This is a collection of exercises for my accordion course for beginners. In each lesson of the course, there are exercises for practice which I have all listed here. I will choose some of them as in-class exercises, and others left for homework. There are usually tons of exercises offered to you in each practice theme, but you don’t have to do all of them. You can choose the exercises that you like or that you think are helpful for you.
I arrange the exercises in each practice theme in the lessons with the order of difficulty. Some of the exercises are directly from society textbook: “少儿手风琴集体课教程”, 李聪编著, 上海音乐出版社 (“Children’s Accordion Group Class Tutorial,” compiled by Li Cong, Shanghai Music Publishing House). Others are mostly songs transcribed by me for practice purposes.
Lesson 1: Introduction to Accordion
If you don’t know how to read sheet music, don’t worry, I have explained each of the exercises in detail for lesson 1. You will begin to learn how to read sheet music in lesson 2.
Bellow Practice (with only C notes)
Exercise 1
Adapted from society textbook p.5 五.2-3
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
- Close the bellow.
- Play:
- The first row of the sheet: C note on your right hand keyboard (the left white note of the group of two black keys) with your thumb
- Or the second row of the sheet: C root note on your left hand (the button marked with a pit) with your middle finger
- Or both together
- Pull the bellow (first bar of the sheet):
- For a duration of 4 slow counts (exercise 1)
- Or for a duration of 2 slow counts, repeat it twice (exercise 2)
- Or for a duration of 1 slow count, repeat it 4 times (exercise 3)
- Then do it in the same way but push the bellow (second bar of the sheet). Try to close the bellow exactly.
Lesson 2: Basic Notes
C-G Notes on Right Hand
Exercise 1
Society textbook p.8 四.1
Exercise 2
Society textbook p.8 四.2
Exercise 3
Society textbook p.9 四.3
Exercise 4
Society textbook p.9 四.4
Exercise 5
Society textbook p.9 四.5
Exercise 6
Society textbook p.10 三.1
Exercise 7
Society textbook p.11 三.2
Exercise 8
Society textbook p.11 三.3
For more exercises, please practice the right hand part in ?@sec-lesson2-C-G-melody-accompanied-by-C-F-G-root-notes and ?@sec-lesson2-C-A-melody-accompanied-by-C-F-G-root-notes.
C, F, G Root Notes on Left Hand
Exercise 1
Society textbook p.7 三.1
Exercise 2
Society textbook p.7 三.2
Exercise 3
Society textbook p.7 三.3
Exercise 4
Society textbook p.10 二.1
Exercise 5
Society textbook p.10 二.2
Exercise 6
Society textbook p.8 三.4
For more exercises, please practice the left hand part in ?@sec-lesson2-C-G-melody-accompanied-by-C-F-G-root-notes and ?@sec-lesson2-C-A-melody-accompanied-by-C-F-G-root-notes.
C-G Melody Accompanied by C, F, G Root Notes
Exercise 1
Society textbook p.11 四.1
Exercise 2
Society textbook p.12 四.2
Exercise 3
Society textbook p.12 四.3
Exercise 4
Society textbook p.12 五.1
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Society textbook p.12 五.2
Exercise 7
C-A Melody Accompanied by C, F, G Root Notes
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Lessons 3: Scales and Melody
Right-Hand Scales
Exercise 1 (C Natural Major Scale)
Society textbook p.36 一
When playing with the 3rd finger followed by the 1st finger, apply the “thumb under” technique. Slide your thumb under the 3rd finger and use the thumb to play the next note.
When playing with the 1rd finger followed by the 3st finger, apply the “finger over” technique. Bring your 3rd finger over the thumb and use the 3rd finger to play the next note.
Exercise 2 (A Natural Minor Scale)
Society textbook p.70 二
Exercise 3 (A Harmonic Minor Scale)
Society textbook p.70 二
Left-Hand Scales
Exercise 1 (C Natural Major Scale)
Here is the position of the notes in the C natural major scale on the accordion left-hand Stradella system button keyboard.
Note: fingering numbers that are underlined (e.g. 2̲) indicate that the note is played on the counterbass row, while normal (non-underlined) fingering numbers refer to notes played on the root bass row.
Right-Hand Melody Solo In C major or A minor
- Exercises: Society textbook pages 36, 70.
Exercise 1
Society textbook p.32 二
Exercise 2
Society textbook p.32 三. 扩指
This exercise require applying the “finger extension” technique. You’ll need to stretch your fingers beyond the standard five-note hand position (like 1st finger for C, 2nd for D, …, 5th finger for G) to reach certain notes.
Exercise 3
Society textbook p.33 三. 缩指
This exercise require applying the “finger contraction” technique. You’ll need to compressing your finger spacing from the standard five-note hand position (like 1st finger for C, 2nd for D, …, 5th finger for G).
Exercise 4
Society textbook p.33 三. 移位
This exercise require applying the “hand shift” technique. You’ll need to move the entire hand to a different position on the keyboard to reach certain notes.
For more exercises, please practice the right hand part in ?@sec-lesson3-melody-accompanied-by-bass-notes and any other exercises (in the textbook or from future lessons) that have a right hand melody in C major or A minor.
Melody In C Major Accompanied by Bass Notes
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Lesson 4: Accompany Using Major Triads
Major Triad Voicing on Left Hand
Exercise 1
Adapted from society textbook p.15 二.2
Repeat each pattern. Also practice at F, G.
Exercise 2
Adapted from society textbook p.15 二.3
Repeat each pattern. Also practice at F, G.
Chord Change Between C, F, G Chords
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Society textbook p.14 二.1
Exercise 4
Society textbook p.15 三.1
Melody In C Natural Major Accompanied by C, F, G Chords
Exercise from Society Textbook
All exercises in the society textbook from p.16 to p.40 that you can practice. Sorry that I don’t have that much time to write them all here.
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Lesson 5: Accompany Using Minor Triads
Minor Triad Voicing on Left Hand
Exercise 1
Adapted from society textbook p.15 二.2
Repeat each pattern. Also practice at Dm, Em.
Exercise 2
Adapted from society textbook p.15 二.3
Repeat each pattern. Also practice at Dm, Em.