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Lesson timetable: 17:00 - 20:00 in the afternoon (total of 21 hours)
The accordion has a unique flexibility in expression, due to its structure and polyphony. The interpretative approach differs depending on the style of music (folk, classical, tango, etc.), but also depending on the cultural influence. Compared to other instruments, such as the piano or guitar, the accordion offers the possibility of a more continuous and dynamic flow of its sound.
In Greece, the accordion gained popularity through folk singing and rebetiko music. Musicians such as Antonis Amiralis contributed significantly to the development of technique and interpretation using the accordion.
In the repertoire, the accordion is included in both solo and accompanying parts, with particular emphasis on traditional and folk music. It usually functions as a bridge between rhythmic and melodic instruments, due to its ability to combine chords, melody and rhythmic support.
The accordion also offers many possibilities for improvisation. The player can express himself through “dromos” (corresponding to scales and harmonic structures) and taximia, drawing from the Balkan and Greek tradition.
Balkans and Greece: Playing Style
The Balkan tradition is characterized by intense rhythm, rich ornamentation, and complex rhythmic structures. The Greek approach tends to focus more on melody and a narrative approach through taximia (improvisations).
In the seminar we will approach the following techniques and interpretive features concerning the accordion:
1. Left section: Geometric structures that help in identifying chords and movement.
2. Right section: Linear arrangement for melodic development and improvisation.
3. Bellows: The “breathing” of the accordion creates a cool or warm sound, depending on the speed and intensity.
4. Durations: Determining rhythmic clarity and precision.
5. Ornaments: Trills, glissandos and other techniques for aesthetic enhancement.
6. Scales and roads: Taksim (improvisation) and exploration of timbres.
7. Chords 1-4-5: Useful for harmonization and improvisation.
8. Repertoire: From traditional melodies to contemporary compositions.
* This lesson will be taught primarily in Greek. Terminology will be explained in other languages as well, according to the teacher’s disposal.
Full interpretation will not be provided.
Iraklis Vavatsikas has a versatile career in the Greek artistic field: recordings, productions all around the music industry, as well as academic repertoire and teaching. The core of his work is pioneering and researching the various instrument systems, depending on the construction and musical genre.
1992 was the start of a renaissance for the accordion in Greek music production, one that Iraklis Vavatsikas was a great part of. His constant need to improve and develop his artistic and teaching horizons led him to start practicing the diatonic bandoneon. At the same time he encouraged a group of young musicians (among them Kostas Raptis and Vangelis Papageorgiou) to start practicing the bayan, or concert accordion. Through teaching for 17 years in the Filippos Nakas Conservatory and numerous music arrangements, a new generation of accordionists was formed, one that is still impactful in the music world in Greece.
At the same time, he has conducted a complex and still unresolved research concerning the "Armonika", an ancestor of the accordion that was leading instrument in th first Greek recordings from 1904 to 1940. The Armonika had disappeared for over 80 years and was considered a "ghost instrument". After researching the possible parameters, in 2018 Emanuel Pariselle was able to reconstruct the instrument, after I.V. travelled to Quinte, France. We now have 2 next generation Armonika instruments.
Vavatsikas has switched and experimented on various accordion systems and, especially for Greek repertoire, he now prefers the Quint System for the left hand, which allows accompanying with extra octaves and fifths, something necessary for all modal music genres.
He is a music teacher, arranger and director in a folk music orchestra called Pfizer Hellas Band. In 2021, Pfizer Hellas Band was awarded for " act or action of social virtue and benevolence", from the Academy of Athens