Born in Ceará, the great accordionist and keyboar playert Adelson Viana is also a composer, arranger and music producer. For twelve years he accompanied the singer and composer Raimundo Fagner and worked with such artists like Zeca Baleiro, Dominguinhos, Ednardo, Jorge Vercillo, Elba Ramalho, Yamandu Costa, Naná Vasconcelos, Paulo Moura, Manassés, Nonato Luiz, Waldonys, among many others.
In 2008, Adelson Viana participated in the 6th Tim Music Award, which honored the master Dominguinhos, when he played alongside the greatest accordion players in the country.
In 2009 he released, by Biscoito Fino, the album ACORDEON BRASILEIRO, in Rio de Janeiro, with shows in Modern Sound and Rio Scenarium. That same year he released the album DOBRADO, a duo with the great guitarist Nonato Luiz, a meeting of talents in an unpublished and authorial work, joining the sounds of the nylon guitar and the accordion, in a beautiful and rare mix of classical and popular music.
The album DA CIDADE AO SERTÃO features for the first time the voice of Adelson Viana, already recognized on stage for his talent as an instrumentalist and composer. The CD also brings a beautiful participation of the master Dominguinhos. Other records show the extraordinary musicality of Adelson Viana: the albuns MÚSICA POPULAR NORDESTINA, ACORDEON BRASILEIRO VOL. 2 and his latest work, the album PRA SER FELIZ, which features Flávio José, Waldonys, João Lyra and Paulo Viana, with a repertoire that include xotes, forrós, samba and arrasta pé.
With eight albums released so far, Viana shows the universal tone and richness of timbres and possibilities of this fantastic and challenging instrument, the accordion.
In this post, I bring a summary of a pleasant and rich meeting in which Viana shared his experiences as a musician and human being. A valuable opportunity to know the trajectory of an accordion master.
Technique
As an instrumentalist and teacher, I have an incurable curiosity about the intricacies of accordion technique. Yes, there are many, many compendiums dedicated to the study of the instrument, but few, to be frank, would not fit into the category of “method”, as they end up being just a collection of pieces adapted to this instrument, with a few guidelines on what, how much and especially how to study at most. Thus, it turns out that most of the learning of the accordion player, especially in our country, comes from mouth to mouth – or, rather, from sound to eyes and ears.
Fortunately, thanks to the numerous resources provided by computers and the internet, accordion lovers have much more facilities for their learning than our parents and grandparents. And here we are, using a channel for exchanges and learning. This time, Adelson Viana presents us with his vast experience!
As is to be expected, any conversation between accordion players cannot fail to address some particularities of the technique of this extraordinary instrument. That afternoon with Adelson, it was no different. My countryman, with his usual cordiality, used not only words but the instrument itself to clarify some capricious aspects of the accordion. Let’s go see some of them.
It is well known to accordionists the recommendation to adjust the left strap to be shorter than the right.
Adelson argues that “the reason for this is that the instrument tends to fall to the left because of the bellows opening. This drop forces the weight to the left, which should be compensated with a shorter strap. This trend also brings another problem: it makes it difficult to use the basses with the left hand.”
So I asked Adelson about HOW MUCH smaller this adjustment should be. Adelson recommends shortening the left strap “into one or at most two holes”. In practice, this equates to about 2-3 inches on average.
I add that there is another adjustment that can vary from one musician to another: it is the overall length of the two straps, leaving the instrument higher or lower concerning the chest of the musician. Some like to have the instrument very high, almost reaching the chin. Others prefer the opposite, leaving the accordion further ahead of the belly region. Each one adopts a style and adapts to it in the best possible way. This position is not, in principle, a limiting factor for the scope of the exquisite execution of the instrument and we all know cases of large accordionists who prefer one or another alternative (this theme will be deepened soon in a specific Post on body care).
The accordion is an instrument very dear for its extreme expressiveness. The bellow, as every accordion player knows, is the soul of the accordion, and with it we are able to convey a huge range of feelings, from the softest and most introspective to the most exalted and festive. Some interpretation features, much appreciated, are directly linked to bellows handling. Adelson spoke of some of his favorites – and showed them in practice.
The “bellows shake” helped to consolidate the northeastern style of playing the accordion, appearing here and there to inject extra energy and movement to Baião, Forró, Xaxado, quadrilha, etc. As we know, it is a series of energetic short back-and-forth movements. Adelson speaks of two techniques – and demonstrates the effect of each: the “V” technique and the whole bellows technique (parallel). In the first, as the letter V shape suggests, the musician keeps the lower part of the bellows closed, opening only the upper part, resulting in a “V” shape. This way is usually easier to perform and works best when playing sitting, because the legs help keep the lower part of the bellows closed, although it can also be performed standing. The second form (moving the entire bellows in parallel) represents a greater challenge, since the movement of the entire bellows requires greater effort of the left arm. So it works best with even smaller back-and-forth movements. In the end, the shape of the Bellows shake chosen also depends on the music, the speed, and the effect that the musician wants to produce. Here at Accordion4Ever we will see in practice some exercises to develop the skill with Bellows shake.
Another effect that embellishes the sound, especially in slower melodies, with long notes, is the Tremolo. Adelson demonstrates this effect with impressive control! The effect can be produced both by shaking your left hand flat (without pressing buttons) and by literally shaking your right hand while playing chords, for example. If the first form is used, the tremolo works best when closing the bellows, since in this direction the left hand is more connected to the instrument body, making the transmission of vibration from the hand to the bellows more effective.
What to study?
This is an eternal dilemma for any instrumentalist who craves continuous progress. In fact, it would be ideal if each of us had a “personal trainer” to guide us at all times about what and how to study. Endless scales, studies, repertoires, body care, auditory training, etc. It is a common panorama in the life of every instrumentalist: as the months and years pass, the study material multiplies in a geometric progression that frightens – and often discourages – anyone. And choosing what is important to study at every moment becomes both a challenge and a necessity. In our chat, we approached this theme. Adelson touches on some interesting points for our walk. I asked him which scales he recommends be prioritized when studying.
AV: initially there is a focus on raw scales…. That is major, minor melodic and derivatives, etc. The musician should seek, as soon as possible, to win this phase. Then, the focus goes on the creation of phrases and melodies, going far beyond the mere sequence of correct notes, practiced in the study of scales. Thus, the musician develops his own vocabulary. This vocabulary, this ability to create in its own style, is the differential between the instrumentalist who performs scales – known to all – in a virtuous way and the improviser who pleasantly surprises the listener with well-constructed and unexpected phrases, based on varying scales. That’s how we achieve the great art of improvising.
In fact, in our study (on any instrument) we gradually build our vocabulary, that special musicality that helps form our musical personality, that style that makes us unique in our musical area.
I ask about the chromatic scale and Adelson remembers the two most used fingerings for that scale. The first one, inherited from the pianistic technique, is what he uses (for, remembering, he is also a skilled keyboardist): 2,3,1,3,2,3,1,3,1,3,1 (from C to B), etc.
The other way is probably used by accordion players who do not play – or did not get to devote enough to – piano: 4,2,4,2,3,4,2,2,4,2,3 (from C to I), etc. This second fingering is more comfortable when the right hand approaches the higher keys. Because of this, some accordion players combine the two forms. They use the first in the lower regions of the keyboard and the second in the higher ones. Since the position of the accordion keyboard is very peculiar, this strategy can be a good choice!
Listening to Adelson concerning fingerings, I recalled the opinion of a talented jazz pianist with whom I had the pleasure of studying: Cliff Korman. In a conversation with this American in love with (and resident in) Brazil, he confirmed to me something I already suspected: the pianist (in our case, the accordion player) must develop a skill with his fingers so that he can play with any finger any key, at the time and situation in which it is needed! It may seem an exaggeration, I know, but that thought points to a need to free ourselves from what I usually call “fingering dilemma”. This is even a topic of another post because I realize this issue is so present among my students.
Back to the scales subject, Adelson gives us some recommendations.
AV: The study of scales should not be taken so seriously as to compromise other aspects of musicality. For example, rhythm. With the rhythm and its endless possibilities, the musician can do a lot. The alternatives multiply several times. For example, in a certain division, you articulate differently and end up resulting in something much more interesting.
In this sense, I might add, the attentive listening of good instrumentalists is an invaluable source, irreplaceable (and priceless!) of inspiration for the development of talent and musicality, two things that we always should seek. This is also the thought of Adelson, who goes beyond, narrating his experience in listening to other musicians.
AV: The accordionist must also copy the sound style of other instruments such as the cello or violin, the clarinet, the harp, etc. That is, we can explore other possibilities and “learning” effects with other instrumentalists, trying to mimic the sound production of other instruments. This is done mainly with improved control of the bellows, but also with the articulation of the notes in the right and left hands.
When I asked Adelson about the small number of methods for accordion, he spoke of the natural pioneering spirit of the Brazilian.
AV: Here in the Northeast, the boys learn everything by ear! And there is a huge demand for this instrument, for material, studies, more grounded guidelines… In the Northeast, it seems that the lack of the method, of study systems for the accordion contributes to the more pattern-free learning. The boldness, courage, willingness to take risks, and curiosity of the boys seem to make the learning of the instrument happen more naturally, without many difficulties.
In other words, the absence of books and methods seems to result in something unusual and, surprisingly, beneficial for art: spontaneous learning and very connected with the reality of the environment where these boys live. And this, as we see, has brought forth such extraordinary works in the field of music, proving that the possibilities, for those who strive, are unlimited. Adelson also spoke of the combination of chords and basses in the left hand, seeking to create new chords, in addition to those planned in the conception of the instrument, namely, major, minor, dominant 7th, and diminished 7th. By making the right combinations, the accordion player can go well beyond these four possibilities. See below four examples:
That is,
C7(b9) = C (bass) + Dbo (chord)
Cm(b5)7 = C (bass) + Ebm (chord)
Cm7(9) = C (bass) + Cm (acorde) + Gm (chord)
Cm7 = C (bass) + Eb (chord), etc.
Speaking of basses, one issue that often comes up in accordion discussions is the potential conflict between electric bass and accordion bass when playing together. For Adelson, this conflict does not exist. But he acknowledges that “the presence of a bassist diminishes the responsibility of the accordion player for his left hand, allowing him to devote more attention to the right hand.”
Study Discipline
As the accordion is an instrument designed to act like an “orchestra”, Adelson recommends a generous dose of daily study, at least one hour, in the case of very busy people but certainly much more than that time for those who want to be a virtuous accordionist.
AV:Because the instrument is an instrument to be mastered. While you can not master – the bass, the bellows, the keyboard with its ungrateful position – everything becomes almost impractical, very difficult.
I mention the piano, in comparison, an instrument that Adelson also plays. This is all horizontal, and the left hand accesses the same mechanism as the right hand. In the accordion, the situation is very different.
AV: The accordion requires a handling that makes it harder. But on the other hand, it has something that other instruments don’t have. It vibrates in the body, it is “glued” to the chest. And I think that’s what makes us fall in love with it! You feel the music near you, almost inside!
In his words, Adelson makes it clear that he is aware of the degree of difficulty inherent in the accordion, and even after an already considerable experience with many Brazilian Pop Music names, this talented musician studies daily for a few hours, or the time available amid so many commitments with recordings, trips, and rehearsals with other artists. As every musician knows, one day without playing always represents some delay – greater or lesser – in the endless journey toward mastery of the instrument.
At the end of our meeting, I confirmed what I had already heard from so many people about Adelson Viana: a complete musician, of rare talent and sensitivity and, for the sake of musical art and especially for the joy of so many passionate about the accordion, a great heart, who did not hesitate to give up almost three hours of his busy schedule to share with us some of his vast experience and knowledge.
Our Gratitude, dear Adelson!