Ellegaard Comprehensive Method for Free Bass

MOCENS ELLECAARD'S

COMPREHENSIVE METHOD

for the

CHROMATIC FREE BASS SYSTEM

(Bassetti or Baritone Basses)

CONTENTS H . . ... . .. , .. ... .. . ... .. . , . . ... .... p. 2

Preface

Chart of Chromatic Free Bass System

.. ,.. .. ........ . .. ..

.. .. ....... .

H. ......

.... .

Chart of Chromatic Free Bass and Stradella Bass Systems, Combined , ...... . , ..... ,. .. ,.. " . .... ... .. ,.

... ... , .. ,,' . , .. ,p. 3

.... .... .. " p. 4

Chromatics (Exs. 1-14) . ........ .. '.. .. ' .., ,.. ... .. .. .. .. "", .," " ... .. .,... ... ' ... . " .. . ' ... . ' ... .. .. .. .... ... . ",. ,........ .. ...... ... .... ,.,,' .. ,.. " p. 5

Intervals and Chords (Exs. 15-29)

".p. 11

" .. .. p. 19

Arpeggios (Exs. 30-34)

"" ...

Scales (Exs. 35-39)

Menuet (Bach/ Ellegaard). .. ...

.. . ,.

,. ,., .,." . .. ,p. 23

., .. "', .. .... ', .. ,'.' ,.. ,..... .... . , .. ' ... ,.,'"., ... " .. .. .... .. ,. ... " " '.. " ... .. ... " p. 35

Invention in C-Major (Bach/ EUegaard) .... ... ,' .. ,. ' " .

Courante (8ach/ Ellegaard) - for the left hand only "

..

....

.. ".. ....... ... ... .

",. p. 36

, .... .. .. .. , .... .

.... ,... ..... .. ,.. ..

.p. 38

PREFACE

In Grove's" Dictionary of Music and Musicians" one can read that "due to its pre-fixed, unchange­ able chords and limited tonal range of the bass, the accordion is, indeed, little more than a toy." This statement was probably written more than fifty years ago, but today the tonal range of the con­ cert accordion surpasses that of most other musical instruments. And with the development and per­ fection of the CHROMATIC FREE BASS SYSTEM (also known as "Bassetti", or "Baritone" or "Melo­ dy Bass"), the serious limitation of the pre-fixed bass chords has been eliminated, too. - The Chromatic Free Bass System was invented by the HOHNER Factories in Germany more than \...thirty years ago. It has been used by top professionals in Europe for nearly fifteen years. Today performers, amateurs as well as professionals, are gradually recognizing this instrument as the ul­ timate in accordions. This instruction book was designed for the purpose of guiding the beginner in the easiest possible way past the first hurdles on the road to mastery of the Free Bass. The method also represents a summary of the author's own painful. experiences in learning how to play the sys­ tem, and if it may help the reader to avoid some of the misunderstandings and frustration which this author went through during the learning process, this method will have fulfilled its purpose amply. It is assumed that practically anybody who deCides to study this method does possess some musi­ cal and technical background. Therefore the method does not aim at teaching much else than finger­ technique. The approach is simple: Starting with finger exercises which are easy to perform (from a finger-technical viewpoint), and progressing gradually to more complicated technical patterns.

The first few exercises are accompanied by drawings of the keyboard, which should help the read­ er locate the required notes. (By comparing the drawings with the l\1AIN CHART on page ,4 onewill always be able to find out the exact location of the buttons on the keyboard.) The reader will also find many explanatory notes all through the method. From the very beginning the reader should pay close attention to the exact pitch in the bass - ­ something that is rarely thought of on the 120 Standard Stradella Bass system. In many places where the bass moves in a higher register, the treble clef is used. At the time of this writing the Free Bass System is still so new that no standard notation has been adapted internationally. At a more advanced stage the reader will undoubtedly want to use BOTH the Free Bass and the 120 Standard Bass (Strad­ ella Bass) Systems, alternately or even simultaneously. To distinguish between notation of the two bass systems, these following two signs are suggested: ! s. B.! - STANDARD BASS IF. B.I - FREE BASS (Bassetti or Baritone Bass) Naturally, the regular standard notation should be maintained for the STANDARD BASS. In Free Bass notation ( F. B. ) every note is written in actual pitch. Also chords are written in complete form in actual pitch. It is assumed that the Free Bass System contains TWO SETS OF REEDS. (See page 34 for suggestions on bass switch technique). All through the method the reader will find finger­ ings for the Free Bass. Sometimes more than one possibility is given, due to the fact that the Chro­ matic Free Bass is an immensely flexible keyboard , offering qUite often a choice beh'leen several solutions of finger-technical problems.

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CHROMATICS

The Chromatic Free Bass Keyboard is nothing but a "left hand version" of the basic 3-row tre­ ble keyboard in a CHROMATIC BUTTON-KEY ACCORDION. It consists of 3 vertical rows of minor thirds - placed in a chromatic (half-step) inter-relationship. Chromatic pa.tterns are the easiest musical patterns to perform on the Chromatic Free Bass. It will therefore be practical to begin with some chromatic finger exercises, which were devised to serve two purposes:

1. Comprehension of the principle of the keyboard. 2. Starting with the simplest possible finger movements. EXERCISE NO.1 It is important that one gets used to inserting the hand through the bass strap about an inch more than usual towards the bellows. (The beginner will probably want to loosen the bass strap a. bit). This stretch may seem unnatural and strained at first. One soon gets used to it, howev e r. Only: Be car e­ ful that the chord buttons on the 120 Standard Bass m a nual are not pressed down accidentally. It may be a good idea if the reader has a mirror handy for checking on hand pOSitions and location, until he starts to feel familiar with the new keyboard.

All the C-buttons on the 1st row are marked (Usually like the" E" or "Ab" on the fundamental standard bass row). They are therefore easy to find, and most players use them as "geographical landmarks" in finding their way on the Free Bass keyboard. The lowest C bass (at the top of the key­ board) is easy to reach with the 2nd finger. The drawing shows the location of the three notes to be played in this exercise. (Compare with MAIN CHART, page 4).

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EXERCISE NO.5 This exercise contains the notes played in Nos. 1-4. At the same time it represents the 12 notes in our musical system. Once the position and location of these 12 notes has been learned, the reader actually will be able to locate any given note on the Chromatic Free Bass, as the rest of the keyboard is nothing but a repetition of these notes in different octaves. The fingers move in exactly the same way in every bar. Only the starting point of each bar is different. (Compare with Nos. 1-4).

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EXERCISE NO.6 This is a combination of the patterns given in Nos. 1-2. One should try also to change the rhyth­ mical accents by altering the meter.

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EXERCISE NO.8 Practice both legato and staccato. An alternate fingering is indicated in the 4th bar. (Compare with PREFACE, page 2 ). This practice will be followed all through the method. It is strongly re­ commended that the player studies each given fingering carefully, before making his decision. Since anatomic structure varies with each individual (some people have very long fingers; others may have a weak 5th finger, etc.), it would be highly impractical to adhere to strict categoric rules of finger­ ing. Particularly because the Chromatic Free Bass Keyboard is so flexible in itself.

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EXERCISE NO.9 The chromatic scale can of course be repeated through all the available octaves on the keyboard, using the same fingering. A thorough practice of chromatics is important before the player proceeds to the following exercises. It is vital that the player develops~in his fingers and his mind-a clear notion of the half-step, chromatic movement. Practising chromatics is also the easiest way to fa­ miliarize oneself with the location of all the notes on the Chromatic Free Bass.

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EXERCISE NO. 10 In the chromatic exercises the fingers moved DIAGONALLY on the three rows.Thefollowingexer­ cises will involve VERTICAL movements (in minor third intervals) on the keyboard. In other words: ver­ tically up and down on one row. The drawing shows a section of the MAIN C HAHT . The three notes in this exercise are all situated on the 1st row - vertically. Find the lowest C with your 2nd finger again, compare with the drawing, and play: TOP

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EXERCISE NO. 11 The three new notes in this exercise are played in exactly the same way as the notes in No. 10. The only difference: The starting point is C sharp,which is found by moving the 2nd finger diagonally from C to the 2nd row. Compare with drawing.

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EXERCISE NO. 13a This is a simple combination of Nos. 10-12. The finger movements in every bar are identical. Only the starting point in each bar is different.

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EXERCISE NO. 13b This exercise involves the same finger movements as No. 13a. Only, here the pattern starts one button DOWN from C - on the Eb. (Compare with MAIN CHART).

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EXERCISE NO. 13c Repeat finger movements of No. 13b, Only start on the F sharp - one button DOWN from Eb. (Com­

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EXERCISES 14 - 14a - 14b

Here the 5th finger is introduced in exercises which were designed to develop an even touch with all four fingers. Since the 5th finger is most often rather weak, it is important that the player is a­ ware of this possible weakness from the very beginning, trying to counteract it by doing suitable ex­ ercises (play these exercises also 8va ). One will realize immediately that the change in hand posi­ tion, as the fingers move in the higher register, can pose new problems, particularly when using the 5th finger. In general, it can be stated that the use of this finger on the 3rd row is more difficult than most other movements on the Chromatic Free Bass keyboard.

DEXTERITY EXERCISE (14c)

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INTERVALS AND CHORDS By now the player should be quite famihar with the location of all notes on the Free Bass. He

should also feel reasonably comfortable on the keyboard-having developed a sense of the physical/

musical directional keyboard principle (i. e. movement towards the top of keyboard = lowering of

pitch; movement towards the bottom of keyboard = raise of pitch.)

EXERCISE NO. 15 The minor third interval is rather easy to play. It consists of two notes placed vertically on top

of each other, on the same row. (See also notes to No. 10). Each of the 3 rows of ' the Chromatic

Free Bass manual is namely one long row of buttons located in a minor third relationship to each

other. One might also analyze each of the 3 rows as being a diminished 7th chord with all inversions.

In this exercise more than one possibility of fingering is given. It pays to practise both finger­ ings.

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EXERCISE NO. 17 As the dimished triad consists of two minor thil'ds on top of each other, it is easily performed on

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EXERCISE NO. 17a Repeat this chromatic sequence of diminished triads up and down through the entire keyboard-­ using both the given fingerings.

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