Buttons on the right hand side of a button accordion allow air to pass across its reeds, producing sound. There are various kinds of buttons used on accordions; most notably are those known as chromatic, which feature rows of keys arranged chromatically according to pitch on a melody-sized keyboard.
Diatonic
Diatonic button accordions feature a melody-side keyboard with one or more rows that produce notes from one diatonic scale. There may also be an accidentals row.
Button accordions are free-reed instruments similar to mouth organs and other melodeons, with sounds produced by pushing or pulling buttons which make metal reeds vibrate, producing sounds.
button accordions differ from pianos in that their black keys make learning to play much simpler for beginners; note reading is no longer required to start playing. Many of the best button-box musicians play only by ear! Button accordions typically utilize B/C or C#/D tuning systems; however there has been movement toward more Irish-sounding G/C tuning as well. No matter which tuning option you opt for, this method book will teach you the most popular Irish tunes using one-row instrument tunings; its CD provides musical examples as well as finger charts and diagrams!
Chromatic
The chromatic button accordion is a type of push and pull accordion featuring three or five (rarely six) diagonally horizontal rows that contain treble buttons on one side and a Stradella bass on the other. Each of these rows can play three notes.
CBAs allow for versatile performance as their duplicated buttons on the treble keyboard allow you to navigate between keys effortlessly. Additionally, this allows for chromatic fingering without looking at your keyboard – perfect for creating stunning chromatic music!
This makes changing keys much simpler and can save weight by only needing half the amount of reeds for each button, particularly useful if playing music written only in certain keys – leading to skilled chromatic players appearing hardly to move their fingers as they know exactly where each note resides.
Irish
Irish button accordions are the instrument of choice among players of traditional Irish music. Also referred to as melodeons, these free-reed instruments are frequently seen performing within the Sliabh Luachra musical tradition featuring fast rhythms like polkas and slides.
The button accordion consists of one or more rows of buttons on either side that produce different pitches when the bellows is pushed and pulled, producing different tones when it hits an object such as an accordion bellows. Treble sides typically feature flat fingerboards while bass sides typically have stepped or gently sloping layouts. Irish models don’t typically include thumb straps like their piano counterparts do; instead they typically provide air buttons which enable players to soundlessly empty or fill bellows as needed.
Joe Cooley and Sharon Shannon, two acclaimed B/C Irish accordionists who passed away this past year, were two acclaimed accordionists of international renown. Other influential Irish accordionists include Finbarr Dwyer, Paddy O’Brien and Billy McComiskey – to name just three of many influential accordionists!
Bass
Button accordions consist of a bellows that is connected to two reed cases (a treble case and bass case) via button boards, each housing several dozen steel reeds organized in series of blocks. When you press buttons or keys they compress and expand the bellows creating air pressure which in turn vibrates the reeds creating air pressure which vibrates them vibrate in response.
Typically, large stradella basse accordions feature 12 rows of buttons arranged in a circle of fifths on their left sides. Smaller models may lack some or all of these buttons but those present should usually be marked with different colors so you know to steer clear.
Soprano or alto register select bass buttons precisely duplicate individual notes from chords without adding lower (tenor and bass) octaves. In some models there is even an additional minor 3rd row located above the regular major 3rd row and root note or an augmented 7th chord row for added versatility.