Accordion, button
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Squeezing the bellows of the button accordion forces air over a series of reeds inside the instrument, making them vibrate. At each end there are button keyboards : those for the right hand play the melody, while the left hand plays chords. It is a portable instrument with a bright sound which makes a fine accompaniment for singing and dancing.
| Family |
| Woodwinds |
| Pitch range |
| Up to six-and-a-half octaves using combinations of couplers. |
| Material |
| Steel reeds, cardboard bellows, and a wooden frame. |
| Size |
| Variable : this example is 18 in (46cm) long and 16 in (41 cm) high. |
| Origins |
| The button accordion developed from the full-size harmonium. The first accordion was made in 1829 by Cyrillus Demian, an Armenian living in Vienna, Austria. |
| Classification |
| Aerophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of a column of air. |
| And also... |
| The button accordion is often called the button box. It is very popular with folk musicians. |
