Discussing Bandoneon Making with Baltazar Estol A few years ago I saw a video by M. Rodolfo Daluisio playing a bandoneon built by Baltazar Estol. Until that moment I thought that brand new bandoneons were prerogative of Europe. When I arrived in Buenos Aires I often heard about Baltazar Estol and his prodigious instruments, and […]
Bisonoric 142 Bandoneon Keyboard Layout
Download PDF bandoneon keyboard layout Having a bandoneon keyboard layout is fundamental to study the bandoneon and to know the correct position of the keys. In this article I discuss and make available the keyboard layout for the bandoneon 142, the traditional bandoneon for tango and the most used worldwide. The bandoneon is a German […]
Pedro Maffia: the Innovator of Tango and Bandoneon
August is a special month for tango enthusiasts as we celebrate the birth of Pedro Maffia, a pivotal figure in the history of tango and a great innovator of bandoneon technique. Pedro Maffia: a genius of tango and bandoneon In another post, I discussed Walter Porschmann, a forgotten bandoneon virtuoso. The case of Pedro Maffia […]
Accordion Players learning bandoneon: 3 common mistakes
Avoid 3 common mistakes when switching from accordion to bandoneon. Learn essential techniques for a smooth transition. Today, we’re talking about two instruments that are often confused: the accordion and the bandoneon. Both are bellows instruments, so it’s easy to think their playing techniques are similar. Many accordion players start playing the bandoneon, and I […]
History of Bandoneon in Germany during Nazi Era
An History of Bandoneon from its genesis to its decline in Germany during and after WWII Foreword This article is not an apology for Nazism nor an indictment of Germany’s past.It’s just the history of bandoneon during a specific period of Germany: It is based on historical evidence and public documents, and should be considered as a historical and […]
Bandoneon Lesson: Hand Posture and Hand Support
A Fundamental Bandoneon Lesson for Beginners Welcome to this new post dedicated to a very important bandoneon lesson. I’ll discuss about the fundamental technical aspect of the correct hand posture on the bandoneon and how to support it with the hand. Ths post is a natural continuation to the previous one about posture and bellows […]
The Mystery of Bandoneon’s 442 Hz Tuning: Why?
Anyone familiar with the bandoneon often encounters the magical number: 442. When we say that the bandoneon tuning is 442, this value represents the frequency in Hertz of the central A that serves as a reference point for tuning all the other notes of the bandoneon. If you’ve ever wondered why this precise value instead […]
Walter Porschmann, the Forgotten Bandoneon Virtuoso
The German-born bandonionspieler Walter Porschmann was crucial to shaped tango’s sound in Buenos Aires & Europe before WWII. The month of March is associated with the bandoneon because on March 11th, 1921, Astor Piazzolla was born. However, in the same month, on March 16th, 18 years earlier, another bandoneon virtuoso was born in Germany. His […]
Bandoneon Lesson: Playing Chords on the Bandoneon with Pivoting
In this Bandoneon Lesson you’ll learn a useful movement strategy to simplify chords’ sequence Welcome to this new bandoneon lesson dedicated to the bandoneon technique: playing chords with bandoneon. In this article, I’ll talk about pivoting: it’s not really a technique, but a useful strategy to move on the keyboard when you have a sequence […]
Essencial Bandoneon Technique: Posture and Bellows Control
Building an Effective Fundamental Technique and Injury-Free Practice In this article (and in the video below) I’ll discuss about two fundamental aspects of the bandoneon technique: posture and bellows control. The article unfolds in two parts: the initial part addresses the significance of maintaining proper posture during bandoneon practice, while the latter part focuses on […]