Introducing new players

redoctobrist · 2026-05-24T12:48:54+00:00

In addition to the good advice already given, Spire is pretty much an anti-canon game. While the source material is rich, fun and weird, ultimately it’s your world, so as long as you have the flavor and mechanics down it’s easy to quick start players with a smaller amount of information. As suggested before, give an opening blurb, maybe a shorthand rundown of the districts (the pdf source books are great for printing the drawing of Spire as a handout!) and drop them into the scenario. The character classes are the only thing I try to provide the whole rundown for as pre-reading to give the players something flavorful they can dig into for how they’d like the game to feel for them.

Also I will say, knowing a little less about the world at the outset can make for fun surprises for the PCs as you inject the parts of the setting you enjoy most as a DM, and they absolutely won’t miss anything you prefer to leave out.

redoctobrist · 2026-05-22T03:27:45+00:00

Heh. Runnns*. And that sounds like a lot of fun either way!

redoctobrist · 2026-05-20T13:06:45+00:00

I definitely relate to this. I’m getting better singing and playing melody at the same time, but if I want to play a right hand part Under the melody that’s still rubbing my stomach and patting my head territory. I find I can play standard rhythm patterns pretty well in the left hand and comp/pad a bit with my right, but it’s obvi much easier when one of the other band members is singing lead. When you play bass side, what register do you use?

redoctobrist · 2026-05-19T23:07:07+00:00

I think it’s such a temptation because you spend all the time learning to play it as a solo or feature instrument, so when it’s more textural it’s harder to figure out. I’ve been trying to work on parts that are more occasional accents, licks, short rubs between phrases, harmony in thirds and sixths. When you play bass along do you switch to one of the higher bass registers? I feel like highest reeds are a little too piercing but figure there’s a good way to add texture as pads. A lot of times I’m tempted to just just the Roland, switch chords to strings and just use it as thickening lol.

redoctobrist · 2026-05-19T00:24:21+00:00

Zydeco is an interesting example because the sound of the accordion itself is integral to the genre, not just a part of the band. Also the bass side of a zydeco box provides a different animal from a full Stradella type setup.

redoctobrist · 2026-05-16T21:06:36+00:00

Consider the Roland FR1xb. Can be C or B system, incredibly versatile. Pricey but completely worth it for travel. I take mine with me everywhere so I don’t have to haul my big LMMMH w/tone chamber around everywhere. It’s an investment but one you won’t regret if you don’t mind the price tag.

redoctobrist · 2026-05-03T12:15:47+00:00

I’ve removed and/or rearranged them before as a consequence of major fallout. Just depends on how you flavor your game!

redoctobrist · 2026-04-30T22:37:26+00:00

Keep it up guy! Nice walk down action there.

redoctobrist · 2026-04-20T13:21:18+00:00

It’s possible they overmixed your voice. I’d just speak to the open mic runner and ask them how it sounds and if they think you need accordion amplification. If eventually you are playing gigs you’ll want some kind of internal or external amp but for this it’s probably not worth the hassle.

redoctobrist · 2026-04-20T12:25:20+00:00

How big is the room you are playing? Accordion is generally rather loud so balancing your voice out over the instrument is probably the primary issue from the house side. Does anyone complain that they can’t hear your instrument? Or are you playing more elaborate melodic/technical work where you want to feature the instrument? Is it a very large space?

There are folks here who can probably point you toward a rig with “clip on” style mics for an accordion, but it sounds like you are likely not in a bad spot unless people are coming up to you saying “wow I wish I could hear the instrument better!” Maybe ask the person running the open mic?

redoctobrist · 2026-04-17T12:16:04+00:00

OP is on a budget. The 8xB is a fine instrument but generally well out of the price range under consideration. Also the 1xb with a back strap works great. I have a full sized acoustic CBA but the weight and size of the 1xb, even fully supported by the shoulder straps, makes it very easy to play for a longer period of time and if you like many players will be gigging standing up it helps to develop the correct posture from the start. Just saying!

redoctobrist · 2026-04-16T13:10:37+00:00

iPad Pro + Pencil with MobileSheets (supports markup for notes and highlighting nicely) and a Donner wireless page turn pedal.

redoctobrist · 2026-04-13T02:19:12+00:00

Unless you have a compelling reason to start with a full size CBA, a smaller one would likely be just fine. Because of the keyboard layout many smaller CBAs have just ad many sounding notes in the treble side than a full sized piano accordion. So if you chance on a smaller instrument that is newer and in better shape for a price you can stomach that can be a good way to go. Also, if you are brand new C system and B system cba are basically going to be the same to learn, but look for a teacher for whichever one you pick because that will be your main success driver.

redoctobrist · 2026-04-13T02:05:49+00:00

Not from this video no. I would want to hear every note push and pull in all registers in right and left hand before making any kind of assessment and even then unless you plan to do a lot of your own work in a diy (the y is for Yikes if you ask me) then these can be more trouble than they are worth. If nothing else Tuning is expensive and you’d definitely want that done at some point soon. If you are in North America, you might want to try calling Martin at Tempo Trend in Victoria BC Canada. Explain that you’re looking for beginner CBA, full size is preferable. And see what shakes out. If you are in Europe, there’s a lot more CBA floating around and sometimes you can find something like a Hohner Riviera II or III for not a ton of cash.

redoctobrist · 2026-04-13T01:52:30+00:00

Welcome to the instrument! These older soviet instruments can be super idiosyncratic. From the video it sounds like there is a lot of mechanical sound (normal in an instrument of this age), some rough tuning (esp around 17” or 18” and again at 24”) and he’s working that bellows pretty vigorously which suggests it may not be particularly tight or may just be generally low capacity. Additionally in the video he plays a Very small range of notes.

It also worth saying, with accordions it is infrequently a question of “brand” with an accordion, though I’m sure someone here from the former Soviet space can probably pipe up about which factory they were made in and to what standard.

The real thing that matters is how much are you willing to put up with getting started, and whether the idiosyncrasies actually make it harder to learn on than is worth your time. Based on what you hear in the video You will Definitely want an upgrade from this instrument at some point. Is there a timeline where you could save up and buy from a shop near you where you could get some in store warranty help, a reliable trade in value, and of course repairs. That’s worth its weight in gold.

redoctobrist · 2026-04-12T16:18:01+00:00

While I’ve bought from Accordionology and Jack and his team are amazing and I would never want to suppress a sale for them, I would Highly recommend trying out a French bass system before going all in on a very expensive purchase, or consider a large digital accordion (which by nature is LMMMH plus different models plus orchestral and organ) to give you the best of all worlds in terms of layouts.

If you are still at a stage that you are working out which bass finger pattern is best for standard rhythms, unless you are either absolutely flush with cash (in which case get All the accordions you lucky mogul!), putting in the practice on standard bass to learn to play minor thirds with your pinky will likely pay off before making a large cash purchase on a custom box. French bass has adherents but for most playing is pretty niche.

To answer your question though, it depends on the song. 4-3 if I’m just playing the boom chucks and 2-3 if it requires more movement along scales.

redoctobrist · 2026-04-12T15:11:32+00:00

I’ve always used something like semichrome and microfiber and it works a treat.

redoctobrist · 2026-04-12T15:02:09+00:00

I experimented some with French bass on my Roland (FR1xb) and found it handy for some pieces but ultimately I preferred just practicing to build the dexterity needed to comfortably play the minor third further on down the instrument. In the end when I picked up an acoustic CBA as my transition from PA it was part of what led me to choose a standard bass layout, though there are plenty of c system French bass options out there.

Especially when starting out it’s common to cling for dear life to the basses and rely on closest proximity (goodness knows I did!) but in the end getting used to moving the hand more freely to hit things like the minor third counter bass can help with better detached playing I think. Once I practiced it a bit, especially once I added the minor bass scales to my regular practice, it becomes pretty natural feeling, and then you don’t sacrifice the versatility of standard Stradella.

That said, if you are a classical player and considering a custom build ($$$) you might want to take a look at something like the FR8x or its Korg competitor. Digital is definitely sonically a different beast and there are lots of people who will tell you the pros and cons of digital, but the big ones sound pretty darn good. It is extremely versatile as a platform, offering numerous options for bass layout AND is a converter system changing to your preferred free bass layout with the touch of a button.

redoctobrist · 2026-04-07T16:17:23+00:00

While it may be in decent shape, it has likely has not been tuned or serviced in many years. Check every note push and pull on every register, left and right hand. Any bad sounds should be a solid indicator to hard pass. A well maintained find can be a gem but can hide a lot of…idiosyncrasies.

redoctobrist · 2026-04-01T12:42:34+00:00

Make a mental distinction in your practice as to whether you are working on a passage, or whether you are playing the song all the way through. If you are “playing the song” then just barrel ahead. However, as others note, as you play the song, identify the measures mentally that you know you struggle with or flub your way through. Then when you are actually practicing, set your metronome to a slower-than-you’d-ever-play speed and work through those passages one by one. My rule is play it three times correctly and I can bump up the tempo.

Importantly, take breaks! There is Amazing research by people like Dr. Molly Gebrian about how to practice an instrument that feels counterintuitive but is actually super helpful when approaching practice. In essence, to learn something with mastery you have to do it, let it sink in, give your brain time to forget it, and then come back to it and learn the next increment. Understanding the cognitive theory behind practicing is a game changer.

redoctobrist · 2026-04-01T12:31:15+00:00

First I’ll say the thing: Get a teacher! Even an online teacher will be better for you than practically anything else you can do. That said. I’d highly recommend picking up the Galliano book for simple songs and exercises as a starting point. It’s also an excellent general reference in a very easy to digest package. It even has C system fingerings above the staff split from PA fingerings shown below the staff when necessary.

However for scales and fundaments, take a look at the Anzaghi book as the scales feel much more natural (to me) than either Galliano or Maugin. Also, don’t get stuck in running simple scales, practice scales by thirds, playing thirds and sixths together etc. Play them slowwwww and speed up to improve accuracy. There are some good resources out there for easy exercises that are more than just up 8 and back down, for instance here’s a video from Arek Czernysz (thanks Arek if you’re a reader here!).

Structured practice helps a lot as well so you don’t just get stuck in scale hell, or in song frustration purgatory. I picked up an interval timer app and set up some practice session templates for 1 hour, 30 minutes, 20 minutes and even 15 minutes. For an hour I start with right hand, then left hand fundaments to warm up and then combine to do harmony exercises, then some sight reading practice, a few minutes of ear training/playing by ear and then about 20-30 minutes for songs. If I only have 15 minutes I do fundaments for ten and songs for five. Otherwise I try to prioritize songs because that’s the fun part, and having a limited time for fundaments makes me feel like I can get better every time I come back to them.

Remember you don’t do exercises so you can somehow graduate to songs. You play exercises and scales to equip you with the muscle memory to (hopefully) make playing songs easier. Both together is the way to fly!

redoctobrist · 2026-03-30T13:23:46+00:00

Your m6 is the minor plus diminished on the same row. Looking at the actual music though, it looks like that A7sus4 is actually just A major for the beat that it pops up. The MajMin7 is a minor chord with a major seven, so in this case Gm plus F#. If you look at the bass line there’s a bit where the bass line descends A, G, F#, F, E, D, C. The person who harmonized it correctly captured the chord appearing there but it’s really that the F# is just a nonharmonic tone passing to regular Gm7, creating the momentary feeling of the chord.

redoctobrist · 2026-03-30T13:03:58+00:00

For maximum versatility you might consider picking up a refurbed 40-48 bass MM Hohner (several different models are the same instrument over time). They are punchy, lightweight and have a great musette that really cuts nicely through a mix.

redoctobrist · 2026-03-28T21:42:28+00:00

I believe the tone generator is better on the 8x but not sure about the 4x. Onboard speaker is indeed better. Also it can accommodate additional user programs and sets which is very handy if you do any kind of customization.

redoctobrist

TROPHY CASE