Cajun accordion ?

[Brendan Mitchell]

Anyone here play cajun button accordion ? This is my second go at it and it is doing my head in ! If you think pedal steel is hard try one of these little monsters . Any players out there ? Any tips ?

[Skip Edwards]

Yeah, well...yeah.
If you think the one row cajun box is hard, try a 3 row Hohner Corona... GCF for starters. I used to have to do some Norteño style accordion when I did the Yoakam gig.
I did it for a while on a regular piano accordion, then switched to a Corona to be more authentic.
Forget it...
I think you need to be born into it, and raised up in it to be able to do it well. These days I still do an occasional session playing Gringo Norteño on a piano accordion.
Good luck with it... if you master it, you're a better - and braver - man than me.

[Dale Foreman]

I used to play one and I know practically every accordion player in Louisiana. Wayne Toups grew up about 3 blocks from my home. I also went to school with Randy Falcon whom builds Falcon accordions. One of my best friends, Rick Lagneaux wrote many of Wayne's hits.

[Steve Spitz]

Isn’t master Cajun squeeze box builder Jr. Martin a forum member ?
He builds a beautiful instrument, and is a great steel player.
Maybe he will add a post.

[Dale Foreman]

Junior is a member here. I was at his shop a while back. We were testing the new Evans amp.

[Bart Bull]

That mean little monster desperately wants to be your faithful beloved portable pal. Approach with affection . . . and abandon!

Quick beginner Cajun/Zydeco tips:
Work the bass spoons/buttons, work up a groove. Do that a whole bunch, again and again and again. And again. Drive your spouse crazy.
Cajun uses a lot of octave notes, doubled and sort of bounced/trilled/staccato-ed back and forth. Those octaves are found 4 buttons away from one another on the PUSH, and 5 buttons away from one another on the PULL. On a one-row, you'll get really used to that hand position, like a grip on a steel.
You can easily get a pseudo-blues harp pentatonic feel on the PULLs (without the harmonica bent notes); more easily achieved than described.
Early Cajun music was, by contemporary standards really pitch-y, and raw. Let that be an inspiration to be a bit messy, I'd say.
Cajun melodies are often super simple. It's music for dancing, so first and foremost, the groove is what counts. Risk being simple.
Hope this is some help. Junior Martin builds 'em from scratch, and knows Cajun in his bones..

[Brendan Mitchell]

That mean little monster desperately wants to be your faithful beloved portable pal. Approach with affection . . . and abandon!

Quick beginner Cajun/Zydeco tips:
Work the bass spoons/buttons, work up a groove. Do that a whole bunch, again and again and again. And again. Drive your spouse crazy.
Cajun uses a lot of octave notes, doubled and sort of bounced/trilled/staccato-ed back and forth. Those octaves are found 4 buttons away from one another on the PUSH, and 5 buttons away from one another on the PULL. On a one-row, you'll get really used to that hand position, like a grip on a steel.
You can easily get a pseudo-blues harp pentatonic feel on the PULLs (without the harmonica bent notes); more easily achieved than described.
Early Cajun music was, by contemporary standards really pitch-y, and raw. Let that be an inspiration to be a bit messy, I'd say.
Cajun melodies are often super simple. It's music for dancing, so first and foremost, the groove is what counts. Risk being simple.
Hope this is some help. Junior Martin builds 'em from scratch, and knows Cajun in his bones..

Thanks Bart , sorry about the late reply . I can play a couple of very basic tunes , waltz and 2 step with the bass notes but trying to add the Cajun embellishments is beyond me . When I try thngs like the little triplets and staccato notes the bass side turns to crap ! My left hand wants to imitate my right hand . I guess I just have to put in the hours .