Learn the Different Sizes of Accordions

Series Summary

Music is one of the primary forms of communication on Earth. Whether the use of tones and melodies developed before, after, or in conjunction with spoken language is unknown; yet music is unique in that it helps us to talk to each other in ways that language cannot achieve. It creates a connection between people that is not limited by time, distance, or relationship; a song can speak to anyone, anywhere. That’s why music continually changes an d grows, is still loved and still proliferates. Music is a living language.

The accordion might be considered one of the dialects of that language. An accordion is a bellows instrument, using a mixture of keys and stops to create a distinct timbre and resonance that lend themselves easily to Zydeco, Tejano, and Polka music. It is played by squeezing and expanding the bellows while depressing keys, buttons, or stops, depending upon the variety of accordion.

The sound an accordion makes is usually light and full of harmony, hence the types of music the instrument is typically associated with. Yet, it can also represent a wider range of human emotion; its tonal registers can express sadness, longing, and contemplation, as evidenced in traditional French music. Some players, including Judy Tenuda and “Weird Al” Yankovic, have found that the accordion is the perfect instrument for comedy.

In this free video series, learn how to buy an accordion. Our expert, Amanda Claire, gives you tips for finding the perfect accordion for you. Learn how to look at the exterior of an accordion. Also, Amanda shows you how to test the keys on an accordion. So, before you rush off and buy this instrument, learn tips for buying an accordion today!

Video Transcript

"So when you buy your first accordion and my guess is if you are watching this video, you are either just about to buy your first accordion or you might have one already, or you are not really sure about what you want to get, but there is a couple of concerns you want to think about. One is, is the instrument a good instrument for you and part of that has to do with the matter of taste whether you like the sound. Again, some accordions will have multiple banks of reeds. You can switch one of the other both on and you can get little bit variety and sounds. Maybe you like the sounds. I will also tell you a little in a future clip how the reeds tend to be tuned together a little bit differently for different sounds. Size of the instrument is another issue in terms whether it is the right instrument for you. These are all pretty medium to small size accordions. You have probably seen accordions that are twice as big and certainly they exist. I could probably play one like that. I personally don't like an instrument that big, they are heavy but maybe you like a bigger instrument or bigger sound like that so that is kind of an issue also that you might want to think about. Also the size of the keys, all of these accordions here actually have fairly narrow keys and these are often known as women's accordions, ladies accordion for narrower fingers. This one is actually called a petite accordion. The word petite is written right on here. Some accordions will have wider keys for wider fingers and so all of these things have to do with whether it is a good instrument for you. You want to get something that is not too heavy to, that it is about good for your size, the keys are about the right size for your fingers and it has sounds that you like. What the next set of concerns is, is the instrument in good shape so that is what we will talk about next. "