Stradella bass
In accordion construction, the Stradella bass system is the arrangement of the bass notes in fifths in a vertical direction with the most frequently used major, minor and seventh chords in a horizontal arrangement. The range is limited to a major seventh, although, depending on the design and register, up to five octaves can be heard simultaneously for the bass notes and up to three octaves for the chords.
The Stradella Bass System uses rows of buttons that are spaced according to the circle of fifths . Each button (tone) ( interpreted as a tonic ) has its dominant (above) and its subdominant (below) . In Switzerland, this arrangement also exists in reverse under the name "Swiss Bass" on older instruments from Eichhorn, Record and others. a.
The first vertical row is the major third to the fundamental (third bass *), the second row is the fundamental itself (fundamental bass).
- However, due to its design, the so-called third bass sounds a small sixth lower than the basic bass in 4 of the 12 basic basses (but this corresponds again to a major third).
The chords sound in the following rows: First the major chord, then the minor chord, followed by the seventh chord and the diminished seventh chord .
When playing more advanced it is common to combine new, not directly implemented chords with the existing material of root notes and chords; z. B.
A minor 7 = A (as a third) bass + C major chord or fm6 = fm + fv7 (the diminished sept in fv7 corresponds to a major sixth).
Depending on the price, some series may not be available or may be linked to others.
notation
The bass note is usually notated in the major octave , the chord is notated from the small es to around f1. (Whereby the written position of the chord cannot always be played correctly on an accordion with a Stradella bass system.)
To make it easier to read (it would not be enough to read the three notes of the chord - a-flat-bd, you also have to know what this chord is called - b7), the notes are also provided with alphanumeric chord names.
The chords are notated in small letters according to the chord symbolism (written above or below the chord in the musical text; c = c major; cm = c minor, c7 = c7, cv or cv7 = c-diminished).
The basic bass is numbered in capital letters, the third bass in underlined capital letters.
In Russian-speaking countries, the chords are notated (all three sounding chord components as notes), but the root note (as a note, without a note stem) is in brackets underneath and above as a letter, whether it is a major, minor, seventh or diminished Chord acts. Б stands for major, М for minor, 7 for seventh and У for the diminished chord. Basses are not quantified there. - If a bass is followed by a chord of the same name (the C bass is followed by a C chord, the root note in brackets is left out of the chord).
In English-speaking countries, the chords are only notated with the root note (e.g. as c1 in the bass clef); Above it stands an M for - in this case c major (major), m for c minor (minor), 7 for c7 or d for the diminished seventh chord (diminished). Basses are not quantified there. (The “capital M” stands for the major third in the major chord, the “small m” for the minor third in the minor chord; unfortunately, in English the expressions for major and minor begin with the same letter.)
In addition, chords were occasionally notated in the USA, the root note, however, thick, the third, fifth and possibly the sept thin. So the player could immediately recognize the root note of the chord. Above it was an M, m, 7 or a d. However, this notation has not caught on, but can still be found in some old US notes.
Usual designs
- 12-bass : 6x2 buttons, basic bass notes from B to A (the third to eighth columns of the rows of keys described are only executed) and the basic bass can only be accompanied with major chords.
- 24-bass : 8x3 buttons from Eb to E, there are basic bass, major and minor chords.
- 32-bass : 8x4 buttons from Eb to E, there are basic bass, major, minor and seventh chords.
- 40-bass : 8x5 buttons from Eb to E, there are basic bass, third bass, major, minor and seventh chords.
- 48-Bass : 8x6 buttons from Es to E, there are all buttons described above.
- 60 bass : 12x5 buttons from D flat to F sharp, there are basic bass, third bass, major, minor and seventh chords.
- 72-Bass : 12x6 buttons from D flat to F sharp, there are all buttons described above.
- 80 bass : 16x5 buttons from C flat to G sharp, there are basic bass, third bass, major, minor and seventh chords.
- 96-Bass : 16x6 buttons from CES to G sharp, there are all buttons described above.
- 120-Bass : 20x6 buttons from A to A sharp - that results in 20 columns of buttons - there are all the buttons described above.
Typical for some countries are versions in which the dominant seventh chords are omitted and the diminished chords without fifths are shifted by one row, so that g-diminished in the C row can be used functionally as C7 (without root) (the g-diminished chord exists from the tones g - b - e (e = fes = possibly seventh to g).
In France in particular, the 3 + 3 system, in which the chord row saved in this way has been replaced by a third bass row (with the minor third bass), is widespread (before the C bass is the electric bass, before that the E-flat bass).
Rare designs
There are also a few variants in use that have a slightly different arrangement of the keys; For example, the Soprani company in Castelfidaro has launched models that are said to be still popular in the Marche district today. This key arrangement is sometimes referred to as the Belgian system.
Oben
... f fm f7 f°
B A F c cm c7 c°
A E C g gm g7 g°
L B G d dm d7 d°
G F# D ...
mechanics
A common version is a four-course bass side. This is divided into 4 bass choirs and 2 chord choirs, each with 12 tones from G to F sharp (also E - D flat, also C - B; depending on the version).
The tone holes, which bring the air flow to the corresponding reeds, are opened synchronously with the 4 bass choirs, as well as with the 2 chord choirs (with a four-course bass, the C-bass consists e.g. of C c c1 c2; with a chord, the one c, e.g. c major, f minor, d7, av7, the same reeds are activated for the required c1 or c2 as for the c bass).
If there are registers on the bass side of the accordion, different choirs can be muted.
With these 48 tones (an instrument with four choirs on the bass side) up to 120 bass and chord buttons are assigned in the Stradella mechanism (occasionally up to 140).
- The chord choirs are attached to the bass choirs of the same tone.
- The major chords are formed by: root + major third + fifth.
- The minor chords are formed by: root + minor third + fifth.
- The seventh chords are formed by: root + major third + minor seventh.
- The diminished chords are formed by: root + minor third + probable sept (corresponds to major sixth).
- ⇒ Basses are formed - depending on the number of choirs and the register - with 1 - 6 tones (of the same name) in different octaves if necessary - depending on the number of choirs and the register.
- ⇒ Chords are formed with 1 to 3 × 3 tones, depending on the number of choirs and the register.
- A C major chord can consist of g - c1 - e1, but also of g1 - c2 - e2, if necessary also of g2 - c3- e3 and the respective combinations thereof, occasionally there are also double notes (i.e. 2 xg - 2 x c1 - 2 x e1).
The following table shows the composition of the individual chords in an accordion.
Note. Under the "chord name" is first the major chord (lower case), then the minor chord (with "m" behind it), then the seventh chord (with "7" behind it), then the diminished (seventh- ) Chord (with "v" or "v7" after it).
Often diminished seventh chords are sometimes confused enharmonically (cv7 = c - es - a - instead of "heses")
On some older instruments, the fifth also sounds along with the seventh chord; with the diminished (seventh) chord, the diminished fifth may also be heard.
Some instruments have the seventh chord without a root, but with a fifth. thus the c7 chord corresponds to the gv7 there.
Enharmonically mistaken tones (F sharp - G flat) sound basically the same; thus the A sharp major chord is completely identical to the B major chord.
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| ais | ais | cisis | ice | |
| aism | ais | cis | ice | |
| ais7 | ais | cisis | g sharp | |
| aisv (7) | ais | cis | G | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| dis | dis | fisis | ais | |
| dism | dis | f sharp | ais | |
| dis7 | dis | fisis | cis | |
| disv (7) | dis | f sharp | c | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| g sharp | g sharp | his | dis | |
| gism | g sharp | H | dis | |
| g sharp7 | g sharp | his | f sharp | |
| gisv (7) | g sharp | H | f | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| cis | cis | ice | g sharp | |
| cism | cis | e | g sharp | |
| cis7 | cis | ice | H | |
| cisv (7) | cis | e | b | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| f sharp | f sharp | ais | cis | |
| fism | f sharp | a | cis | |
| f sharp7 | f sharp | ais | e | |
| fisv (7) | f sharp | a | it | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| H | H | dis | f sharp | |
| Hm | H | d | f sharp | |
| h7 | H | dis | a | |
| hv (7) | H | d | as | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| e | e | g sharp | H | |
| em | e | G | H | |
| e7 | e | g sharp | d | |
| ev (7) | e | G | of | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| a | a | cis | e | |
| at the | a | c | e | |
| a7 | a | cis | G | |
| av (7) | a | c | total | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| d | d | f sharp | a | |
| dm | d | f | a | |
| d7 | d | f sharp | c | |
| dv (7) | d | f | ces (= h) | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| G | G | H | d | |
| gm | G | b | d | |
| g7 | G | H | f | |
| gv (7) | G | b | fes (= e) | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| c | c | e | G | |
| cm | c | it | G | |
| c7 | c | e | b | |
| cv7 | c | it | heses (= a) | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| f | f | a | c | |
| fm | f | as | c | |
| f7 | f | a | it | |
| fv (7) | f | as | eses (= d) | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| b | b | d | f | |
| bm | b | of | f | |
| b7 | b | d | as | |
| bv (7) | b | of | asas (= g) | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| it | it | G | b | |
| esm | it | total | b | |
| es7 | it | G | of | |
| esv (7) | it | total | deses (= c) | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| as | as | c | it | |
| asm | as | ces (= h) | it | |
| as7 | as | c | total | |
| asv (7) | as | ces (= h) | geses (= f) | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| of | of | f | as | |
| desm | of | fes (= e) | as | |
| des7 | of | f | ces (= h) | |
| desv (7) | of | fes (= e) | ceses (= b) | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| total | total | b | of | |
| total | total | heses (= a) | of | |
| ges7 | total | b | fes (= e) | |
| gesv (7) | total | heses (= a) | feses (= it) | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| ces (= h) | ces (= h) | it | total | |
| cesm (= hm) | ces (= h) | eses (= d) | total | |
| ces7 (= h7) | ces (= h) | it | heses (= a) | |
| cesv (7) (= hv) | ces (= h) | eses (= d) | heseses (= as) | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| fes (= e) | fes (= e) | as | ces (= h) | |
| fesm (= em) | fes (= e) | asas (= g) | ces (= h) | |
| fes7 (= e7) | fes (= e) | as | eses (= d) | |
| fesv (7) = ev (7)) | fes (= e) | asas (= g) | eseses (= des) | |
| Chord name | Keynote | third | Fifth | Seventh |
| heses (= a) | heses (= a) | of | fes (= e) | |
| hesesm (= on) | heses (= a) | deses (= c) | fes (= e) | |
| heses7 (= a7) | heses (= a) | of | asas (= g) | |
| hesesv (7) (= av (7)) | heses (= a) | deses (= c) | asasas (ges) |
Additional chords can be "put together" as follows (unless otherwise stated, the seventh are small)
a) on a major basis
c6 (c - e - a) = C + am
c56 (c - e - g - a) = (C +) c + am
c7 (c - e- g - h: with a major seventh) = C + em or c + em
c79 (c - e - g - b - d: and g9) = C + c + gm or c + gm
c79 (c - e - g - b - des: with k9) = (C +) c + bv7
c79 (c - e - g - b - d: with a major seventh and g9) = C + c + g or c + g (the latter sounds a bit problematic because the root is not down)
c7 with deeply altered fifth in the bass (Gb - c - e - b) = F sharp - c7
c7 with a highly altered fifth in the bass (G sharp - c - e - b) = A flat (or G sharp ) + c7 (difficult to grasp)
c7 with a deeply altered fifth in an upper part (c - e - got - b) = C + got7 or His + f sharp7
c79 with a highly altered fifth in an upper part and g9 (c - e -g sharp - b - d) c7 + e7
c79 + (with an older ninth c - e - g - b - dis) (or c7 with added kk3) = c + es
csus (c - f - b; cannot be represented completely correctly), C + b would be a compromise
b) on a minor basis
cm7 (c - es - g - b) = cm + es or C + es
cm79 (with g9) = (C +) cm + gm
cm79 (with k9) = (C +) cm + bv7
cm6 (c - es - a) = cv7 (actually identical to cm6!)
cm56 (c - es - g - a) = cm + cv7
c (Neapolitan) = C + as
c) based on the diminished chord
c7 without root (e - g - b) = gv7
c79 (without root, with k9) = (e - b - des) = bv7
cv7 four-part (c - es - ges - heses) = cv + esv or cv + av or fisv + av (sound completely identical)
c - es - ges - b = esm + esv7
c - es - ges - h = His + h or disv7 + h (the latter difficult to grasp)
d) based on the excessive chord
c excessive cannot be represented, in terms of sound, c7 + b7 or c7 + d7 would be a (lazy) compromise, possibly also G sharp + c7 (difficult to grasp)
(It may be advisable to play the e7 chord excessively as an alternative to c - it contains at least e and g sharp).