Photo Essay: How to Secure the Basses

Most modern accordions have a bass strap adjusting wheel (in playing position, this wheel is found on the top of the accordion on the left hand side). When rotated, the wheel adjusts the length of the bass strap via an internal mechanism for comfort and optimum playing position. In order to tighten the strap, you rotate the wheel AWAY from your body. With the accordion in the position shown in these photographs, that is, with the bass buttons facing the table and the wheel on the left, the direction to rotate the wheel in order to loosen the strap is upwards.

Many older accordions did not have this wheel mechanism. Instead, the ends of the bass straps were attached directly to the accordion, typically with a metal plate and 2 or 3 small screws. Sometimes more than one screw position was provided, offering a means of adjusting the strap length, but more often than not the only way to adjust the length was to either drill new holes in the strap, or new holes in the top of the accordion. If your accordion does not have a wheel, obviously you will have to unscrew the strap in order to access the bass mechanism.

Players take note: The strap should not be so tight as to inhibit vertical movement, nor so loose that it does not provide sufficient support. If you cannot adjust the wheel tightly enough, but there is only a slight gap between your left wrist and the strap, you can improve the fit of the strap by wearing a "sweater sock" over your wrist. Just cut the toe off of an old cotton sock, and wear the sock on your left wrist when playing (the sock will also prevent a rash from the leather strap rubbing against your wrist, especially if you sweat while playing). If the gap is large, you may need to sew padding onto the strap, or replace it with a shorter strap. If the strap is too tight even when adjusted, the only remedy is to replace it with a longer one.


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© 2005, Wendy Morrison

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