The Piano accordion is an adaptable instrument, able to play melodies and chords alike. Featuring multiple buttons which can be pressed on both left and right hands of the instrument – each pair produces adjacent notes of diatonic scale upon pressing and drawing! – this versatile musical device makes music easy.
Keyboard layout
The keyboard of an accordion consists of a series of buttons extending inside its bellows that cover a small opening leading to its reeds. When players press a key, it uncovers one set of reeds and allows them to ring out, providing different musical timbres from one soundstroke to the next.
Diatonic button accordions typically feature seven rows of buttons to provide the notes of C major scale, usually colored white and protruding forward. Five black keys (C, D, E, F and G) are arranged so they give an equivalent range to piano treble notes.
Many piano accordions consist of one keyboard; however, others feature multiple keys or even what is known as a free-bass keyboard, with its wider range of notes used more often for performing multi-voice accordion music as written. To prevent injury or loss of control it is vital that players hold the instrument correctly: left arm should rest between bellows strap and keyboard with shoulder strap tight enough so as to stop movement back and forth but without cutting off circulation or interfering with accuracy.
Bass buttons
A piano accordion’s bass buttons produce basic bass notes and chords, typically organized in rows. These typically consist of five different kinds of chords: root, major, minor, seventh diminished and an additional counter bass button one key higher or lower than tonic which serves to add runs, tunes or accompaniment to melodies.
Larger or more complex accordions may feature bass register switches that select specific reed ranks to sound, altering their octaves and chord tones like the treble keyboard switches on the right hand manual. Smaller, simpler accordions may lack these controls altogether or use only a single toggle to toggle two settings.
The piano accordion is particularly suitable for folk music and traditional Irish music due to its ability for players to divide the left hand manual into treble and bass sides, enabling an abundance of harmony and accompaniment over simple bass lines for an impressive sound.
Reeds
As with other wooden musical instruments, the quality and type of material a reed plate is made from can significantly alter its tone. Furthermore, its mounting location and surrounding can influence its sound characteristics significantly as well.
Example: On low-end accordions, tuning differences among its three eight-foot clarinet reed ranks may create a wet or French tuning that makes the instrument sound more European while decreasing overall sound possibilities.
Most accordions feature a one-way valve attached to each reed plate that will shut off air flow when an activated reed plate is activated, and allow it to return quickly once activated reed has released air. This valve is essential in maintaining an accordion, and any damage or missing pieces could result in flatness or constant buzzing noise from an accordion.
Accessories
Accordions can be equipped with an extensive assortment of accessories. These can include various reed banks and switches that alter the tonal quality, as well as shoulder straps which may place too much weight on one’s shoulders and lead to postural problems. Many accordions come equipped with such accessories.
Piano accordions use multiple registers to organize their reeds, each producing its own distinctive soundbank or “register.” Combining various registers results in different octaves. Furthermore, each register stop produces slightly different tones.
Right-hand buttons on a piano accordion typically produce major chords when pressed, while left-hand ones generate minor tones. Some models offer additional bass or treble rows of keys providing semitones or other harmonic tones; these can be particularly helpful in jazz music where chordal notes take precedence over triads. Furthermore, accordions may come equipped with bass systems to overcome melodic restrictions, including Chiovarelli Jazz System which prioritizes jazz chords over triads.