Musical Instruments

Accordion

There are keyboards with reeds on the accordions. Through compressing and expanding the bellows, accordionists make sounds by vibrating the reeds. The accordion was made by a German instrument maker called Friedrich Ludwig Buschmann in 1822. People such as the Australian Cyrill Demian refined the instruments in about 1829.

There are two kinds of modern accordions, which are keyboard accordions (piano accordions) and chromatic accordions (button/Bayan accordions). Piano accordions are mostly used in China and Central or Western Europe. Bayan accordions are mostly played in Russia and Ireland. It's easier to learn piano accordions, which are often used for basic practice of pianos and to perform many classical or modern music. Button accordions could produce broader ranges of music. With button accordions' smaller buttons, one's hands could move faster on the instrument and play fast and difficult music pieces. Overall, people play Russian or Irish folk songs with button accordions.

Russian accordions, Central or Western European accordions, Irish accordions and America accordions are the central accordion variants. Russian Bayan accordions are big, heavy and with broad and low music range. Central or Western European accordions are lighter, with smaller music range and higher pitch. Irish Bayan accordions are very small, with broader range and lively timbres. Russians produce folk music with Bayan accordions. Its music styles are sometimes violent, sometimes bright and sometimes heavy, which represent Russian culture. French accordions are the staple of Central or Western accordions. The music of French accordion is bright and usually high in pitch, which is often chosen as the main tone in chansons. Irish accordions are mainly used to play folk songs in folk dance parties, with fast rhythms such as in tap dance, reel dance, and sword dance. Its music is often relaxing and lively, and sometimes accompanies with violins.

(Please move your mouse to the left corner in the video and click play bottom to watch.)

Reference

Do you want to learn more?
Interview with concertmasters
Yan-Ming Liao, General Director and the Soprano Accordion concertmaster

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