Bellows Technique by Charles Magnante
[Written Jan 17, 1985 - less than 
one year before his death]
Compliments of Steve Navoyosky School of Accordion (330)332-1111

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WHILE this article is written primarily for the young accordion student, it also may serve to help the advanced player.

To me, the accordion bellows is probably the most important section of our accordion.  When used properly, it is the tool used to reflect our human emotions.  Life begins when we take that first breath; musical sounds begin when we open the bellows.

I like to think of my accordion bellows as an extension of my own physical lungs, acting together in a subconscious and natural manner.  Control of the bellows can be likened to the breath control of a fine singer.  What the bow is to the violinist, the bellows is to the accordionist.  The average weight of a violin bow can be approximately five ounces; the bass section, together with the bellows, can average between eleven and sixteen pounds.

There are many techniques one can employ to circumvent a slight problem the Left Hand must cope with, i.e., the weight factor; bass strap tension; pulling and pushing out and in (sometimes applying twenty pounds of pressure); and, limited to the use of only four fingers.

All of this may sound a bit frightening at first; believe me, it is not so.  With proper training and understanding at the very outset, manipulation of the bellows will become as natural as breathing.

All exercises for the bellows should be performed in the sitting position.  Make sure the accordion is held firmly and rather close to your body.  Your teacher will make the proper shoulder - and bass strap adjustments to suit your stature.  I like to ease the weight by having the bellows glide over my left thigh.

"Waving a Flag"

Opening the bellows (which can be indicated thusly, (<------ ) is quite easy.  Closing (indicated ----->) is a bit more difficult.  Changing the bellows requires more skill.  Try to imagine you are waving a flag with your left arm.  The upper section of the bellows moves first - the lower section follows behind.  In changing or closing the bellows, the same trick is applied: the upper bellows proceeds to lower.  Avoid hitting the frame of the bellows as you close.  This technique of changing is the best of all my theories.  It tends to bevel or smooth out the sound.  I call this "legato changing, " as opposed to "Staccato changing."

Never change bellows in the middle of a note, nor in the middle of a phrase, Avoid over-extending the bellows, at least in the early stages of training.  Playing softly for these exercises is preferred to playing loudly.

Check out the "flag-waving" bellows exercise by depressing one single Right-Hand key, holding it throughout, while you wave the bellows for five minutes.  Now, try opening and closing, depressing one right-hand note, without waving (straight pull), out and in; you will hear a "staccato change," which is what we don't want for this study.

When I was a youngster, there were no accordion teachers -- no one to teach me the theories of playing that I have learned for myself over the years.  I learned many facets of music by attending many concerts -- usually at Carnegie Hall (25 cents-standing-room-only), listening to many fine singers, particularly coloratura sopranos.  They taught me that, with proper control, it is possible to attain a continual flow of beautiful sound.  Remember, it is the changing of the bellows that eventually is the most important part of phrasing.  Breath control is essential for singers, woodwind players, and brass instruments.  We can very well fit into the same category, with our bellows control.

"Bellows Shake"

Bellows Shake becomes a highly-controversial subject, when determining the proper time to begin its instruction.  A young student's age, physical structure, and ability must be considered.  In most cases, the decision can only be resolved by the teacher.  For those students ready for the bellows-shake studies, there are many methods and studies to draw from.  You might consider some of my findings, as well.

I define the bellows shake as "a rapid manipulation of the upper part of the bellows, out and in." Remember to keep the lower part of the bellows closed; this serves as a "hinge." The resulting effect can be quite impressive and dramatic, when performed correctly.  It also adds another dimension to our vocabulary of "sound shaping."

A violinist will move his bow with great rapidity, up and down, using no more than 1/4-inch of the bow to produce a tremolo effect, with dynamic results.  A pianist can actually create a very dramatic effect by the use of the tremolo, which is produced by using full chords in both hands and rotating both forearms with lightning speed.  Wind instruments, too, can create special effects with their double and triple tonguing.

"Slow Practice Important"

It is simply a must that all special bellows studies be performed in the sitting position, at first.  Left elbow close-to-the-body and, completely relaxed, with the bottom of the bellows closed (not locked).  Rest same on the left thigh.  Only a very small amount of bellows opening and closing at the top: TILT SLIGHTLY TO YOUR RIGHT.

Play quarter notes in slow tempo, in the beginning.  Five-finger exercises in the Right Hand should be fine.  Next, all scales, arpeggios, and eventually chords. (You can begin with the same procedure with the Left Hand - single notes first, etc.). Only after both hands have gained a certain amount of independence, are you ready for easy popular solos featuring the bellows shake.  Lots of patience and deliberate slow practice are the key words.

Even today, I do my Hanon studies in the bellows-shake form.  It's very rewarding.  Even when one masters this technique, constant daily practice is recommended.  It can get away from you pretty easily.  Muscles you never used before are being taxed.  At the very first signs of fatigue - stop!  Rest, then resume.

Again, when I was a student, due to the lack of teachers in the New York area, I could only depend on the neighborhood vaudeville theater, when two or three accordion players would come once a year and play their "act" - as it was known, in those days (circa 1923).  They would play for about ten minutes, usually as soloists.  They would be the only accordion players I would be exposed to for a whole year.  There was no radio, nor television.  There were little or no phonograph recordings to turn to for help.

I remember seeing an excellent accordionist at the vaudeville show perform the bellows shake - the first time I had ever seen it demonstrated.  In those days, all accordionists performed standing.  This particular player would go down on his right knee each time he did the bellows shake.  It electrified me! I ran outside to look up his name on the billboard, and it read ... FROSINI.  I will never know if Frosini assumed his unique position as a theatrical display, or for practical reasons.  However, I deduced from that experience that I would start my bellows-shake strategy in the sitting position.  As I progressed in my studies, I soon came to realize that the bellows shake was not so much a theatrical stunt, but was a necessary contribution to the accordionist's technical make-up.

"More Exploration Needed"

There is much more exploration to be done in this area of accordion playing.  I find this to be true every time I play.  Certainly, there are many professional accordionists who are successful, and who never resorted to the use of the bellows-shake.  In my observation, it is not a good bellows-shake execution that makes the artist, but it sure helps !

The following are a few suggestions that may help toward better bellows technique:

The more airtight the accordion, the better (check all gaskets regularly).

The larger an accordion, the more air it can move.

The better the quality of reeds and skins (or pads) the better your response.

Playing in sharp keys, i.e., A major, is easier than the key of A flat.

The accordion tilted slightly to your right is easier for the bellows-shake than......upright.

Single reed [switch] is ever more responsive in very fast passages than full register * More air is conserved, resulting in greater.........compression.

Tremendous sforzandos (sfz) are best executed with bellows going O-U-T.

The higher you strap your accordion, the easier for bellows control.

Big skips in the Left Hand, such as B flat to B natural bass and chords together, can always be made easier if one can gauge the bellows so you're closing them, and vice versa: B natural to B flat (open them).

Avoid changing bellows during a crescendo or decrescendo.  If possible, wait until the end of the phrase.

The left hand is extremely important to the accordionist.  I believe you will agree with me when I say: if an accordionist decides to take up boxing, he or she already has a good left hook developed.