Accordions are box-shaped musical instruments that produce sound when air moves past metal strips called reeds. The word "accordion" comes from the German word "Akkordeon," which is based on "Akkord," meaning "musical chord" or "harmonious sounds." The accordion combines two parts in one instrument: a melody section, usually played with buttons or keys on the right-hand side, and an accompaniment section, often controlled by buttons on the left-hand side. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist.

The accordion belongs to a group of instruments called free-reed aerophones. Other instruments in this group include the concertina, harmonica, and bandoneon. The concertina and bandoneon do not have both melody and accompaniment sections. The harmonium and American reed organ are also in this group but are usually larger and placed on a surface or floor.

To play the accordion, the musician presses buttons or keys while moving the bellows (the expandable part of the instrument). This action opens small doors, allowing air to flow over the reeds. The reeds vibrate, creating sound inside the instrument. Valves on the reeds help increase the volume without letting air escape.

The accordion is used in many countries around the world because of historical migrations from Europe to other regions. In some countries, like Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Panama, it is commonly used in popular music styles such as Chamamé, gaucho, forró, sertanejo, vallenato, merengue, and norteño. In other regions, such as Europe, North America, and parts of South America, the accordion is often used in dance-pop, folk music, and traditional dances.

In Europe and North America, the accordion is also used in music genres like cajun, zydeco, jazz, and klezmer. It appears in both solo performances and orchestral music. Many music schools in Europe offer classes specifically for classical accordion playing.

Original name

The earliest name for this group of instruments was "harmonika," which comes from the Ancient Greek word "harmonikós," meaning "harmonic" or "musical."

Now, the name "accordion" is more widely used. This name refers to a specific type of accordion that was invented by Cyrill Demian. His design included "automatically coupled chords on the bass side."

History

The accordion's basic design is thought to have been created in Berlin in 1822 by Christian Friedrich Ludwig Buschmann. However, a 2006 discovery suggests an earlier version may exist. The accordion is one of several European inventions from the early 19th century that use free reeds driven by a bellows. An instrument called an accordion was first patented in 1829 by Cyrill Demian in Vienna.

Cyrill Demian's instrument had a left-hand buttonboard, with the right hand controlling the bellows. A key feature of his design was the ability to play an entire chord by pressing one key. His instrument could also play two different chords with the same key, depending on the direction of the bellows (a bisonoric action). At that time, mouth harmonicas with chambers and larger hand-driven instruments were already in use in Vienna. The diatonic key arrangement was also used on mouth-blown instruments. Demian's patent described an instrument for accompaniment, played with the left hand, small enough for travelers to carry, and used to support singing. The patent also included designs with both bass and treble sections, though Demian preferred the simpler bass-only version due to cost and weight.

The accordion was introduced to Britain around 1828. The Times mentioned the accordion in 1831, calling it new to British audiences. Though reviews were not positive, it soon became popular. By the mid-1840s, it was also widely used in New York.

The earliest history of the accordion in Russia is poorly documented. However, Russian researchers suggest that simple accordions were made in Tula, Russia, by Ivan Sizov and Timofey Vorontsov around 1830, after they received an early accordion from Germany. By the late 1840s, the instrument was widely used. By 1866, over 50,000 accordions were produced yearly in Tula and nearby villages, and by 1874, production reached over 700,000 yearly. By the 1860s, areas like Novgorod, Vyatka, and Saratov were also making accordions. By the 1880s, production expanded to places such as Oryol, Ryazan, Moscow, Tver, Vologda, Kostroma, Nizhny Novgorod, and Simbirsk, where local versions of the instrument were developed.

After Demian's invention, other accordions appeared, some with only a right-handed keyboard for melodies. It was English inventor Charles Wheatstone who combined chords and a keyboard in one instrument, called a concertina, in 1844. His design allowed reeds to be tuned easily from the outside using a simple tool.

In 1854, Austrian musician Adolf Müller described many accordion-like instruments in his book Schule für Accordion. At the time, Vienna and London had strong musical connections, so it is likely Wheatstone was aware of these instruments and used them to develop his own keyboard design.

Jeune's flutina is similar to Wheatstone's concertina in construction and sound but functions differently. It is a one-sided, bisonoric instrument with a right-hand keyboard and left-hand bellows, designed for playing melodies. When combined with Demian's accordion, the two instruments resemble modern diatonic button accordions.

Further innovations continued into the present. Various buttonboard and keyboard systems, voicings (combinations of tones at different octaves), and mechanisms to switch between sounds during performances have been developed. Modern accordions may include electronics like microphones and controls for adjusting sound, allowing them to connect to PA systems or amplifiers. Some 2010s-era accordions use MIDI sensors and circuits, enabling them to connect to synthesizers and produce sounds like piano or organ.

Construction

Accordions come in many different types and designs. A skill that is easy to do on one type of accordion might be difficult or impossible on another. Knowing how to play one type of accordion does not always mean someone can play another type easily.

The most noticeable difference between accordions is the right-hand side. Piano accordions have a keyboard like a piano, while button accordions have a buttonboard. Button accordions are also divided into two types based on their buttonboards: chromatic (which includes all musical notes) or diatonic (which includes only notes from a specific scale).

Accordions can be bisonoric or unisonoric. Bisonoric accordions make different sounds depending on whether the bellows are pushed or pulled. Unisonoric accordions make the same sound in both directions. Piano accordions and chromatic button accordions are usually unisonoric, while diatonic button accordions are often bisonoric. Some exceptions exist.

Accordion sizes vary widely. They differ in length, weight, and the number of buttons or keys on the right and left sides. For example, piano accordions may have as few as 8 bass buttons or as many as 140 or more. Accordions also differ in the number of registers (sound settings) and their tuning.

All accordions share some common parts. The bellows is the most visible part and is used to create sound. The movement of the bellows controls how much air flows through the instrument, which affects the volume and tone. The bellows are made of layers of cloth, cardboard, leather, and metal. When the bellows move, air passes over reeds inside the accordion, causing them to vibrate and produce sound.

The keyboard on an accordion does not control the loudness of the sound. All expression, such as volume changes, is controlled by the bellows. Bellows effects include:

• Changing the volume gradually (swells and fades)
• Rapid back-and-forth movements of the bellows ("bellows shake"), used by musicians like Renato Borghetti and Luiz Gonzaga in styles like Forró
• Continuous bellows movement with pauses to create specific sounds
• Continuous bellows movement to produce clear tones without resonance
• Slight changes in pitch to mimic a singer’s expression
• Using the "silent air" button to create a "whooshing" sound, sometimes used in modern music

The accordion has two wooden boxes connected by the bellows. These boxes contain reed chambers for the right and left hands. Grilles on the boxes allow air to flow in and out and help the sound project. The right-hand side grille is usually larger and may have decorative shapes. The right-hand keyboard is typically used for melodies, while the left-hand keyboard is used for accompaniment. Skilled players may reverse these roles.

The size and weight of an accordion depend on its type, layout, and range. Some accordions are small, with only one or two rows of bass buttons and a single octave on the right-hand keyboard. Others, like the 120-bass or 160-bass models, are larger and heavier.

An accordion is an aerophone, meaning it produces sound by moving air. The keyboard mechanisms either allow or block air flow through the reeds.

The term "accordion" includes many types of instruments. Most have reed ranks, but some are digital and do not use reeds. Not all accordions have switches to change registers or ranks. The most common type is the piano accordion, used in many musical styles. Another type is the button accordion, used in traditions like Cajun, Conjunto, Tejano, Swiss Alpine, and Argentinian tango music. The Helikon-style accordion has flared horns on the left side to enhance the bass sound.

The right-hand keyboard can use either a buttonboard or a piano-style keyboard. Each system has its own advantages. Examples include:

• Chromatic button accordions and the bayan (a Russian variant) use a chromatic buttonboard. Two main systems exist: the B-system and the C-system. Some models have a decorative keyboard in addition to the button rows.
• Diatonic button accordions use a buttonboard based on diatonic scales. Notes are arranged in rows for each key. Some models allow chromatic scales by combining notes from different rows. These accordions are often bisonoric, meaning they play different notes depending on the bellows direction. Examples include the bandoneon, Steyerische Harmonika, and organetto.
• Piano accordions use a piano-style keyboard. The bass accordion has only a right-hand keyboard with deep-pitched reeds for playing basslines in orchestras. The piccolo accordion also has only a right-hand keyboard.
• 6-plus-6 accordions use a Jankó keyboard with three rows of buttons. These are rare and produced in special editions.

Examples of specific accordions include:

• A button key accordion made by Marrazza in Italy, brought to Australia by Italian immigrants.
• A Weltmeister piano accordion made by VEB Klingenthaler Harmonikawerke.

The left-hand keyboard, used for accompaniment, has distinct bass buttons. Buttons often have raised or concave surfaces to help players locate them without seeing them. Three main systems exist:

• The Stradella bass system (also called standard bass) uses a circle of fifths layout. It includes single buttons for bass notes and additional rows for preset chords like major, minor, and dominant seventh.

Manufacturing process

The most expensive accordions are usually completely handmade, especially the reeds. Handmade reeds create a better sound than those made by machines. Some accordions have been changed by people who want to improve the sound of cheaper models. For example, Yutaka Usui, a Japanese craftsman, made improvements to some low-quality instruments.

Making an accordion is partly done with machines, but many parts still need to be assembled by hand. The process includes creating individual pieces, putting together smaller sections, building the whole instrument, and then decorating and packing it.

Important places where accordions are made include the Italian cities of Stradella and Castelfidardo, where many small and medium-sized companies operate, especially in Castelfidardo. This city honors Paolo Soprani, one of the first major accordion producers. In France, Maugein Frères has made accordions in Tulle since 1919 and is now the only company in France that makes all parts of an accordion. In Germany, companies like Hohner and Weltmeister once made many accordions, but production decreased by the end of the 20th century. Today, Hohner still makes its top models in Germany, and Weltmeister accordions are still handmade by HARMONA Akkordeon GmbH in Klingenthal.

Use in various music genres

The accordion is often used to play folk or ethnic music, popular music, and music adapted from operas and light-classical pieces. It was also used by the Kikuyu tribe in Kenya and is the main instrument in the traditional Mwomboko dance. Today, the accordion is sometimes heard in modern pop styles like rock and pop-rock, and occasionally in serious classical music concerts and advertisements.

The accordion became popular quickly, especially among common people. Europeans who moved around the world helped spread its use. Both button and piano-style accordions became favorite instruments for folk musicians and were included in traditional music styles worldwide. Examples of these styles can be found in a list of music types that use the accordion.

Early jazz accordionists include Charles Melrose, who recorded "Wailing Blues/Barrel House Stomp" (1930) with the Cellar Boys; Buster Moten, who played accordion in the Bennie Moten orchestra; and Jack Cornell, who recorded with Irving Mills.

Later jazz accordionists from the United States include Steve Bach, Milton DeLugg, Orlando DiGirolamo, Angelo Di Pippo, Dominic Frontiere, Guy Klucevsek, Yuri Lemeshev, Frank Marocco, Dr. William Schimmel, John Serry Sr., Lee Tomboulian, and Art Van Damme. French jazz accordionists include Richard Galliano, Bernard Lubat, and Vincent Peirani. Norwegian jazz accordionists include Asmund Bjørken, Stian Carstensen, Gabriel Fliflet, Frode Haltli, and Eivin One Pedersen.

The Stradella bass system limits the left hand to preset chord buttons, which can be a challenge for some jazz chord styles. Jazz accordionists overcome this by pressing multiple chord buttons at once or combining a chord button with a bass note that is not the root of the chord. For example, to play an Am chord, the Am and Em buttons are pressed together with an A bass note. To play a half-diminished chord, a Gm button is pressed with an E bass note.

In jazz, the free-bass system is used to create complex chord sounds. This system allows for easier playing of difficult jazz harmonies, such as tritone substitutions, which are harder to play with the Stradella bass system.

The accordion was widely used in popular music from the 1900s to the 1960s, a time known as the "golden age of the accordion." Key figures during this time included Pietro Frosini, the Deiro brothers (Count Guido Deiro and Pietro Deiro), the Ovsenik brothers (Vilko Ovsenik and Slavko Avsenik), Charles Magnante, and Charles Magnante.

Most vaudeville theaters closed during the Great Depression, but accordionists performed on radio during the 1930s–1950s. John Serry Sr. was one such performer. From the 1950s to the 1980s, the accordion gained attention on television, especially through Myron Floren’s appearances on The Lawrence Welk Show. The accordion’s popularity declined in the late 1950s and early 1960s due to the rise of rock and roll. Angelo DiPippo was the first accordionist to perform at the Newport Jazz Festival. He played the accordion in The Godfather and contributed to the soundtrack of To Rome With Love. He also appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson twice.

Richard Galliano is a well-known accordionist who plays jazz, tango nuevo, Latin, and classical music. Some popular bands use the accordion to create unique sounds.

"Weird Al" Yankovic, a Grammy Award-winning parodist, plays the accordion on many of his musical tracks, especially his polkas. He learned the accordion as a child.

The accordion has also been used in rock music, most notably by John Linnell of They Might Be Giants, who used it more in the band’s earlier works. The instrument is still used in live performances and appears in their studio albums.

The accordion is also used in the music of the Dropkick Murphys and Gogol Bordello. Tom Waits used the accordion extensively on his albums Rain Dogs and Franks Wild Years, often played by Dr. William Schimmel.

Folk metal music sometimes uses the accordion, but it is rare in other genres. Full-time accordionists in folk metal are uncommon, but they are still used in studio recordings because keyboardists are easier to find for live performances.

The Finnish band Turisas once had a full-time accordionist who played classical and polka styles alongside a violinist. One of their accordionists, Netta Skog, now plays for Ensiferum. Another Finnish band, Korpiklaani, uses a type of Finnish polka called humppa and has a full-time accordionist.

Sarah Kiener, a former hurdy-gurdy player for the Swiss band Eluveitie, played a type of accordion called a zugerörgeli.

Although it is best known as a folk instrument, the accordion has become popular among classical composers. The earliest surviving concert piece for the accordion was written in 1836 by Louise Reisner of Paris. Other composers, including Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Umberto Giordano, and Charles Ives, wrote music for the diatonic button accordion.

Paul Hindemith was the first composer to write specifically for the chromatic accordion. In 1922, Austrian composer Alban Berg included an accordion in Wozzeck, Op. 7. In 1937, the first accordion concerto was composed in Russia. Other composers who wrote for the accordion in the early 20th century include John Serry Sr., whose Concerto for Free Bass Accordion was completed in 1964. American composer Robert Davine wrote Divertimento for Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon and Accordion. William P. Perry used the accordion in his orchestral suite Six Title Themes in Search of a Movie (2008). Howard Skempton, a British composer, began his career as an accordionist and wrote many solo works for the instrument. John Palmer’s Drang (1999) explored the accordion’s expressive range. Luciano Berio wrote Sequenza XIII (1995) for accordionist Teodoro Anzellotti. Accordionists like Mogens Ellegaard, Joseph Macerollo, Nick Ariondo, Friedrich Lips, Hugo Noth, Dr. William Schimmel, Stefan Hussong, Teodoro Anzellotti, and Geir Draugsvoll encouraged composers to write new music for the accordion and also played baroque music on the free bass accordion.

French composer Henri Dutilleux used