The piano-accordion is a versatile instrument, popular in traditional music around the world but also great for playing other genres, in bands or accompanying singers and soloists. This workshop is for people new to the piano-accordion and who are interested in discovering its possibilities.
You’ll look at how you can use the accordion for different songs and styles, for playing in bands and accompanying singers and soloists, and how to play for dance.
You’ll explore some of the technical challenges of playing the accordion, choosing keys, how to play ‘musically’ and what to do with the left hand on all those buttons! There’ll also be an opportunity to look at a range of traditional tunes inspired by Morris Dancing tunes, Ceilidh and Barn Dancing tunes,17th century music, French café and Italian styles, and then move on from traditional material and start to explore different styles.
You don’t have to play the accordion already or be an advanced piano player, but some knowledge of piano keyboard and of scales and chords will be useful.
If you don't have your own working accordion some will be available on the day. (Limited number available, so contact us at education@stables.org if you need to borrow one.)
Tutor information
Tutor Mike Ruff is an experienced accordion player, performer and workshop leader with a career taking in film, bands, a range of traditional dance styles and events, accordion music for French and Italian themed events and restaurants, solo performances and accompanying singers.
He is an experienced dance caller, spent twenty years running an educational charity working in schools providing traditional music and folk dancing experiences, ran English Country Dance classes at Cecil Sharp House for the English Folk Dance and Song Society and is a published author and expert on traditional folk and country dance.