The Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen ____________________________________________

HANDBOOK ON A C C O R D I O N N O TAT I O N

Docent Geir Draugsvoll Docent Erik Hjsgaard June 2001 Edited and translated by Andreas Borregaard, March 2011

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! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Introduction! .! Notation! ! Range! Manuals Right hand! ! Left hand: free bass manual!
! !

3 4 4 5 6 8 9 10 10 12 13 15 15 17 22 23 24

Left hand: standard bass manual! ! Sound!! Dynamics! ! Glissando (pitch bend)
!

Clusters ! ! Bellows shake! ! Ricochet! ! Vibrato! ! Noises! ! Registers! References !

!

Exact pitch notation ! !

!

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Introduction
Over the last decades the classical accordion has positioned itself firmly in the international music world. Composers such as Gubaidulina, Denisov, Berio, Kagel, Huber, Birtwistle, Ads, Yun, Murray-Schafer and from the Nordic regions Srensen, Nrgrd, Lindberg, Aho, Ratkje among many others have written extensively for the accordion, contributing to an increasing global awareness and interest in the instrument.

However, the contemporary classical accordion is relatively young and uncertainties regarding proper notation still do exist.

The goal of this handbook is to give a general overview of the use of the accordion and its appropriate notation. It does not give answers to all details (as new and extended techniques are constantly developing), but it gives a useful introduction to the fundamentals. The handbook is issued from the Danish accordion tradition.

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Notation
An accordion score must always be written in exact pitch notation (see page 23). The two manuals of the instrument are notated on two staves; right hand on the upper and left hand on the lower:

Right hand Left hand

Cross staff notation is not idiomatic for the accordion. In the following example, a) is preferable to b) (provided that all the notes are supposed to be played in the right hand):

Range
The most common concert-accordions have the following range: ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Right hand: ! Contra E ! c#5 ! Left hand:! Contra E ! c#3! ! ! ! US-system E1 - C#8 E1 - C#6

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In recent years it has become normal to have extended registration possibilities in the left hand. This results in both hands having the same range:

Score

[Title] [Title]
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

&c
5

Score

#w #w

! ! ! ! ! ! !

&
5

!& c & ! & ! & ! & ! & ! & !

! ! ! ! ! !

& & & & & &

! ! ! ! ! !

Manuals
9

13

Right hand

The classical accordion may have keys or buttons on the right hand manual.
17

On button instruments it is possible to play chords 13 that span over almost three octaves:

Right

21

17

Left

25

21

29

25

29

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But it is not recommended to write chords that include more than 2,5 octaves. On instruments with keyboard manual the maximum stretch is normally 1 octave plus a forth.

Left hand: Free Bass Manual The construction of the left part of the instrument makes it very difficult for the thumb to reach beyond first row of buttons. Hence the use of chords with more than 4 notes is not recommended unless one of the notes can be played with the thumb in the first row. The left hand is strapped in to control the bellows. This makes it less agile than the right hand, especially in the case of large jumps and virtuosic passages. It is normally not a problem to play chords stretching up to 1 octave plus a forth. Furthermore it is at all times possible to play the lowest octave

using the innermost two rows on the manual. By using these bass tones there is no limit to the spacing between lowest note and upper notes:

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B.B.

S.B.

If the innermost two rows are used it may be indicated by the symbol S.B. (Stradella Bass = standard bass - see page 8) and B.B. (Barytone Bass = free bass) when returning to the ordinary manual.

S.B.

S.B.

In order to play higher than c#3 one must change to the 2-foot register. With this register it is possible to play in the following range ! !

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and

Be aware to incorporate time to change to and from the register. B.B. Left hand: Standard Bass Manual ( S.B. ) The standard bass manual (also known as Stradella Bass) is indicated with S.B.

Besides the two innermost rows of bass tones mentioned above, the standard bass manual is a system in which single buttons give entire chords: Major, minor, seventh and diminished. The chords are notated with these symbols:

Major: Minor: Seventh: Diminished:

M m 7 d

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The combination of chords and bass-tones creates the well-known um-pa-pa bass.

Sound
Unlike most keyboard instruments, the accordion is closely related to wood wind instruments and has no resonance from the instrument itself.

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Dynamics
The two manuals are linked to the same set of bellows, and normally this results in the same dynamic in both hands. However, by means of registration it is sometimes possible to control the dynamic balance between the manuals.

The reeds of the instrument are placed in tiny chambers that have no resonance. This means that even though the instrument may sound very loud in small rooms, the sound does not carry very far, and it looses much of its intensity in larger concert halls.

Due to the bellows controlling both manuals, the lowest tones will often dominate the sound. This may be somewhat regulated by registration.

Glissando (pitch bend)

When notating a gliss it is important to indicate whether the destination note is to be rearticulated or not.

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The pitch bend is fundamentally a downward gliss. However, once bended down, the note can bend back up in an upward gliss. It is possible to start the note in the bended position.

Pitch bend glissando works best in the right hand, but on notes higher than d2 they may be problematic. The maximum range of a pitch bend varies from instrument to instrument. In higher registers the glisses are mainly perceived as quartertones and should be notated as such. It is rarely possible to bend more than a halftone.

In the lower registers a gliss can bend the note further than a 3rd. The desired endnote should always be notated.

In the left hand glisses should not be used higher than c1. As in the right hand, the range of the gliss is increased in lower registers, but even the lowest notes are usually not able to bend more than a whole tone.

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In both manuals it requires increased bellows pressure to create the effect. This will result in a crescendo of any other non-bending tones played at the same time as the glissando. Glisses may also be performed with two tones simultaneously:

Clusters
Clusters are notated as black squares ranging from the lowest to the highest note of the cluster chord.

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A cluster may be notated as a white square, if the rhythm includes larger values:

Bellows shake
Bellows shake (rhythmical bellows articulation) can be notated using the signs

and for out and in respectively.

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A prolonged bellows shake is indicated by sim. B.S., B.S. sempre, B.S. etc or equivalent.

If the desired effect is as fast as possible, this is notated with a tremolo in addition to the B.S. !

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A change from B.S. to normal bellows is notated with N.B. (natural bellows).

Ricochet
Ricochet is a bellows-movement related to bellows shake. The number of tones in a ricochet is typically 3 to 5. It is notated like this:

Vibrato
Vibrato may be notated as ! or

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It is possible to specify the scope of the vibrato:

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Noises
There are four types of commonly used noise-sounds: Air-sound, button-noise, bellows slapping and register-noise. The air is produced with the left hand; the others are most often (but not always) performed by the right hand. Thus it can be useful to notate air below the normal left-hand staff and the rest of the sounds below the right hand staff:

If noise-sounds are notated within the regular 5-line staffs, alternative note-heads should be used.

Air is often notated differently a triangular note-head is recommended.

By using letters it is possible to indicate which specific noise is desired: K (keyboard), B (bellows) and R (register). Percussive noise-sounds are often notated with crosses as note-heads:

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The following examples demonstrate a diverse use of effects (as well as the need for a uniform notation).

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Examples of other noise-sounds:

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Registers Right Hand Registers

Right hand registers areRight notated as aregisters circle with two horizontal and they are always written hand are notated as alines, circle with two horizontal lines, and they are above the staff. always written above the staff. Normal, fullsized instruments have all combinations of the following 5 registers: Normal fullsize instruments have all combinations of the following 5 registers:

8-foot with cassotto

8-foot without cassotto

double-8-foot

16-foot

4-foot piccolo

8-foot with cassotto and 16-foot both have a mellow sound, whereas 8-foot without 8-foot with cassotto and 16-foot both have a mellow sound, whereas 8-foot without cassotto and 4and 4-foot both have a sharper sound. foot both have a sharper sound. In registers combining different octaves, it is always the lowest octave that denes In registers combining different octaves, resulting sound.it is always the lowest octave that defines the resulting sound.

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Left Hand Registers

Left hand registers are notated as a square with two horizontal lines, and they are always written below the staff. Left hand registers are notated as a square with two horizontal lines, and they are Instruments with piccolo and double-eight in left hand have the following 5 registers: always written below the staff. Instruments with piccolo and double-eight in left hand have the following 5 registers:

8-foot

2-foot (piccolo)

double-8-foot. Due to technical reasons this register!s actual sound in the lowest octave of the instrument is as a 8+4-foot register (

8+2-foot

8+8+2-foot (tutti)

Exact pitch notation

Contemporary accordion scores should be written in exact pitch notation, meaning that the octave notated in the score is the sounding octave regardless of the register in use. The following shows which octaves are sounding when using single and combined registers.

always written above the staff. Right hand are as two a circle with two horizontal lines, and they5ar Right hand registers areregisters notated as a notated circle with horizontal lines, and they arefollowing Normal fullsize instruments have all combinations of the re always written above the staff. always written above the staff. 8-foot with cassotto Normal fullsize have instruments have all combinations of 5 the following 5 registers: Normal fullsize instruments all combinations of the following registers: 8-foot with cassotto

Handbook on Accordion Notation!

8-foot with cassotto 8-foot with cassotto

8-foot without cassotto

8-foot without cassotto

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8-foot without cassotto 8-foot without cassotto

double-8-foot

Right hand are as two a circle with two horizontal lines, Right hand registers areregisters notated as anotated circle with horizontal lines, and they are and they are double-8-foot always written above the staff. always written above the staff. double-8-foot Normal fullsize instruments have all combinations of the following 5 registers: Normal fullsize instruments have all combinations ofdouble-8-foot the following 5 registers:

16-foot

8-foot with cassotto 16-foot 8-foot with cassotto

16-foot
4-foot piccolo

16-foot

4-foot piccolo

4-foot piccolo 8-foot without cassotto 4-foot piccolo 8-foot without cassotto

8-foot with cassotto and 16-foot both have a and 4-foot both have a sharper sound. 8-foot with cassotto and 16-foot both have a mellow sound, whereas 8 In registers and 4-foot both have a sharper sound.combining different octaves, it is double-8-foot double-8-foot 8-foot with cassotto andcassotto 16-foot both have a mellow sound, whereas 8-foot without8-foot cassotto resulting sound. 8-foot with and 16-foot both have a mellow sound, whereas withou and 4-foot both a both sharper sound. In registers combining different octaves, it is always the lowest octave andhave 4-foot have a sharper sound. resulting sound. In registers combining different octaves, it is octaves, always the lowest octave that denes the In registers combining different it is always the lowest octave that denes 16-foot 16-foot resulting sound. resulting sound.

4-foot piccolo 4-foot piccolo

8-foot with cassotto and 16-foot both have a mellow sound, whereas 8-foot without8-foot cassotto 8-foot with cassotto and 16-foot both have a mellow sound, whereas without cassotto and 4-foot both a both sharper sound. and have 4-foot have a sharper sound. In registers combining different octaves, it is octaves, always the lowest octave that denes In registers combining different it is always the lowest octavethe that denes the resulting sound. resulting sound.

References Abrahamsen, Hans - Canzone (1977-78) ! Edition Wilhelm Hansen Berio, Luciano - Sequenza XIII (1995) ! Universal Edition Frounberg, Ivar - A Dirge Other Echoes Inhabit The Garden (1988, rev. 1994) ! Samfundet til udgivelse af dansk musik, F.0005 Gubaidulina, Soa - Et Exspecto ! Musikverlag Hans Sikorski Gubitsch, Tomas - Villa Luro (1989) ! Editions Henry Lemoine Holm, Mogens Winkel - Troglodyte (1994) ! Samfundet til udgivelse af dansk musik, F.0009 Hjsgaard, Erik - preuve (1993, rev. 1996)

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Samfundet til udgivelse af dansk musik, F.0011

Koch, Jesper - Ice-Breaking (1989, rev. 1991) ! Samfundet til udgivelse af dansk musik Koch, Jesper - Jabberwocky (1995) ! Samfundet til udgivelse af dansk musik, C.0358 Nordheim, Arne - Dinosauros (1971) ! Edition Wilhelm Hansen Nordheim, Arne - Spur (1975) ! Edition Wilhelm Hansen Nrgrd, Per - Anatomisk safari (1967) ! Edition Wilhelm Hansen Nrholm, Ib - Sonate op. 41 (1967) ! Edition Wilhelm Hansen Olsen, Poul Rovsing - How to play in D major without caring about it (1968) ! Hohner Edition Pade, Steen - Aprilis (1988) ! Samfundet til udgivelse af dansk musik, A.362 Pade, Steen - Cadenza (1987) ! Samfundet til udgivelse af dansk musik, A.362 Schafer, Robert Murray - La testa dAdriane (1978) ! Arcana (Toronto)