would be the weight of the buttons and pistons plus a bit of hardware.
That's what I thought too. If that is the case, I wonder why a lot of the stroller accordions have only 72 basses instead of 96 or 120? Is it harder to fit 120 basses on a smaller form factor?
@@BreezyBellows The buttons end up being really close together if you put 120 on a small instrument. I have a vintage 120 instruments that is smaller than a 72 bass, it is for a child since an adult would have a hard time with the 13mm keys and closely placed buttons.
Do you have it for sale?
I also have a Morino 96 & Hohner Lucia 96,
Didn't know there was a 96 bass option for Morino. I had a 5 reed 185 bass Morino that had 120 stradella basses and 65 M3 free bass buttons.
And I have a partially functional 12 bass russian meteor accordion from 1968
Lucia 96 is a fantastic instrument with a sound like no other, I love mine and would never sell it.
@@TerryClarkAccordioncrazy Even I, a fantastic instrument with a sound like no other, I love mine and would also never sell it. 😊
When I get rich, I’ll make myself a Diatonic 34 button with 48 piano bass on the left.. haven’t seen those other than old school videos.
I don't know much about diatonic accordions. Do diatonic accordions have piano keys? I thought they only had buttons.
One more thing you would like to probably add in the future which is why I don't have the 120 and I'm not too sure about the the 96 I get why you say it's a provides more without jumping around but those with cerebral palsy or arm problems they want 120 so a 60 would probably be at if they didn't want the 72 if they weren't needing the diminished chords they were just like a they might be a past guitar player and so yeah they would have their major minor and 7th chords otherwise for my disability and who am I going to be teaching with disabilities it'll probably be the 48 for the start it gives him where the play with then the 24 or the 12 they won't get bored right away thank you
Thank you for your useful suggestion. I will make sure to add this information when I discuss bass buttons.
Weltmeister makes an 80 bass, Cb to G#, minus the diminished row.
I believe the seventh is voiced differently in those Accordions.
If you could only choose one:
26 key 48 bass
or
30 key 32 bass
Or would you just wait and get the 72 bass?
I'm a beginner, looking to play English Morris tunes, hymns, and Christmas carols.
I'm figuring piano keys will be easier for me to learn than button style.
It doesn't have to be overly complicated or have all the bells and whistles, but I would like the ability to get a nice variety of sound out of it.
Basically looking to buy an accordion that I can "grow into", rather than "move on from" if you know what I mean.
Size would also be nice to have a smaller accordion that could be played standing.
If you think the 12 bass is enough I'd consider that too.
Like I've mentioned in the video, anything less than 72 bass won't have all of the 12 notes in the octave. It will also miss the chords that go with them. If you get a 48 bass accordion, it's very likely that you'll want to upgrade. If you want to cut down on weight, get a 72 bass with 31 keys.
@@BreezyBellows Thank you!
@@SkyForgeVideos
And I absolutely second that.
How many bass buttons should a beginner get .
Depends on how long you're planning to keep it. If you start with a 12 bass, it will be small and light, but you'll need to upgrade very soon (in a couple of months if you keep up with regular practice). I'd recommend getting a cheap 48+ bass accordion (72+ bass will be better) and play with it to see if you're into it. That way, you can get a really good accordion in about a year. I'd love to discuss more to understand what would be right for you. Email me at breezybellows@gmail.com
In summary you only need a 24 bass accordion and you can play any song on the planet !!
A 120 bass accordion has every single chord you need to play any song in any scale , however, it will be super heavy to carry and you may end up with back problems. Furthermore , it’s way more difficult to play and it will be a frustrating experience for you . On the other hand , a 24 bass accordion has major and minor chords (that’s all what you need on accordion) and you can play any major song on C major scale or G major scale or any minor song A minor or D minor scale. On accordion you don’t really need 7th , diminished or augmented chords since it’s a very melodic instrument and unless you have a super refined ear , you won’t notice any difference at all . Moreover , one of the biggest benefits of a 24 bass accordion is its rather light weight which is easy to carry and it won’t hurt your back /shoulders, plus it won’t be so confusing to play the bass , your fingers will know where the leading chords row is without the confusing counter bass raw
The 24 bass configuration has it's advantages with weight but the low weight is not because of the fewer number of buttons. In fact the difference in the bass mechanism of a 24 bass and a 120 bass is negligible. The bass reeds blocks for a 120 bass and 24 bass should have the exact same number of reeds for each set. The shorter keyboard (which usually accompanies the 24 bass accordion) is what contributes to the reduction of weight.
I don't quite agree with your view that the 24 bass is all you need. For the songs that I play, the 24 bass will be severely limiting and I won't be able to play half of my repertoire. These are the reasons why I consider 24 bass accordion to be limiting.
1) the counter bass row, helps you add bass runs. It's impossible to play bass solos only using the fundamental bass. The counter bass makes all 12 notes reachable from any playing position without having to jump.
2) the shorter keyboard (usually fewer than 25 keys) is going to restrict your playing even further. If you go for a longer keyboard (with the 24 bass configuration) you'll lose the weight advantage).
3) the seventh chords and diminished chords definitely provide a richer sound when played at the right time. I've recently learned a few advanced arrangements that use the diminished chords. Those chords are definitely not unnecessary.
4) You're stuck with only 4 keys that you can play. This is a deal breaker if you want to play anything you like (even at beginner level). It makes playing with others very difficult because the whole band will be limited to the keys in which you can play.
5) can't play alternating basses. You'll be stuck with the same standard bass patterns. You can't even play alternating basses in some of the keys that you mentioned.
@@BreezyBellows 🤣🤣🤣then you have no talent at all !!🤣🤣🤣🤣. Have you ever heard of key transpose ??? 🤣🤣🤣. If the original song is in the key of Bmajor a smart musician will play in C major in his 24 bass accordion. Have you noticed a lot of piano players play on a 61 key keyboard instead of 88 keys ? A good pianist doesn’t need 88 keys . Also , I think you don’t know how to read , when did I say the weight of an accordion is solely bass on the number of bass , but also I think you’ve never seen the interior of an accordion because you would know a 120 bass system is way more complex and therefore more metal pieces involved. I have 3 48 bass accordions which have less keys than my 24 bass accordion but weight more . So your assumptions are wrong !!!
There are 12 strings guitars available to play counterbass , but do you really need it ? Talent is more important than number of bass. I could pay over 10 thousands of songs on a only 12 bass accordion which has only major chords . A talented musician knows how to play a minor chord on 12 bass accordions . But a 24 accordion has all major and minor chords needed to play in a couple of major and minor scales .
@@BreezyBellows here you are !! This guy plays many songs on an even 8 bass accordion !!!ruclips.net/video/swwQtUQXfLs/видео.html
@@BreezyBellows
Agreed.
@@LoweDistortion it's all relative. With only 48 basses, you will be making compromises on what you'll be able to play. You'll be missing 16 of the chords that you'll find in 72 basses (and up). You don't have the major, minor, seventh and chords for B, F#, C# and Ab.
For example, if there's a song that has a B minor chord written for the left hand, you won't be able to play it the way it's written. You could find a different way to do it (play it in the right hand) or approximate it (play d maj chord with B counter bass to get a B minor 7 chord) or even transit to a different key. But those are not straightforward solutions.