Karen Tweed has played the piano accordion from the age of eleven and studied for several years with high quality tutors. Years of unrelenting dedication, practice and performance have given her a deep understanding of traditional music, and her skill on the piano accordion can only be described as awesome.

Dave Mallinson didn’t discover traditional music until the late age of twenty-two and is completely self taught. Hard work, sheer dogged determination and lengthy practice have had to be his way of life. His constant struggle to maintain his skill gives him a unique insight into the problems and difficulties facing beginners and novices.
Karen’s enormous skill and knowledge combined with Dave’s affinity with beginners make an ideal combination to present this introduction to the piano accordion and traditional music.

Foreword by Sam Pirt

I first met Karen Tweed at the 1994 Folkworks Youth Summer School. I was much younger and quieter then, but Karen’s warmth and fantastic teaching style, as well as her lovely smile, soon brought out the best in me. I can remember she encouraged me to play in the ‘over to you’ concert. I only knew the tune Winster Gallop (page 17) and I got an encore!! Since then she has remained a close friend, and a major musical influence on my playing.

Karen has a wonderful style; she has the ability to really make the tunes speak for themselves. Any tune sounds great in her hands, but I know that this has come through her determination and dedication, also as a result of playing in many, many sessions, jams and gatherings. She is always up for learning new tunes and loves to encourage new players just taking up the accordion, as she did with me.

I have known Dave Mallinson, or ‘Mally’ as he is affectionately known, even longer than I have known Karen. The connection is Whitby Folk Week, to which I have been 31 times out of my 32 years. Mally was always there, in fact he was probably going to Whitby before I was born!! Whenever I think of Dave Mallinson, I think of music sessions. He is a great player, and always up for learning a tune or teaching one. His repertoire of tunes from brilliant sessions is second to none, and this becomes a great asset when putting a book like this together.

Karen and Dave make a great team, Karen with her piano accordion expertise, and Dave with his vast session repertoire. Two masters to give you absolutely everything you need to know to get started on the Piano Accordion.

The Piano Accordion Absolute Beginners : Karen Tweed and Dave Mallinson