To many of us, an accordion is an accordion. The seasoned player, however, knows that there is much more to this age-old instrument.
Also known as squeezeboxes, accordions belong to the handheld bellows-driven free reed aerophone family. When an accordion is played, the compression and expansion of the bellows generates airflow across the reed. The air causes the reed to vibrate, and creates a musical tone. Accordions also feature keyboards, which control the airflow to the reeds, and produce a greater variety of tones.
Features of the Accordion
The accordion, as we know it today, has a body made of two main parts, with bellows separating two rectangular halves. Each half of the body has a keyboard with piano style keys and buttons or levers. These buttons travel in a direction perpendicular to the movement of the bellows, or toward the performer, when pressed. Our modern accordions have buttons capable of producing entire chords. Traditional concertinas have buttons producing single notes.
Accordion Styles
There are a number of different styles and key notes systems that differentiate the types of accordions. These include the Chromatic, Concertina, Diatonic and Piano accordions.
Chromatic: When played, this instrument can produce a full 46-note chromatic scale. It has the greatest treble range of today's accordion styles, because the buttons are not diatonic. Chromatic accordions can range in size from the humble 20 treble key, 12 bass button version, to the modern chromatic model with rows of treble buttons and 160 bass buttons. This type of accordion is quite popular in Russia.
Concertina: Known for its unique shape, the concertina can be made with four to twelve sides. There is a keyboard at each end of the instrument, with bellows in between. Each button produces an individual note, and the concertina provides no fixed chords. In fact, there is such a wide variety of systems and notes that it can be almost impossible for the performer of one concertina to successfully play another. The second instrument will be unique, and must be relearned.
There are other unique qualities that set this particular instrument apart from the rest. The concertina's buttons, unlike modern accordions, will not produce chords. The buttons also travel parallel to the motion of the bellows, or toward the opposite end of the instrument. Virtually every element, from the internal materials and mechanics to the construction and tone color, are all unique from other styles of accordions. In general, however, the basic standards of sound production are identical.
Diatonic Accordion: Performers in folk and dance groups often choose this style of accordion. It provides great sound output, plus it is light weight, affordable and easy to play. The note pattern on the keyboard is similar to that of the mouth harmonica, making it simple-to-use and the world's most popular choice.
Piano Accordions: The piano accordion has become the first truly standardized universal type since the development of the Stradella bass system. This means that a performer can play in a number of styles without changing the system, making the piano accordion the easiest type to play.
Unlike most other types of musical instruments, there is more than the "basic" style of accordion. If you're interested in learning to play the accordion, try a few different types to find the one that suits you best.
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Columnist Darnell Istead is a contributor to several popular Internet magazines, on home decor and family life themes.
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