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The Basic Course

The Basic Course for Diatonic Accordion is a complete learning program, made up of 130 videos divided into 15 online lessons, and structured into three main educational sections.

The first section is all about Technique Fundamentals (FT section) — 5 essential lessons designed to help you kick off your learning the right way. Master posture, fingering, and bellows control while avoiding bad habits that could hold you back. Start strong and build skills that’ll stick with you for life!
 
The second section focuses on Advanced Techniques (TE section) and it takes your skills and your knowledge about the instrument to the next level with 5 in-depth lessons. Here the difficulty level gradually steps up, and students dive deeper into the musical possibilities of the Diatonic Accordion, unlock new musical possibilities and master increasingly refined, effective techniques.
 
The third section is all about learning your First Tunes (PB section), with 5 lessons about traditional tunes (waltz, mazurka, bourrée, scottish and polka) that let you put your technique into action right away. Start playing real music while sharpening your skills — because the best way to learn is by doing!

In addition to the Basic Course, there is a series of lessons to learn Expert Techniques (TA section). These lessons are designed for those who have completed the Basic Course and want to move on to the next level. The goal of this section is to refine your playing style and explore all the musical and expressive possibilities of the diatonic accordion at a professional level.

Explore the educational content of each lesson of the Basic Course, simply clicking on the titles of lessons or read the Didactic Plan of the Basic Course.

Visit the Accordion Tunes Repertory section for the list of the lesson concerning single accordion tunes.


Attention: Click on the titles to see the list of contents of each lesson.


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FT01
FT 1 - Posture and right hands position
  • Right hands posture
  • How to play on a single row
  • How to play increasing and decreasing 3 notes scales
  • Right way to play with the index finger
  • Right way to play with the annular finger
  • Keeping the right positions on the keyboard
  • The Cross-Over technique
  • Correct fingering of an A minor scale
  • The Push-Pull technique
  • Correct fingering of an ascending scale
  • Correct fingering of a descending scale
  • Alternating bichords to index finger
  • Correct fingering of a melodic phrase in A minor
    How to play the top keyboards notes (e.g. G#)
FT02
FT 2 - Playing basses
  • Correct fingering for playing basses in high position
  • Exercises for playing basses in high position
  • Correct fingering for playing basses in low position
  • Exercises for playing basses in low position
  • Exercise for playing basses in low and high positions
  • Exercise in 2/4 with crossed positions
  • Exercise for improve annular finger skill
  • How to play main “crossed” positions chords (REm7, MIm7)
  • Exercise for keep the correct position for “crossed” positions chords
  • Exercise for improve hand skill in shifting the “crossed” positions
FT03
FT 3 - Exercises for improving hands autonomy
  • Introduction to the independence of the two cerebral hemispheres
  • Exercises on the 3/4 beat
  • Correct accents the left hand on 3/4 beat
  • The basics: the omorhythmic style
  • Exercise on the “fake” triplets in eighths
  • Exercise on triplets opposed to a 3/4 beat
  • Exercises on the 2/4 beat
  • Correct accents the left hand on 2/4 beat
  • The basics: full measure notes and omorhythmic style
  • Exercises on the dotted notes
FT04
FT 4 - Exercises for managing the bellow and the air valve
  • Exercise n.1 Adjusting the volume with the open valve
  • Exercise n.2 Pulling the bellow on the bass note
  • Exercise n.3 Pushing del mantice sul basso
  • Exercise n.4 Pulling between 2th and 3rd beat pulling the bellow
  • Exercise n.5 Pushing between 2th and 3rd beat pulling the bellow
  • Exercise n.6 Pushing between 2th and 3rd beat pushing the bellow
  • Exercise n.7 Pulling between 2th and 3rd beat pushing the bellow
  • Exercise n.8 Pulling between 1th e 2nd beat pulling the bellow
  • Exercise n.9 Pushing between 1th e 2nd beat pulling the bellow
  • Exercise n.10 Pushing between 1th e 2nd beat pushing the bellow
FT05
FT 5 - Practice on the right keyboard
  • Ascending and descending sequence of octaves
  • Construction of the intervals of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 on two rows
  • La successione di seste in apertura di mantice
  • The sixth series of the opening of bellow
  • A minor scale on two octaves
  • Phrasing on two octaves pushing the bellow
  • Phrasing with the technique of the “contrappunto” note
  • Technique of repetition with two fingers
  • Technique of repetition with three fingers
  • First steps in polyphony
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TE01
TE 1 - Exercises for improving hands agility and synchronization
  • Exercise n.1 part 1
  • Synchronous push-pull with three fingers
  • Exercise n.1 part 2
  • Synchronous push-pull with four fingers
  • Exercise n.2 part 1
  • Synchronous push-pull on demisemiquavers
  • Exercise n.2 part 2
  • Synchronous push-pull on demisemiquavers and change fingering in the high register
  • Exercise n.3 part 1
  • Ascending push pull scale grouped rhythmically
  • Exercise n.3 part 2
  • Descending push pull scale grouped rhythmically
  • Playing ascending and descending triplets
  • Exercise n.4
  • Study on the sound equivalence on the bellow directions
  • Exercise n.5
  • Study on the thirds descending and ascending sequence
  • Exercise n.6 part 1
  • Two octave ascending and descending scale on eighths
  • Exercise n.6 part 2
  • Two octave ascending and descending scale on demisemiquavers
  • Exercise n.6 terza parte
  • Two octave ascending and descending scale grouped rhythmically
  • Exercise n.7
  • Phrasing two octaves grouped by 2th intervals
  • Exercise n.8
  • Phrasing two octaves grouped by 2th intervals on demisemiquavers
  • Exercise n.9 part 1
  • Phrasing two octaves ascending and descending on eighths by 3th intervals
  • Exercise n.9 part 2
  • Phrasing two octaves ascending and descending on demisemiquavers by 3th intervals
  • Exercise n.10 part 1
  • A minor harmonic scale ascending and descending on eighths
  • Exercise n.10 part 2
  • A minor harmonic scale ascending and descending on demisemiquavers
TE02
TE 2 - Exercises for improving bellow expression and sensibility
  • Exercise n.1 Maintaining the “bellow threshold” pulling the bellow
  • Exercise n.2 Maintaining the “bellow threshold” pushing the bellow
  • Exercise n.3 Increase the volume by pulling the bellow
  • Exercise n.4 Increase the volume by pushing the bellow
  • Exercise n.5 Increase sensitivity on the right hand by pulling the bellow
  • Exercise n.6 Increase sensitivity on the right hand by pushing the bellow
  • Exercise n.7 Increase sensitivity on the left hand by pulling the bellow
  • Exercise n.8 Increase sensitivity on the left hand by pushing the bellow
  • Exercise n.9 Bellowed notes (“saltarello” style)
TE03
TE 3 - Exercises on asymmetrical rhythms
  • Introduction to asymmetrical rhythms
  • Exercise n.1 8/8 time signature (3 + 3 + 2)
  • Exercise n.2 7/8 time signature (3 + 2 + 2)
  • Exercise n.3 9/8 time signature (3 + 2 + 2 + 2)
  • Exercise n.4 11/8 time signature (2 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 2)
  • Exercise n.5 15/8 time signature (3 + 3 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 2)
  • Exercise n.6 5/4 time signature syncopated
TE04
TE 4 - Playing chords on right keyboard
  • Range of A minor
  • LAm6, LAm9
  • Range of E
  • E maggiore e Em7
  • Range of F
  • Fmaj7, F6
  • Range of C
  • Cmaj7, Csus2, Caug
  • Range of G
  • G6, G7, Gmaj7, Gsus2, Gaug
  • Range of D minor
  • Dm6, Dm7, Dm9
  • Range of E minor
  • Em, Em7
  • Other chords on the right keyboard
  • Gm, Gm6, Gm7, Gm9, A, A7
TE05
TE 5 - Melody embellishments
  • Introduction to the embellishments different styles
  • The “acciaccatura”
  • The “appoggiatura”
  • The “gruppetto”
  • The “mordente”
  • The “doubling” effect
  • The “mordente” with repetition
  • The “trillo”
  • Different styles in use of the triplet
  • The “arpeggio”
  • The repetitions
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PBVA
First Waltz
PBMA
First Mazurka
PBPL
First Polka
PBBR
First Bourrée
PBSC
First Scottish

Expert Techniques Lessons

An additional section that focuses on the most advanced techniques for experienced and/or professional players.

This section includes new lessons and new techniques to give the student new expressive and compositional possibilities with the diatonic accordion. The section is not included in the Basic Course and it’s part of a subsequent path of the skills training.


Attention: Click on the titles to see the list of contents of each lesson.


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TA01
TA 1 - Advanced Basses Techniques and Exercises
  • Table of the composed harmonies on the left hand
  • Playing harmonizations of Fmaj7 and Cmaj7
  • Playing Cmaj7 (e/C) second way
  • Playing harmonizations of Gmaj7
  • Playing melodic scales AGFE and CDEF
  • Melodic phrasings DFAG and CEGF
  • Playing tonic and dominant accordion style
  • Rythm conversion from 4/4 to 3/3/2
TA02
TA 2 - Polyphony exercises for the right hand
  • Use of chromaticism MI FA FA sharp (also called "sequence 007")
  • How to play a melody with countercanto notes
  • Short phrasing in polyphony
  • Matching of two different melodic lines
  • Polyphonic phrasing on sequence REm SOL DO FA REm MI LAm
  • Polyphonic combination of a melody with arpeggios
  • How to improvise in polyphony on the keyboard areas
TA03
TA 3 - Bellows techniques for musical interpretation
  • Playing a dry sound
  • Playing the "vibrato"
  • The strings technique applied to the accordion
  • Difference between vibrato on the key and vibrato on the wood
  • Identification of the lyrical moments of a melody
  • The emission of voice
  • The emission of voice on the last note of the tune
  • The emission of voice together with "vibrato"
  • Percussive techniques
TA04
TA 4 - How to play variations on a musical melody 1/2
  • Harmonic "Pedal" technique
  • Parallel melodic line technique
  • Block chords technique
  • Approach notes technique
  • Rhythmic figure variations technique
TA05
TA 5 - How to play variations on a musical melody 2/2
  • Perpetual motion technique, or "perpetuum mobile
  • Polyphonic phrasing technique
  • Harmonic substitution technique
  • Tonality substitution technique
  • Harmonic grid technique

Visit the Accordion Tunes Repertory section.