This class is geared towards the absolute beginner, though if you're an experienced player with a question or two you might want to drop in at the start as there will be a brief Q&A while we pass out the accordions and handouts. The accordions used are the little Chinese made 7 button Hero / Goodlin GL-103 accordions (provided courtesy of Smythe's Accordion Center). We'll then cover the basics of the instrument, learn how to play the C scale, and then learn a simple tune by ear, written music, and tablature. If you'd like to keep your accordion after the class, you may purchase it for $20, tax included.

Paul Kostka has taught Beginning Button Accordion at the San Francisco Free Folk Festival since 1999. He's played various styles of diatonic button accordion over the years, starting on his Grandfather's A/D. These days he plays mostly Irish style on the D/C#.  Smythe's Accordion Center in Oakland has been providing the loaner accordions for the class since 2000.

Jody Veahman has been playing the button accordion - primarily for English Morris Dance - for roughly twenty years. He taught the beginning button accordion class at the Wabbit's Tale (a California Morris workshop/performance weekend held at the Marin Headlands Institute - roughly 200 dancers and musicians) in 2005, and has been a private music instructor in the SF Bay Area since 2000. He was the Head Muso (lead musician) for Berkeley Morris two years and was also a Muso for the White Rats Morris. He has been a featured performer at the California Christmas Revels and has performed at the Rochester Sweeps Festival in England and at the Princeton Folk Festival in B.C.