The Art of Accordion Playing

The author, Friedrich Lips, music professor at the Gnesin Music Academy in Moscow, accordion-virtuoso and pedagog, and one of the most outstanding and important musicians on the accordion of our times, has written this book for musicians who want to improve their performance skill. It is a handbook with numerous practical examples that can be used on a daily basis to solve practical problems and practice exercises. In an easy-to-understand presentation, this book leads the reader step by step through the concept of tone creation: keystrokes, bellows control, vibrato, and articulation. The author goes into detail about playing technique: composure, notation, fingering, and exercises. He encourages students working on technique so simultaneously consider aspects of interpretation: analyzing the content as well as applying rules for tempo, rhythm, and rubato. While concentrated music studies have the concert as their goal, Lips concludes by analyzing concert activity: selecting the repertoire and conducting oneself before, during, and after the concert. As the accordionist incorporates these methods into his performances, he acquires the skills to let the music resound on his instrument.