Accordions are large instruments that require good balance to play correctly. Slouching while playing can result in inaccurate finger placement and loss of control over the instrument.
A bass side of an accordion contains rows and columns of buttons arranged in rows that produce bass notes and chords, producing deep tones when pressed or drawn back on. Some accordions feature single action keys where each button produces different notes when pressed or drawn back upon.
The History of the Accordion
Kerry Panara is an accomplished accordion teacher and musician, having performed with American Country & Western band Asleep at the Wheel as well as two-time Grammy award-winner Lucky Oceans.
The accordion has become an international musical staple over time, becoming popularized first as a folk instrument among European migrants who emigrated around 1800.
These instruments featured a diatonic button system featuring melody buttons and chordal ones on either side of the bellows, often on its left hand side. Pressing or pulling either end would cause chords to sound by compressing or expanding bellows respectively.
Over time, more advanced accordions were produced. Of particular note was the creation of accordions utilizing the Stradella Bass System which consisted of two vertical rows with four buttons for activating functional chords by pressing or drawing on bellows – expanding concertina’s single octave bass range to many more tones.
Keyboards
Piano accordions rely on a keyboard for their right hand which usually contains bass notes and chord buttons to produce fuller sounds; these buttons may vary between accordions with more voices in them such as Scottish styles versus those with purer single voice sounds, depending on which accordion type they are playing.
Most piano accordions feature a treble keyboard, typically featuring four or more octaves and based on either the C-System or B-System. Some chromatic accordions may also incorporate an additional row of buttons known as 6+6 Janko keyboard system which permits extended chords.
Most accordions use machine-made reeds, which tend to be cheaper and may not be as well crafted or tuned, producing less vibrant sounds. Some accordions also utilize hybrid reeds made of both machine and hand types which tend to have superior sound qualities and may produce exceptional sounds.
Bellows
The bellows are at the core of an accordion, creating volume and forcing air through its reeds. Altering their flow for expression and dynamic control is one of the primary components of playing an accordion.
Leather bellows are typically placed over the left hand and run from top to bottom of an instrument, with two clips at either end that allow for inward and outward movement of the bellows.
Before pressing any keys or buttons, it is vitally important to PULL the bellows outward to create a full sound and keep the rhythm moving along without sudden stops or starts. Another crucial tip: avoid stopping pushing or pulling bellows during rests as this will result in weak notes with sudden starts and also shorten the lifespan of bellows tape! If this becomes habitual practice it could also wear down faster!
Reeds
Accordions feature reeds that can be tuned for specific tones. When placed within an acoustically balanced environment, their distinctive tonality becomes even more impressive; however, when manufacturers focus on production instead of quality by using lower grade wood and plastic reeds instead of natural ones, results may not meet expectations.
An accordion usually features two eight-foot (8′) clarinet or bassoon reed sets tuned similarly to those found on European and French-style accordions (known as “wet tuning” in accordion parlance). Some large instruments also incorporate a sixteen-foot (16′) set which sounds an octave higher.
Diatonic accordions are widely used for Latin music styles like chamame in Argentina, choro and polka in Brazil, vallenato in Colombia, merengue in Dominican Republic, norteno in Mexico as well as folk styles like norteno in Mexico and other folk styles. You can also tune tremolo/musette accordions using Tony Peri as an experienced tuner to achieve these effects.