- Most commonly used by dance groups or in folk music, diatonic accordions come with one, two or three rows of keys. For each key, there are at least two reeds (vibrating pieces of cane) to produce the sound.
- Concertinas are some of the most varied types of accordions, as different manufacturers typically use their own stylistic approach to its construction. With anywhere from four to 12 sides, concertinas have single note buttons rather than the fixed chord buttons common on other types of accordions.
- Chromatic accordions are most commonly used in Russia. They are characterized by a large amount of buttons, including six rows of treble buttons and 180 buttons for single bass tones.
- While most accordions utilize buttons manufactured directly on the side of the instrument, piano accordions include a piano keyboard on one side of the instrument. This addition is intended for students of the piano who wish to have a similar set of keys when they begin playing accordion.
- Although there are four major types of accordions, many musicians have their accordions custom-made to their own preferences. Customization could include more or less keys, different hand strap locations and instrument length or reed quality.
