Can’t find an accordion teacher in your area? Don’t have time for formal lessons? The U.S. School of Music had a solution: an accordion home study course available via mail order. This particular set — copyright 1930, but mailed in 1942 — contains four lesson books (“Home Study Lessons for Piano and Chromatic Accordion”), as well as twelve records to accompany the lessons. I’m tempted to bid just so I can get a closer look at the study materials. Plus, I’ve always wanted to take a correspondence course… in accordion.
3 Comments:
A guy comes to our Vancouver Accordionista Club who used to sell accordions (and lessons) door to door back in the fifties and sixties. He’s the one who sold your aunt that accordion in her closet.
He talks about the tricks, they’d give some kid an accordion and listen to whatever sounds he’d pull out of it, “Oh, that’s really good, you’ve got a good ear!” Then give a free trial with a cheap accordion for a month. The hard sell was after thirty days when they’d push a larger “real” accordion.
I like the look of these books though, looks almost Arabic in design.
by Bruce Triggs on November 8th, 2007
Unfortunately, that might be the root cause of the demise of accordion popularity…….
by Zevy on November 9th, 2007
There’s an old “Leave it to Beaver” episode where the Beav gets a “free” accordion by mail order. Of course, it’s only free for a few weeks, then he has to start paying for it. Hijinx ensue!
by Chris on November 10th, 2007