Diatonic button accordions (DBAs) come in many varieties. The Garmon and Steirische Harmonika models both use single action while Swiss Schwyzerorgeli models use double action.
Diatonic accordions, those capable of only playing one key are known as diatonic; those which can play both sharps and flats are called chromatic accordions. There is an abundance of music tuition books for these instruments which are widely used within European folk traditions.
1. Melodeon
The Melodeon is a diatonic button accordion. As its name implies, it features one row of buttons on the right hand treble side (playing melody notes) and two spoon-type levers for bass notes and chords on its left-hand treble side – capable of producing complete diatonic scale in key of C with push and pull action.
Its sound is bold and distinctive, perfectly fitting the rhythms of folk music in England, Ireland, parts of Europe and North America. Additionally, the instrument was often employed in religious services or social gatherings held at Universalist Church on Cobblestone Street.
While most melodeons are unisonoric (you get the same note whether you push or pull), some bisonoric versions allow for the addition of accidentals to their basic scale for greater flexibility in song arrangements and creating more complex arrangements, as well as playing across an expanded key range than other accordions.
2. Bandoneon
Bandoneons are one of the key instruments used in Argentine and Uruguayan folk music, especially tango. Unlike regular concertinas, it features bisonoric keys (when pressing an identical key you get different sounds when opening its bellows).
It can be challenging to navigate scale passages with such an instrument and can often result in chaotic playing despite careful arrangements, yet its distinctive sound makes it an integral component of tango music.
Modern tango arrangers also utilize it in other musical styles and for playing melodies, appreciating its versatility in jazz music as well. Unfortunately, due to its limited acoustical power it cannot compete with large orchestras without an accordion amplifier; hence making the bandoneon unsuitable for concert hall settings.
3. Garmon
The Garmon, also known as diatonic button accordion (DBA), is a single-action instrument with piano keyboard layout. Its playing system differs significantly from that of its cousin the bandoneon which is often associated with tango (Astor Piazzola).
Garmons feature 31 treble buttons arranged into three rows and two bass rows (9 buttons each) and are bisonoric in nature, meaning different notes are played depending on whether one pushes or pulls the bellows. There are also unisonoric variants such as Oriental Bayan or Vyatka Garmon as well as bisonoric-unisonoric options such as Swiss Schwyzerorgeli or Basque trikitixa garmons which also use this system of playing notes.
The DBA accordion is best used for playing folk music, but can also be utilized in other genres like jazz or modern styles by someone like Dutch master of the garmon Peter Pot. Although easy to learn to play, developing sophisticated musical styles on single row accordions even for advanced virtuosos can be challenging. Furthermore, certain music genres require specific kinds of accordion in order for it to sound appropriate.
4. Unisonoric accordion
The accordion is a free-reed instrument which produces various chord sequences. To play it effectively you need three fingers from both hands: second, third and fourth fingers for playing each hand simultaneously.
Accordions differ from other instruments in that they feature unisonoric or bisonoric buttons, which produce different notes and pitches depending on how the bellows are pulled or pushed. Demian’s original instrument bears little resemblance to modern models; its most distinguishing characteristic was that one button could produce an entire chord sounding out.
Unisonoric models of accordions such as the Schwyzerorgeli have an arrangement similar to that found on chromatic button accordions but feature 18 unisonoric bass buttons (a subset of Stradella bass system) on the bass side for fuller and richer sounds than other accordions.
The bellows of an accordion are one of its most distinctive parts, constructed from pleated layers of cloth and cardboard with leather and metal straps for control. These bellows create pressure and vacuum that drive air across internal reeds to produce sound while also serving to control volume levels.