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Accordion Straps

Your shoulder straps should be in good condition. Check especially the narrow ends of the straps, where they attach to the hardware on the accordion. That's where they will wear out first, especially at the top of the accordion. It's really no fun to have a strap break in the middle of a concert, and if it breaks while you are carrying the instrument, the sudden stress on the other worn strap ends may cause them to give way as well, and then you can end up with a broken toe and a busted up box. If you must carry an accordion by its straps, try to support the body of the instrument to take some of the weight off the strap ends.

Button box players: many boxes, especially one-rows, do not come equipped with a shoulder strap or strap hardware. A shoulder strap is not absolutely necessary as long as you only play sitting down and have a thumbstrap, but it is more difficult to play this way, especially on some models of accordion and in certain styles. For beginners, at least a right hand shoulder strap is recommended. The smaller straps - 12 bass, medium, and full - will also work fine for button boxes. It is the size of the person, as well as the box, that determines the size of the strap, and of course all good straps are adjustable. An average size person with a 3 row Corona size box should choose a medium size strap. Accordion shoulder straps are usually sold only in pairs, so if you play melodeon with only one strap over your right shoulder, you'll have a spare for when that one wears out. If you are small, or have back problems, and especially if you play a lot of Morris outdoors and standing up, you will find double straps and a backstrap a good investment.

If your box doesn't come equipped with strap hardware, don't worry - it's readily available and easy to install. For a lightweight accordion, all you need is six small screws to mount the hardware to the outside of the accordion, top and bottom - you may have to drill some shallow holes in the wood first, to start the screws. You can usually find the surface-mount models in two different styles: V-shaped and crescent shaped. Crescent is easier to fit thick strap ends, but V-shaped hardware may have a smaller footprint, which is a factor on some small button boxes. For very heavy large accordions such as full-size piano accordions, one should use hardware that bolts through the entire shell of the accordion and secures with a nut on the inside. These are readily available in V-shape; crescent shaped hardware may be harder to find.

Bellows straps are important, to keep the bellows closed when the instrument is not being played. This protects them from damage and dust accumulation. Some older button boxes have lost their bellows straps, or never had them to begin with. You can purchase commercial straps, or easily make your own from pieces of scrap leather or vinyl - a discarded ladies handbag handle makes good strap material. Punch two holes, add a washer and 2 screws, and there you are.

Important:

Beware the old style metal mesh bellows straps. They easily become twisted and as the mesh breaks from fatigue it leaves sharp edges which will cut into the bellows and damage them. They will also snag on clothing. Because of this they are no longer used on modern accordions, and are not readily available except by raiding old accordions for parts.

It is best to replace frayed mesh straps with chrome wire style straps. This is an easy repair. However, it is not always possible to match up the screw holes from the old mesh straps, in which case it may be necessary to drill new holes and fill the old ones (wood filler is fine). The snaps may also need to be replaced.

How to Install and Fit New Straps on your Accordion

One of your straps should be a little longer than the other. Make sure the buckles are set at the same holes on both straps, then put them side by side and see which one is longer - that's the one that will go over your right shoulder. If the strap mount hardware of your accordion is in two parts, and not a single bracket, attach the straps according to the slant of the bracket, not whether one is more to the left or more to the right: in the diagram shown, the top of the right strap (left mount) will have to cross over the top of the left strap (right mount).

When you first strap on your accordion, be sure the right shoulder strap is not caught underneath the keyboard - you could end up with an expensive repair. Adjust the strap length in seated position - that's the way you should be playing your accordion.

You will probably have to adjust the left shoulder strap buckle to a shorter hole position than the right strap, otherwise the left strap will slip off your shoulder and not support the accordion. When the straps are properly adjusted on a piano accordion, your chin should be approximately in line with the black keys on the treble keyboard, not over the center of the bellows, as might seem more logical to a beginner. Most of the weight of the accordion should rest on your thighs.

Both straps should fit snugly without slipping off, but not so tight that your circulation is cut off. A careful choice of materials can help. Smooth leather straps may look slick, but have a tendency to slide off of certain cloth materials, although they will hold well on a similar leather surface. A velvety nap finish on the strap may provide greater traction, especially on knits, like a sweater. People with narrow sloping shoulders may have a particular problem with slippage. There is hardly any worse distraction than to lose strap support while you're playing. If your straps continue to slip no matter what you do, consider buying shorter straps, or using velcro. If you have the reverse problem, i.e. your straps are not long enough, you won't need to spring for a whole new set of straps if yours are still in good condition. Just buy a pair of strap extensions, which should only cost about 1/3 the price of a complete new set of straps.

Balance counts! If your accordion is out of balance, especially if it is quite heavy, no amount of fiddling with the strap length will result in a comfortable fit. Try adjusting the position of the strap mount hardware on the top of the accordion to achieve a better balance between the left and right sides.

How to Adjust the Bass Strap

For maximum comfort and proper playing position, you will need to adjust the left hand strap (wrist strap or bass strap) to fit your wrist and playing style. Most bass straps have a notched adjusting wheel at the top of the left hand section of the instrument. Part of the wheel is visible through a slot in the top of the accordion. If you spin the wheel towards you, the strap is loosened. Away from you, and it is tightened (this is counterintuitive, and I don't know why they are built this way, but there you are). The strap should be snug so you have good control over the bellows, but not so tight that you can't shift your wrist position in order to reach various parts of the bass keyboard. This is obviously more crucial on a piano accordion with a large number of bass buttons. On small diatonics and on piano accordions with only 6 or 8 key rows, one should be able to reach practically all the bass buttons from one left hand position.

If the adjusting wheel or screw is frozen in place, or broken, replacement mechanisms can be had at accordion supply houses. Many older piano accordions do not have an adjusting wheel at all, but the strap attaches at both top and bottom by means of a couple of screws and a metal plate. On these there is no way to adjust the bass strap other than shorten it by cutting the length. If it is already too short, it needs to be replaced with a longer length of leather. Cutting is inadvisable, since the next person to play the accordion may need the extra space for a larger wrist. So the best solution if your bass strap is too long, is to affix a padding of some sort to the inside of the strap. Sheepskin, real or artificial, makes nice padding, and the wooly side will also absorb sweat.

I highly recommend wearing Wrist Socks. Even if your bass strap is very soft and cushiony, a common hazard of playing for a long period of time is getting a rash on your left wrist from sweating and rubbing against the strap. The way to avoid this is to wear a wrist sock, which can also take up some of the slack on an overly loose bass strap. A wrist sock is merely a regular sock with the foot cut off. Soft, thick, wintery cotton and acrylic socks are nice for this. Wear them on both wrists, slouch style, for a great look with a turtleneck. They are also good on really cold days to warm that exposed part of your wrist that is not protected by short gloves and coatsleeves.

How to Use the Shoulder Straps to Put Away Your Accordion

When placing your accordion in its case, first gather the 2 shoulder straps tightly behind the instrument and all to one side. Keep the straps well away from the keyboard - if they get caught underneath the keys and you pull up, they can damage the keyboard. Then, making sure no part of a strap is over the keyboard, place the accordion right side up into the case with the keyboard facing you (and facing the top of the case where the handle is), and pulling the exposed part of the straps over to one side (to the right is best). When you next remove the accordion from the case, use the straps as a handle to lift out the instrument. Never lift the accordion out of its case by grabbing the keyboard end.

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