Artistic and expressive characteristics Kravtsov’s accordeon

The improved keyboard has an important quality - it allows to preserv completely all traditional fingering, chords and arpeggios, while switchig to the new keyboard. And because of that, already after a few days, accordionists could play compositions that were thrained before on a traditional keyboard.

1. Basis of organization of manual playing technique is a position. And not an unimportant role is in a successful acquisition of the skill plays the comfortable of fingers within the position. That placement we can conditionally call topography or finger placement topography. Undoubtedly, positions on piano accordion are physiologically comfortable, and the structure of the keyboard compensates the differences in the individual shape of hands. Amongst the eternity of positions the main ones are those on which all diatonic and chromatic scales are based. Those - small positions with different topography of finger placement 1 2 3 and larger 1 2 3 4, as well as 1 2 3 4 5. Therefore, while studying this keyboard, special attention should be paid to the identity of the position and its topography on the organ-piano keyboard.
   
   

   C-major (C-dur)

   fingering

   
   

   G-major (G-dur)

   fingering

   
   

   D-major (D-dur)

   fingering

   
   
   
2. It is necessary to pay attention to the three "curved" white keys, which are giving us the chance of placing the finger not only on the upper or a lower part but in the middle of it as well. Thus, more comfortable topography of the position is created.
   
   
3. Most important gain becomes "forced out" by the black keys of semitones narrow playing surfaces of the tones, which form their own additional row. This improves ergonomic conditions allowing the unification of fingerings in various tonalities. These new capabilities should be actively used. For example, instead of 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 traditional fingering for B-flat-major, using those freed up parts of the keys could be played 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5. Besides that, with the same position and a similar topography we can play B-major and C-major. It is obvious that Kravtsov’s keyboard offers a lot of new possibilities for the bright and original performing.
   
   

   Вb-major (Вes-dur)

   fingering

   
   

   B-major (B-dur)

   fingering

   
   
   
4. Next principal moment is the use of the additional row of white keys in chords playing. If we play in the tonalities with flats, and those keyboard surfaces are allowing of the maintenance of the chord position topography. For example, topography of finger positions in major chords stays unchanged in 9 tonalities.
          
   
   It is the same case with minors.
          
   This is one of examples there the use of those surfaces improves the positions of hand and fingers on keyboard. Moreover, when the outermost voices in the chord are far apart, the additional row improves the conditions for playing the middle voices. When playing in tonalities with flats, the additional row allows the harmonic and natural hand position.
   
   
5. Expansion of artistic capabilities in performance of double stops, in particular, in scales with diatonic and chromatic sixths, the capability is there of playing both voices in "absolute legato" by fingers taking turns in both voices. It become possible by alternating finger in both sounds.
   
   
6. One of the most valuable assets that Kravtsov’s keyboard that fingerings for playing at elective keyboard are absolutely identified for fingering of right hand.

Compact layout of keys offers a lot of new advantages:

1. It becomes possible to play diatonic scale-like structures with double-stops (2nd - 5th), and a performance of arpeggios with a larger spread of sounds;
   
2. Compact layout of keys improves conditions for the techniques of placing the thumb under the fingers, and moving the hand over the thumb;
   
3. Kravtsov’s improvements expanded diapason of piano accordion to the size of bayan’s diapason. This sets single standard for a keyboard diapason of the concert accordion keyboards.
4. 4. It becomes possible to play diatonic and chromatic scale-like structures with double-stops (2nd - 5th), and a performance of arpeggios with a larger spread of sounds.
5. Compact layout of keys improves conditions for the techniques of placing the thumb under the fingers, and moving the hand over the thumb;also simplify the technique of leaps with great diversities of sounds through instrument’s diapason.
6. Kravtsov’s improvements expanded diapason of piano accordion to the size of bayan’s diapason. This achievement made possible the performance of original compositions for bayan where great diversity are used.

The placement of all rows on the same level makes performing more convenient, as well as more expressive:

1. 1. It improves technique of voice connecting in chords, including the performance of them in legato;
2. New comfortable fingerings are made possible, and relation between the performer and the mechanisms of the instrument is more natural, by the intensive use of playing surfaces of white keys, that now placed in the separate row;

3. Eliminating an imperfect slide from the lover white key to the upper black key, increasing that way artistic capabilities of fingering.

Original polygon shape of the keys significantly improves performing:

1. Due to original shape of the keys, it is possible to play new kinds of glissando. Through moving fingers along the corners of keys it is now possible to play 10 tones out of 12, instead of 7 out of 12;
2. The technique of sliding fingers is improved, and there are more pairs of neighboring keys, which can be used in performance of that technique.

Undoubtly Nikolay Kravtsov's improvments of the organ-piano keyboard are already providing accordion's viability and promising possibility of its use in our days performing and practicing fields. They allow to create the unified organ-piano keyboard system in the disign of an accordion.

     "From small to great.. "