TUTORIAL #6: SPOT TUNING AN ACCORDION WITH ROTARY TOOL
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- čas přidán 31. 07. 2024
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In this accordion tutorial, I show you a method I learned from a long time accordion tuner in Germany, who tunes with a small rotary tool. Some people are offended by this method, but for a little spot tuning, it works.
Tool review and pricing:
Dremel: amzn.to/2Z5WOvm
Pano Tuner App
☆Tip jar! paypal.me/TomsMusicShop?local...
CRITICISMS: the purpose of this video is to show how I have learned to tune. If you are not in agreement with this method, please provide constructive criticism, rather than attacking me. Bullying comments will be removed and reported.
For reference, this German tuner also tunes with a rotary tool. It is not uncommon. See 11:10 of this video: • Accordion Tuning. How ...
For further reference, here is a channel where the repairman uses a file and scraper.
• Hot Rod a Hohner Episo...
0:00 Intro
0:35 Opening up the accordion
1:40 Why is the tremolo tuning missing?
2:20 +20 cent Tuning for Tremolo
2:30 Testing a reed block
4:00 Note is missing!
4:10 Freeing the stuck debris
4:50 Even brand new reed blocks get dusty!
6:05 Using the Pano Tuner to measure for proper tremolo
8:30 Tuning with a Rotary Tool
12:15 Final Test
DISCLOSURE: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase and/or subscribe. Affiliate commissions help fund videos like this one.
#AccordionRepair #AccordionTuning #TomsMusicShop - Jak na to + styl
Thank you. I am new to this, although I have years of experience with the dremel tool & working with very small electronics & mechanisms. I was able, your video, to adjust the pitch on a few reeds with a tuning app. I don't have the pry tool to get to the inside reeds - so I had to unseat a few reeds from the wax. Nor do I have an air table -which I am looking for. A few questions - can you use a hairdryer to re-flow the wax ? How do you know the location and the size & shape of the grind to lower the note ? (I had to do a 1mm channel across the reed's old grind to lower the pitch) I used a slow speed eg 600rpm. I bought the wax and reed leather - how do you re-rivet the leather (flapper) ? Sounds like I need to buy a kit & tools. I have several accordions it just makes sense to do it myself since the last accordion shop here closed & shipping an accordion out for tuning is expensive.
Hey Goldies, i’m glad this video could help a little bit. You do need some tools in order to properly tune an accordion. You can build a test bellows like I have from an old accordion. The prying tools can be ordered from Hohner, or I can order something like that for you. As for the grinding, you just have to be gentle, and grind at the base to lower the note, or at the tip to raise the note. Just be gentle, and don’t take too much material off at once. Keep re-checking the tuning.
A hairdryer will not work for redoing the wax. You will need a wax melting pot for that and a special spoon. I plan to do a video on that in the future.
@@TomsMusicShop Thanks again !
Your videos are so informative! Thank you for making them!
Thank you very much for watching, Emily!
So helpful Tom, thank you !!
Excellent job
Bravo e grazie
Tom is so awesome
Excellent.
Awesome video!
Glad you enjoyed it, Merced!
A very very ' prettyful ' video - one of the best I ever came across ! Please keep up the good work. Regards.
Hey Sharma, thanks so much for the compliment. 🤗
But what do you mean by prettyful?
Best,
-T
@@TomsMusicShop " prettyful" means "beautiful' - Years ago, my little grand daughter, about 2 years old then, struggling with an adequate word for 'beautiful' , coined this word 'prettyful' which we loved and I use it very often to describe something which is much more than 'beautiful' ! Hope you would also luv it ? Glad you asked it - Warm Regards.
@@38scsharmaThat's a cute story! Thanks for sharing. 🤗
Thank you Sir for appreciating ! Warm Regards. God bless you all !
Thank you so much!! May I ask How to get a test bellow?
Thanks !
Thank you.
Sure thing, Nestor!
If you accidentally took off too much, or maybe it's so old or delicate that it's a risk to file the reed at the bottom, at the top you could carefully swipe on or put a tiny bead of JB Weld, applying it with a toothpick or small Exacto knife. Have some paper sandwiched in behind it for protection from spreading while it's applied and curing. From a physics standpoint, you're just increasing the mass of the tip of the reed to slow down the oscillation, like an athlete putting on a weighted vest on and they can't run as fast. JB Weld has the advantages of being made specifically to bond to metal, easy to wipe clean while it's fresh, and is extremely easy to file after curing. Disadvantages: takes hours to fully cure, and filing creates lots of nasty dust. So I'm just saying it's doable but there's a bit to consider in approaching it!
That's an interesting tip, Adam - thanks for sharing!
can you show the cents for a swing tune? little vibration
just ran into this gem of a channel today . Greetings from TEXAS
That’s mighty kind of you, Gold Rush! Thanks for joining the channel!
@@TomsMusicShop Mr.Tom do you know what could cause a note to sound "flemy" lol gross term but i'm not sure how else to describe it . it seems that if i play louder it goes away
Hey Niner, it could be that the valves need re-seating or replacing. Check this video out here.
czcams.com/video/cFjsF1Azvy8/video.html
@@TomsMusicShop awesome i will check it out right away thanks Tom , greetings from Texas
Ha ha, you mean PHLEGMY? Many amateurs (or me when I haven't performed in awhile) do not pull the bellows hard enough so (as Mr. Tom mentioned) it's an issue of the valves not having the adequate pressure of air pulled thru to make them (the valve) open up.
Thanks for your helpful videos. Long time piano enthusiast I recently acquired a Panther and am learning to play it. I'd love to see some videos about popular modifications. E.G. I have two press C1s which appear to be separate reeds but some accidentals are hard to come by. It seems like some swapping might enable fluidity in more keys, no? Also I have not yet found a good video really detailing action and what the 5 buttons you find on some models actually do, mechanically to achieve both harmonic changes, and with some button models, key changes.
Hey there, thanks for your comment! Sure, I could do a video on how to swap out reeds using a waxer. I wished I could have found a decent video on that, and on tuning, but there were none available. That is why I have started making some myself.
Do you mean the 5 buttons to change the registers? If so, they just block/unblock some holes on the reed blocks to allow/disallow tremolo, or the two notes like C1 and C2 to sound together. But sure, I could make a video about the register system as well, when I get another IIIR in.
Thanks for the suggestions!
Most players reverse one or two reeds. On my G-C-F, I like the TWO octaves of C# to play bellows OUT; the G# to play bellows out.
Would you please do a similar video but explain fully the notes, corresponding reeds, which side of block etc ...also maybe freeze framing the readings on tuner to make it easier to catch what's happening? Great video, thanks very much.
Hey Malcolm, thanks for your comment. You can press the spacebar to stop the video.
For tremolo, you have the same notes on both sides, but slightly displaced from one another. So on average, the notes are between 10 and 30 cents higher on one side. Each manufacturer determines how much displacement. I will probably make another video sometime in the future. Cheers!
Plz do more i want to know how to change the whole tone or keys of the concertin ..my concertina is to high iwat to slow it down🙏.and where ican buy new reeds?
Changing a whole tone is difficult. You have to remove a lot of material. I'd suggest replacing the reed. Check the Hohner C Shop.
I have some gcf blocks tuned to 440 442. The lower notes are loud and beautiful, but the highest 3 notes on all 3 blocks sound really airy. Do you think the reeds are too high off of the plate?
It’s hard to say without seeing it. The smallest reeds are harder to get to sing. Sometimes they can even get muted by a single piece of dirt/dust. I’d suggest inspecting them.
Hello thx for making this video, I learned how to tune my accordion.
In 1:10 were you taking off the pickup microphone?
Where can I get one of the mic and could you please make a video to talk about install microphone or pickup inside accordion.
1000000000 thx
Hey Ewan, I removed the mic, because it didn't seem to work with my guitar amp. But maybe an accordion amp has different pickups or something. I must say that I am not really versed in this topic. But thank you for the idea...if I get more knowledge about this in the future, I will likely make a video about it. Cheers, Tom
@@TomsMusicShop I think the mic need preamp.
Moreover was it installed left and Right?
Waiting for your new video ❤️👍
very good video's for those of us that are trying to learn. I hear the words low and medium reed tuning, L/M what is described as bandone or bandonion tuning. I like the sound but i have no idea if these are special reeds or can any reed be tuned this way ? I hope you can explain on an open accordion. thank you for all your videos.
Hello Ricardo, what I mean by low and medium is just that you can choose on the registers if you want only the bassoon reeds, or the clarinet reeds to sound. That only refers to the octave. Bandoneon tuning as far as I know can also differentiate, depending on the type. There is a tango tuning, and a Rheinisch, or german tuning.
Best!
Tom
Bandoneón and chemnitzer, basically large concertinas.
👍👍
Thanks Tom.
Great video.
Do I need the expensive Dirk's Accordion Tuner software which registers all three reeds whilst in the accordion or can I tune a three bank or two bank accordion with just a simple panoramic tuner?
Do I need this expense?
Pete
Hi Peter. I am not sure about that, never tried that tuner you mention. I am just showing how to tune single notes, then a bit of how tremolo works. Cheers!
I think Dirk's Accordion Tuner is the most I ever paid for software, but compared to Adobe and such, it's not THAT expensive. And it's pretty amazing what it can do. I think it will save you a lot of time. You can use a simple tuner, but can your register settings allow you to hear any given reed all by itself? Even if they can, there are other reasons to recommend Dirk's Accordion Tuner.
Hey Tom :)
First of all, thanks for your videos. They helped me a lot. At the moment I'm trying to restore and old accordion from the 1910s. It is completely out of tune, but I've got it to a base around 441hz. Now I've got a question (like everyone else here obviously^^) regarding the Tremolo: Would it be alright to tune all tremolos below the base notes or should I put them above? Or does it make no difference? :D
Thx in Advance!
Hi! Well, conventionally the base note is tuned to the A=440 Hz, or sometimes 438 (long time ago) or maybe higher at 442. Then, the tremolo note is typically tuned higher than that, like +20 cents. But the tremolo goes on a curve. Lower notes may even be +30 cents, while middle notes are around +20 cents, and really high notes closer to +7 cents. Each manufacturer is different as well. Hope that helps!
@@TomsMusicShop Thx a lot! This helps! So i need to go higher with the tremolo. Yes the curve... i've got the values of some manufacturers and will tune accordingly :)
Would it be possible to place the tremolo notes below the base or would that sound off?
Find it hard to get the small reads to tune on 48 base piano accordion any suggestions
Have you checked the Hohner C Shop?
Hi Tom, is there a chart to help with getting the tremolo as accurate as possible?
Sorry Andy, I looked but could not find it in the internet...
Thanks for the video! Very impressive!
What software are you using on your phone for tuning?
Hey there! I am using the Pano Tuner app. There is also a strobe tuner app you can find in the app store. Cheers!
@@TomsMusicShop Thanks!
Thank you for a very interesting video!!! Which tool do you use in your Dremel? Greetings from Sweden
Hello, Jular! It’s a long pointy grinder in this case. I also use a larger, rounded tip grinder for the larger reeds.
Sweden is nice! I’ve been up there in winter before. Love the huge lakes for ice skating ⛸ and ice fishing 🎣!
@@diatonix2 Thank you for your extremely professional comment, and constructive criticism.
@@diatonix2 Tell that to the bloke who has just done a very precise job for me. Final, fine tuning is done with the blocks in situ, but only after initial operations on the workbench.
Hi again Tom how did you attach the wood and how did you measure the holes thanks for your help
Hey Patsy, you can just trace the rim of the bellows onto the balsa wood. As for the holes, just measure out a reed block, and find the distance of the holes from the edge. 👍
ah thanks tom would you just glued it then
What type of microphone is that? Thanx
I think just a normal lapel mic from Amazon.
Hi I have bought an old b/c serenelli irish accordion very cheap.Want to tune it at home , as I play button accordion but want to start irish .Want to sharpen flat note any tips?
Hey man, flat notes are often caused by debris or oxidation on the reeds. I would therefore check the reed tongues, and clean them up as best possible before moving onto tuning.
@@TomsMusicShop thanks for the tip
Are those axxes made in Ireland or Italy?
Question: As per good, bad or great reeds, short of the precision work for such small part and materials used (stainless steal, silver, gold or whatever) WHY is one reed "better" and more expensive than another? What is the difference in SOUND QUALITY? I play a late-1950s Corona-2 (flush grill) and am dealing with the reeds (AFTER tuning) sounding WEAK, HARSH and un pleasant. Instead of having my little monster re-tuned, I'm thinking of sending the reed blocks to Hohner or some Italian company for a retrofit. Any comments would be appreciated. I might mention I was a friend's house here in San Antonio and his newer "cheapie" Corona, possibly made in Asia sounded SO much louder and nicer than mine.
Hi Jacinto, honestly it would be cheaper to get a new reed set. Retuning old reeds and possibly revalving them will be most likely more expensive. Older reeds also get weaker with time, more flimsy and harder to tune therefore. I do get Hohner reed sets in from time to time. Let me know if I can help you out. tomsmusicshop@gmail.com
Cheers!
Are you a Hohner dealer? I was in the 1980s in Los Angeles, California dealing with Rick Epping in Virginia. YES, I should get new reeds but HATE having to basically throw away my 50-60 year old reeds. Maybe I should make a sad little art project out of them.
hi tom your doin brill work im your new subscriber where do u get the bellows for tuneing
Thanks for the sub, Patsy! I got the bellows off an old crappy piano accordion. I just attached balsa wood to it, to close the bellows, and drilled a couple of holes for the air to pass through to the reed blocks.
thanks tom
Hi Tom
cheers
where can I buy tools and supplies, parts, etc, to repair accordions??
( maybe you know some places, with the best deals, since you have been working with some tools and parts.)
Hey Fernando, that depends on what you want. I should have some things listed in the description, but let me know exactly what tools, and I will see if I can point you in the right direction.
Hey Tom's
it's me Fernando.
this is my plan; to enroll in accordion music school. And learn how to play, and at the same time, learn how to fix accordions as well.
thanks for your time, and for the video.
@@fernandogomez1248 That is a good idea, Fernando! Seeing as accordion repair shops are few and far between, it is good to be handy yourself. Also, music school sounds great!
i have one q :why its showing diffrent note when compressing and decompressing.tnx
can anyone help m answer my simple question. i m starting tunning my accordion and i dont want to make mistake .WHY WHEN PRESSING AIR PLAYS DIFFERENT NOTE VS PULLING(IN THIS VIDEO)??
SHOULD IT BE SAME?
TNX
ANY GENIUSE OUT HERE? TNX
APPRECIATE ALL
Hey Robert, diatonic accordions have different notes on push and pull - just like harmonicas.
Piano accordions have the same note on push and pull.
@@TomsMusicShop
thanks for the answer. now i know.
since i have a master helping me i have one more q .what r those leather stripes some of r up bended
do i replace them ?what r they for
and where can i buy them.
Appreciate all answers
keep it up
u make people life easier
Tnx
Hey Robert, those leather things are valves, that keep one side of the reed shut, while the other side is oscillating. When they are curved up, you will need to replace them, as they are too stiff to work properly. Where are you located?
@@TomsMusicShop
Boca Raton fl
Hi, what app do you use to tune it? And what mic? Do you want to share more info about your setup please?
Hey Hans, I use the Pano Tuner app, and the internal microphone of the iPhone. I also tried and external microphone shortly, but didn’t notice much difference. You can also use the strobe tuner from Peterson.
There's no need to butcher the reeds like that. Use proper (and btw quite cheap) ad hoc tools for tuning.
Hey there Calvin, I only adjust the reeds a small amount, and I am gentle with the tool. But I think I will get some files to work with next.
Flaco Jiménez sticks a flap of cardboard from a cigarette match pack to raise the reed. Uses his wife's fingernail file to scratch.
@@jacintoguevara2692 is that supposed to be funny??
You DON"T use dremel tool on reeds! You should only use file it will do same thing but will not dig in to reed! It is more time consuming with file but it is right thing ! Like this you are potential damage reeds and reed aluminum base. Also reeds are never tuned outside of accordion! Reeds are tested inside of accordion then do correction! One stroke with file will change +-1-2 cent in reeds pitch! Stop using dremel!
its tremelo not Tremello
Correct but notice he says it BOTH ways. Word is Italian: TRE-mo-lo, accent on first syllable.
It's a shame that so many people watch your videos that want to service their accordions. Tuning reeds with a rotary tool compromises the reed forever. Great accordions have been ruined because the reeds were hacked up by so called tuners with rotary tools.
Hey Tony, you are entitled to your opinion, but this method is widely practiced in Germany. I learned from an accordion tuner, who has been doing this for decades. I only spot tune where I need to. I also use the file and scratcher sometimes.
Anyway, if you look in the description of my video, you will see I linked two different videos, showing how to use a scratcher and file, and how another german guy uses a rotary tool.
In fact Tom is using an engraver, which does not butcher the reed..if you look closely at the bit in the rotary tool. An engraver with a diamond bit does nothing more to a reed than a file., and in fact for flattening a reed, it is better than scratching. Some people use a small sander drum on a rotary tool, and this does indeed 'butcher' the reed…I have seen lots of this. But using an engraver is a great way to especially flatten inside reeds, where a scratcher often ends up wrecking the set of the reed. It is widely used by accordion technicians around the world. Note the engraver is just a tiny rotating diamond file. Personally I generally use a file to sharpen reeds, because I find it quicker and more accurate, but for flattening a small engraver is the way to go. It does less damage, is not as invasive (you can do it with the blocks in situ) and is much much quicker.
Supercilious "you're-doing-it-all-wrong" comments like this on CZcams are so very tiresome. "Compromises the reed forever"... ugh. Do it your own way and leave us alone.
@@TomsMusicShop I don't need to look at a video to learn to tune, thanks. I have been repairing accordions for 15 years now and would never use a rotary tool to tune a reed. I have seen tiny engravers, that vibrate, used but the people that are using rotary files instead of hand files only compromise the reed forever. Hand filing spreads the removal of material over a wider area as does scratching a reed.
Bonjour, je n aime pas car vous ne montrez pas les cas les plus compliqués; les anches à l intérieur, et de plus les plus petites! trop de blabla qui ne sert à rien!
I know, the video is way too long. I recently made a shorter one. Just check my recent videos. Merci!