Lefties and the Irish Button Accordion

We have some evidence, however, that you may have to pay for the reeds.
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boyd
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Lefties and the Irish Button Accordion

Post by boyd »

Just a curious thought (from a left hander who plays "right" handed uilleann pipes & flutes)

Do lefties switch the buttonbox around so their more dextrous hand has the melody notes and the right hand plays the base harmony notes??

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Re: Lefties and the Irish Button Accordion

Post by StevieJ »

There are lefties who play a standard box upside down. (Rather like those who play a guitar without restringing.) A notable example Sabin Jacques, one of the best québécois players around. The fingering is arse-about-face, with the high notes near the chin instead of the knee.

Then there are lefties who change the reedblocks around so that the box is a mirror-image of standard, with the high notes at the knee end.

Either way, on a one-row box, the air button presents no problems, but on two-row machines you have to fit a second air button on what is normally the bottom of the bass side. Using the existing one with the little finger is possible but not really practicable.
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