A piano accordion is an accordion that has a right-hand keyboard similar to those found on a piano or organ. Its sound is produced in a way that is more like an organ than a piano, as both are types of aerophones. The name "piano accordion" was first used by Guido Deiro in 1910 and is still the common name for this instrument. It can have any of the systems available for the left-hand manual.
Compared to a piano keyboard, the keys on a piano accordion are more rounded, smaller, and lighter. These keys are arranged vertically along the side of the instrument, pointing inward toward the bellows. This design allows only one hand to reach them while playing the accordion.
A bass piano accordion is a type of piano accordion that does not have bass buttons. Instead, the piano keyboard produces a sound that is one octave lower than the usual low-pitched "bassoon" stop. These instruments typically have about three octaves. Music arrangements for accordion bands may include parts specifically written for the bass accordion.
History
The first accordion with a piano keyboard was likely the one introduced in 1852 by Bouton of Paris. Another source states that the first piano accordion was presented in 1854 at the General German Industrial Exhibition in Munich by Mattäus Bauer. This instrument quickly became a strong competitor to button accordions.
In Russia, the first chromatic piano-like accordions were made in 1871 by Nikolay Ivanovich Beloborodov.
In the United States, the piano accordion became very popular between 1900 and 1930. This was because its design was familiar to students and teachers, and its uniform layout meant dealers and instructors did not need to support many different styles of accordions used by European immigrant groups. The piano keyboard was also promoted by Vaudeville performers Guido Deiro and his brother Pietro, who introduced the instrument on stage, recordings, and radio. After the Deiros' success, popular chromatic button accordionist Pietro Frosini changed his accordion’s buttons to look like a piano keyboard to avoid appearing "old-fashioned."
By 1972, the piano accordion was mostly used in English-speaking North America, Scotland, and some East European countries. Button accordion systems were more common in Scandinavia, France, Belgium, and former Soviet countries. The piano accordion was also widely used in Italy, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.