Keyboard instrument
The Accordion
The accordion carries all its music within itself: melody, bass and accompaniment at once, driven by the bellows alone. A full, portable sound ranging from folk music to contemporary concert repertoire.
At a glance
The accordion is a portable free-reed instrument whose metal reeds are set sounding by air. The right hand plays the melody on a keyboard or on buttons, while the left hand operates bass and chord buttons. Everything is driven by the bellows, which you draw open and press together — they are, in effect, the instrument’s “lungs”.
History & origins
The free-reed principle originally came from Asia (the Chinese mouth organ, sheng). In Europe, Cyrill Demian was granted a patent in Vienna in 1829 for an instrument called the “accordion”. During the nineteenth century the accordion spread rapidly through folk and dance music; its close relative the bandoneón shaped the Argentine tango. Today its repertoire ranges from folk traditions to demanding contemporary concert music.
Construction & how it works
The accordion consists of two halves — the treble (melody) side and the bass side — joined by the folding bellows. Pressing a key or button opens a valve; air moved by the bellows flows past a metal reed and sets it vibrating. Register switches combine several sets of reeds and so alter the tone colour. On the bass side, the so-called Stradella system means that a single button sounds a complete bass note or chord.
Sound & tuning
The sound is full and organ-like; the various registers allow soft, bright or shimmering “musette” tones. Volume and expression are controlled entirely through bellows pressure — this is where the instrument’s real musicianship lies. The metal reeds hold their tuning and only rarely need attention from a specialist.
Playing & technique
The particular challenge is coordination: both hands play independently of one another while the bellows are drawn evenly or used for deliberate accents. On the accordion, bellows control takes the role that breath plays on a wind instrument — it shapes phrasing, dynamics and emphasis. A sure feeling for rhythm and harmony helps especially when accompanying.
Role & repertoire
The accordion is rooted in many musical cultures: in shanties and sea songs, in musette, tango and folk, and equally in modern chamber and solo music. Because it can carry melody and accompaniment on its own, it works superbly as a self-sufficient instrument, but just as well in ensemble playing.
Getting started at our music school
Most pupils can begin from around seven or eight years old. Smaller, lighter instruments are made for children (with 48 or 72 basses, for example) so that weight and size are right. What matters is an instrument that suits the player’s height — we are happy to work out the right size with you in the lessons.
Variants & relatives
The main distinction is between the piano accordion, with a piano-style keyboard, and the button accordion, whose melody side also has buttons (in various systems such as C-griff or B-griff). Close relatives are the Steirische Harmonika of Alpine folk music, the smaller concertina and the bandoneón that defines the Argentine tango. All rest on the same free-reed principle.
Care & practicalities
An accordion should be stored dry and upright so that the bellows and reeds come to no harm; after playing, leave the bellows to “dry out” briefly. A well-fitting set of shoulder straps matters, because the instrument carries part of its weight on the shoulders. Deliberately lighter models are made for children, so that posture and enjoyment do not suffer under the weight.
For beginners: what makes the accordion special?
The accordion is a “one-person orchestra”: melody, harmony and bass arise at the same time under your own hands. That makes it a sociable instrument, one that quickly lifts the mood at parties, at home or in a group. The bellows let notes swell and fade again, so the music becomes very alive and expressive. At first the coordination of both hands together with the bellows feels unfamiliar, but with a little patience whole melodies soon begin to emerge.