The Chromatic Button Accordion

The Chromatic Button Accordion – Reflections

By Mario Tacca

I have been a member of the WBAA for over ten years. I congratulate the officers and members of the board for doing wonderful work regarding the awareness of the chromatic and diatonic accordion. I, along with my wife, Internationally Acclaimed Soprano, Mary Mancini, performed for your organization twice in Grapevine, TX. We spent time with your wonderful past president and performer, Jake Kons, and his lovely wife, Rose. We were happy to meet new people while there and still remember the warm welcome.

I was pleasantly surprised to read the reprint of Bob Morck’s article, written in March, 1966. Bob was Educational Director and also in charge of Public Relations for M. Hohner USA. M. Hohner USA’s Headquarters was located in Hicksville, NY. Bob and I spent much time together during that time period.

Since I played a Hohner chromatic accordion at that time, specifically the Morino model, I traveled frequently to Hicksville. After taking care of business, Bob and I had many lunches at the famous landmark restaurant,“Milleridge Inn.” Milleridge Inn was known for their high quality German cuisine.

In 1960 Bob helped me to formulate a letter to Giovanni Gola at the Hohner factory in Trossingen, Germany. Since Hohner Gola was only making the piano accordion at the time, which was their top model, we asked Mr. Gola if he could make a chromatic model for me. We didn’t receive a response from Hohner until one year later. It was June 1961 when I received a “good news” telephone call from Bob announcing “your accordion is here!”

I thought that Hohner had forgotten all about my request. The next day I went to Hicksville and I strapped on the first chromatic “Gola” that Giovanni made. What an instrument! I felt like I had a whole orchestra in my lap. I was extremely impressed and very happy to say the least.

The following month, July, 1961, I was scheduled to compete at the AAA National Festival in Chicago. Mr. Frank Hohner and Mr. Paul Donath, the Sales Manager at that time, asked me if I wanted to use the instrument at the competition. I didn’t hesitate and immediately accepted the offer! They actually said “after you compete, if you like it, keep it; if not just return it.” I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

I won the competition and I must add that it was the first time in AAA history that a chromatic accordionist ever won a major competition in the USA. M. Hohner was extremely happy for me, and proud of their chromatic accordion breakthrough in the USA. Mr. Paul Donath, who attended the competition, came to my hotel room the next morning to congratulate me. After a few minutes, he gave me what he called “spending money” for my stay in Chicago.

When I returned to NY, the Hohner Company officially gave me the accordion as a gift. Two months later they hosted a party for me in my town of residence, Peekskill, NY. About 150 people attended, by invitation only. Special guests included the Mayor, officials and prominent politicians and I was presented with the key to the city.

Later that year I traveled to Italy with the Gola. Eager to assist in any way possible, Mr. Hohner had Bob Morck accompany me on the trip. In addition to traveling through Italy, we were Hohner’s guests in France, London and Trossingen, Germany, the home of their main factory. There, I was honored to meet Giovanni Gola in person and had the opportunity to spend quality time with him and other Hohner officials. Also with us in Germany was Charles Nunzio, a well known accordion teacher and performer, and his protégé, Donald Hulme, who played a Hohner piano accordion.

Back in the USA, Bob and I kept in touch professionally and socially. He was always outspoken in his analysis of the chromatic accordion vs. the piano accordion, as he states in the referenced article written in Sept. 1966.

Around the same time, I met Danish accordionist, Mogens Ellegaard. We performed a series of concerts together in the NY area. We also teamed up with Mr. Chamber Huang, a great virtuoso on the Harmonica. Mogens Ellegaard was so impressed with my Hohner “Gola” that he ordered one for himself. He played the Gola for a long time, even after he returned to Denmark some time later.

I have to say that being the only “button accordion” player for those few years was not always comfortable for me. Some of the respected names in the accordion world looked down on the instrument, mainly due to their lack of understanding. I now admit that I felt somewhat like an outsider at times. In contrast, the Internet now allows people to become more aware of the chromatic button accordion on the International level. But the facts are still the same, the piano accordion still rules in the USA!!

I have a very successful music career with my chromatic accordion, traveling worldwide with my wife, Soprano, Mary Mancini. In addition to our travels and performances, Mary and I are involved in the Music Ministry at Church of the Assumption in Peekskill, NY for over twenty five years; Mary is Soloist and Cantor, and I am the Organist.

An important fact that has not changed is that the European accordionists and musicians in general are much more serious about studying their instrument. Starting at an early age, they master the rudiments (as I did) from the classical methods that have been written by the great teachers of the past: Hanon (both hands unison), Kramer, Czerny, and others. The emphasis here in this country has always been on simplifying the music to make it more readily playable. This may be good to satisfy the early students and to encourage larger numbers of young players to pick up the accordion. But the problem has been and still is this: not taking the studies to the next level. The two main reasons for this are the quick, self-gratification that the majority of our youth has grown accustomed to and the shortage of qualified teachers.

Since Mary and I perform for thousands of people every year, I am able to expose the accordion to the public at large, most of whom would not otherwise see or hear the instrument. Very often if time allows, I give our listeners a brief description, which always sparks their interest.

In conclusion, without doubt, the chromatic system simplifies many aspects of the technique of playing the accordion. Ultimately, it’s the caliber of the musician behind the instrument that makes the case, be it a chromatic system, or a piano system. The accordion is a “people’s” instrument and its strength lies in the fact that it can adapt to any style of music and it can do it extremely well in the hands of trained players.