Button accordions can be found in various musical genres. English folk tradition may use 2-row diatonic button models (‘melodeons’), while Cajun and zydeco tend to favor 1-row models.
The most commonly employed system consists of two rows of bass notes and four rows of chords; this enables both single bass lines and rhythmic accompaniment to be created.
The Basics
Button accordions come in all shapes and sizes, yet all share two central characteristics. First is their treble side where right hand fingers play buttons; on the bass/chord side left-handed fingers play chord-producing buttons that create bass lines or chords which combine together into whole tone or scale note harmony.
Most button accordions are diatonic and feature a melody-sized keyboard with keys corresponding to notes from a diatonic scale, though other varieties exist that can also play chords from other scales. However, it may be possible to get varieties that are chromatic.
The button accordion is an adaptable instrument used for performing all sorts of folk music from around the world, including traditional Scottish, Irish, French and Italian songs, Polkas, Patriotic tunes and Christian hymns. Through this website and Henry Doktorski’s book How to Play a One-Row Button Accordion * Volume Three with CD, you will learn all basic chords of one-row diatonic C system accordions so that you will be able to perform most folk melodies.
Scales
Button accordions are often diatonic instruments, featuring a melody-sized keyboard with keys that produce notes for different keys when they’re pressed. Each button produces chords when expanded or contracted on its respective bellows; notes change accordingly when direction shifts are initiated.
However, some accordions are chromatic such as the Russian bayan and Swiss Schwyzerharmonika accordions, both featuring diatonic treble side with unisonoric bass; each row of buttons increases by one fifth as you progress up the octave.
This system enables you to play melodies at their true pitch, yet can be daunting for newcomers. Our beginner-friendly eBook, Accordion Bass Buttons: Proper Fingering for Major Scales provides all of the tools necessary to get you going with this stradella bass system and provides all you need for success.
Keyboard
Button accordions are compact instruments with an extensive range of notes, unlike their piano counterparts. Their melody-side keyboard (known as the treble button side) features chords and arpeggios while their bass-side keyboard features melodies that may be either diatonic or bisonoric in tone.
Diatonic button accordions feature pairs of buttons which when pressed together produce the same note when pressed together – for instance C is paired with E on one side and G on the other, making it possible to play any key B or C with just one hand.
Diatonic button accordions feature a melodie-sized keyboard capable of producing an array of melodies, and bass buttons which provide rhythm and harmony. Some popular varieties are the Russian garmon, the Steirische Harmonika from Austria/Slovenia/Switzerland/Schwyzerorgeli from Switzerland/Switzerland/Basque trikitixa from Basque, as well as single melody rows with 12 unisonoric bass buttons which can be simultaneously pushed. In addition, additional rows on the keyboard produce fixed chords including major/minor/7th/diminished triads.
Bass
Most full size accordions feature either 120 or less frequently 96 bass buttons to play all notes within an octave.
Sam Pirt at a folk festival demonstrated how versatile bass accordions can be; both for simple or aggressive playing styles! In sessions they can also serve to add chords and accompanying music seamlessly.
Piano accordions are generally easier for novice players to learn than button instruments, thanks to their familiar keyboard layout. There’s also an abundance of sizes, tunings, colours and finishes available – as well as more tutor books and learning materials than with button accordions.
Note that while a piano accordion’s treble side features equal numbers of bass and treble buttons, they are arranged differently due to its reeds producing different sounds when you press or pull on its bellows – creating different tones across each key.