It is not uncommon for accordionists to be the target of jibes and supposed jibes. Possibly this is connected with the fact that this instrument is rather rare in the currently prominent music genres, even in the rocky department. And so the accordion is associated with folk simplicity. A crass and most certainly unjustified prejudice. We clear it up:
Misconceptions about the accordion – between mischief and reality
Every mother-in-law’s dream, every music student’s nightmare: there are probably few instruments that are as clichéd as the accordion. The fan community and those actively making music on this instrument are constantly met with disapproving statements. Most often, the difficult statements come from non-musicians. But also from musicians who have not yet dealt with the manifold possibilities and the sound of the accordion. Again and again one hears statements like:
1. Accordion is needed only for folk music and it is inferior
Several virtuosos on the accordion prove that this prejudice is completely out of the air. The grand master of the accordion, the French Lydie Auvray makes use of an immense musical range. In her repertoire she has French musette waltzes, Argentine tango and much more. Among them also cover versions for example of Led Zeppelin with “Stairway to Heaven”. Numerous other top-class musicians such as Richard Galliano, Art van Damme, Stefan Hussong, Mogens Ellegaard, Dino Saluzzi, Slavko Avsenik, effortlessly refute this prejudice.
Besides: folk music and shanties can be simple-minded, by all means. Of course, there are folk songs that can be sung by almost anyone or practiced on an instrument. However, this should by no means give the snooty impression that folk music is fundamentally simple. For example, when accordionists fire off their Oberkrainer salvos on the Styrian, it is simply admirable to the point of artistic. This means: The degree of difficulty of a piece has not the least to do with the genre. Even songs formerly written for the people can be interpreted in an exceedingly complex way.
2. There are no classical music pieces for accordion
Accordionist Martynas Levickis plays Beethoven, Bach and also cover versions of Kate Perry or Lady Gaga on his instrument. It is true that Beethoven and Co. could not compose for accordion, especially since the instrument did not exist at that time. With bravura, accordionists like Martynas therefore deliver their very own interpretations. In the newer classical music there are several compositions for accordion. Martynas Levickis is sure: If composers like Johann Sebastian Bach & Co. had lived to see the invention of the instrument in 1819, they would have composed for the accordion.
3. You can’t rock out on the accordion
And this misconception also exists, although it has been literally blown out of the world by a number of musicians and bands. The best example is the band “The Pogues”, founded in 1981, founders and at the same time the most popular band of folk punk of the 1980s. Many currently popular and – in Corona-free times – touring bands like the Hamburg cult band “Irish Bastards” still refer to the powerful driving music of the Pogues. Sweaty concerts until the doctor comes. The Petersburg women’s band Iva Nova celebrates the crossover of rock, punk and Slavic folklore. The accordion is always on stage. And if that doesn’t rock, I don’t know what does.
4. The squeezer is the very little sister of the organ
Well, not really. With a tonally rigid organ like the sacred organ, it is immensely difficult to play dynamically and passionately. The large instruments are impressive, but comparatively tonally rigid. In contrast, the accordion offers a much broader range of expression. The nuanced possibilities available to accordionists, especially through the bellows, treble and bass, are per se three-dimensional. Played with passion and enthusiasm, the accordion is clearly one of the most expressive instruments.
5. Accordion sounds awful – the tremolo drives you crazy
Blank nonsense. Of course, it is a matter of taste whether one likes the sound of an instrument or whether one’s toenails bend up all too quickly. However, in most cases this has nothing to do with the accordion. Rather, it’s about what you do with the instrument. Certainly, the tremolo is one of the basic features and thus sonic facets of the accordion.
However, no one has ever demanded that it be used permanently. So this, too, is merely a question of expression and individual playing technique. No truly accomplished accordion player will let the instrument tremolo incessantly.
6. The accordion sounds are limited
Another misjudgment. And for at least three reasons. With natural instruments, it is perfectly normal that the variety of sounds is limited. No one would think of reproaching a violin for sounding the way it does. No one would think of looking disparagingly at a concert grand piano because it doesn’t sound like a trumpet.
Yet the accordion offers a number of possibilities for changing the sound through variable playing, including the ability to add choirs and registers or the special use of the bellows. In this respect it is far ahead in comparison with many straight monophonic instruments. And by no means a novelty are, for example, the V-accordions from Roland. With these electrified accordions, MIDI interfaces, expanders and co. are just as many sound possibilities as with highly complex keyboards. So if you want to cook the wacky sound soup, you can certainly do that.
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7. The accordion is unpopular with musicians
Please no, such statements are fortunately absolutely out of the air. Not only is there an exceptionally large number of accordion players throughout Germany, from music students to accordion orchestras to professional accordionists playing solo or in bands. In fact, Germany may even be called an accordion stronghold.
After all, in Trossingen – the headquarters of Hohner – and Karlsruhe there are established music colleges where accordion is studied specifically. If the prejudice were true, the situation would certainly be different. Just because an instrument is not among the top 3 most popular instruments, like the guitar, does not automatically make it unpopular.
8. The accordion is common only in the south and north
Certainly there are regional differences. In the alpine region the accordion is very common, also in the neighboring countries like Austria or Switzerland, which has to do with the traditional folk music there.’Also at the coast the accordion has conquered a quite special place. Especially in shanties and sea shanties, the squeezebox is a typical instrument – as a ship’s piano.
In the windy north the loud assertiveness of the accordion is absolutely useful. Maybe it’s also a little bit about the nautical image. By no means, however, does this mean that it is not common in other regions. In recent decades, keyboards have somewhat overtaken the accordion in music schools. But the accordion is currently experiencing a renaissance nationwide.
9. The accordion is expensive
A decent accordion has its price, that is an undisputed fact. However, with a few exceptions, this is also true for all other instruments. No music student has anything to gain from learning on an inferior instrument. And quality does not come for free. You don’t have to go into dizzying price categories right from the start. But if you save money at the wrong end, you will ultimately experience that the music students permanently lose the desire to play the instrument and possibly to make music.
There also remains the question of the reference instrument. If one compares the accordion with a guitar, it admittedly comes off badly. But if we take, for example, the piano, the harp, high-quality wind instruments such as the tuba or the complete drum set, the accordion does not appear expensive, but instead is priced at the same level and sometimes far below. The price range is immense. And even for beginners who are still cautious in terms of budget, suitable models are offered.