Button accordion is an extremely versatile free-reed instrument used by musicians from many musical cultures worldwide. Additionally, its Latin music roots make it an excellent choice.
The Stradella Bass System comprises six rows of bass buttons which produce both single bass notes and chords (major, minor, 7th, and diminished). It is the most frequently used accordion bass system.
Diatonic
Diatonic button accordions (also called melodeons) feature a melody-side keyboard with one or more rows, each producing notes of one diatonic scale. On the bass-side keyboard are buttons arranged in pairs where one button plays the fundamental and the other an appropriate major chord chord.
As with clarinets, saxophones, and trumpets, accordions are transposing instruments. While they can play music in any key, each piece must be tuned specifically to this key before playing it.
Practice is the key to becoming proficient at playing diatonic button accordions. A music book and teacher or online lessons may also prove invaluable in building your skills and rhythm. To play an accordion, push or expand its bellows while pressing one or more keys on its right keyboard; press two pairs of buttons one after another using index finger; push or pull bellows to produce notes; repeat this process for every pair of buttons to strengthen rhythm and fingering patterns.
Chromatic
The chromatic button accordion’s layout resembles that of the piano accordion, making it simple for players to learn chords and scales in any key. Furthermore, its range extends an octave higher or lower than its diatonic counterpart.
Stradella bass systems feature three to five rows of treble buttons and up to 120 bass buttons (known as Stradella basse) on their left-hand side, and each button produces the same sound whether pushed or pulled. They are also unisonoric – meaning each push or pull produces exactly the same tone –
A chromatic button accordion features a modular right hand layout that allows you to move finger patterns around with no disruption in performance, which is extremely helpful if switching keys; just move your hand to another row without changing fingering patterns every time an octave is passed up or down. This also assists when playing complex melodies as you don’t have to change fingering every time moving up or down an octave.
Double-action
Most diatonic button accordions use single-action controls, meaning each melody button controls two adjacent notes in a scale when its bellows are compressed and drawn back, similar to how mouth-blown harmonicas work. This enables a complete diatonic scale to be played with only four buttons on its melody row of the instrument.
On the bass/chord side of an accordion, eight buttons arranged in two rows of four each can control sets of reeds that produce chords; depending on its type, these may contain two or three reeds per chord.
These components are linked through a system of pallet covers which, when the buttons are pushed down, lift and form a linkage between free reeds and bellows airstream, producing sound of note or chord played when button pushed. When multiple reeds sound simultaneously for one note this is known as voice.
Single-action
Button accordions feature a single-scale keyboard with reeds instead of piano keys for playing music. Erich von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs described button accordions as free reed aerophones in 1914.
Each treble button produces two distinct notes depending on whether the bellows is being pushed or pulled, leading to accordions often being known as push-pull instruments, with many rhythmic patterns found within accordion/melodeon music reliant on this feature.
A grille covers the treble keyboard and often displays the logo or brand name of its maker or brand name, providing ventilation without producing sound from bellows expansion. Additionally, this grille allows players to vent bellows without producing audible sound from venting them directly.
Diatonic button accordions comprise two reed cases (treble and bass cases) connected by button boards on either side, with button boards arranged on each case for easy operation. Each reed case holds several dozen steel reeds organized in metal blocks along each case side, known as Schwyzerorgeli in Austrian Alpine regions; trekzak or kwetsjbuul/kwetsjbujel in Limburgish communities.