The button accordion is a type of accordion that features a series of small buttons instead of the piano keys found on some full-size models on the melody side. The button accordion is often associated with a smaller, more portable accordion, but this is not always the case. In general, the button accordion gives the musician a different “interface.”
Various well-known manufacturers in the industry around these musical instruments produce button accordions. Many of these models are designed to be portable, with button accordions being more compact and space-saving. These are also popular among students, with button accordions being one of the more basic student models.
Button accordions, like other types of accordions, follow specific scale patterns to produce classic melodies on the regular scale or octave. The diatonic or seven-tone accordion and the chromatic or twelve-tone accordion, two different versions of this instrument, represent two very different styles for this instrument.
In an octave, the diatonic accordion has seven tones. The tones of the regular major scale are represented these tones. This limits the number of applications for which this type of button accordion can be used a musician.
Each octave on the more versatile chromatic button accordion has twelve tones. This includes all of the octave’s half and whole steps, allowing the musician to play minor notes or in a minor key. It’s worth noting that a single button on a button accordion can produce two different sounds depending on whether the musician is pushing or pulling the instrument, expanding or contracting the air within it. The melody keys on a traditional piano key accordion produce the same tone regardless of the instrument’s direction.
Button accordions are used musicians to perform a wide range of musical compositions. Many of these miniature accordions are used to play Irish reels and other Celtic music. They’re also known for playing Cajun music, which frequently features the accordion. Almost any type of music that can be played on a traditional piano key accordion can be effectively played on a button accordion, though certain “trills” that players do on keyed models can be difficult or impossible to emulate with buttons. Regardless, the button accordion is a popular instrument in many musical circles around the world.