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Things to Consider When Purchasing Used Accordion

Things to Consider When Purchasing Used Accordion


Thinking for a purchase of a used accordion? If so, then I think that it is better for you to know first some of the important things to consider when purchasing a used accordion.

It is necessary to note in the first place that most of the used accordions need repair. Apparently, most of them are sold because most of them are not in good condition. One of the common characteristics of a used accordion is the keys and buttons are usually noisy. Also, you may find that some of the keys may be misaligned and a number of the accordion reeds may not be speaking properly. It is actually during this case that an overhaul is typically called for. This may sometimes involve a keyboard leveling, a full retuning, new leathers, and re-waxing of the reed plates. This then means that this is not cheap as it takes a great deal of time. In fact, a usual big repair job of a used accordion requires as much as 20 hours of work.

Also, don’t expect that you will be able to find a very old accordion of any kind, at any price that will give you consistently a trouble-free service for more than a year or so. This is very typical especially at auction, and this is only possible unless the used accordion has been overhauled. But, speaking of hauling, it is worth noting that if you need a reliable instrument for the long haul, then you should either be looking at new instruments or those accordions that are well-maintained no more than 15 years old. If not, then be prepared to invest whatever it takes in overhauling an old, used accordion. Perhaps the best option here is to be trailing into the repair shop every couple of months every time the parts of the used accordion develop a problem.

But, trudging into a repair shop is not only appropriate every time the used accordion develops a problem. Rather, it is best to note that even if a used accordion is not obviously in need of repairs, it should still go into the repair shop for maintenance examination at least every couple of years. Most of the professional accordionist, even those with hectic touring schedules often do this yearly. What usually takes place during the maintenance check up is that the technician will give the used accordion a thorough cleaning and lubrication as necessary, examine the action of the instrument, including the leathers and the wax. The tuning might also be touched up if necessary. It’s no doubt that this is a wise investment in the good sake of your used instrument.

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Reyes Accordions

Generally, Reyes Accordions is one of the most acclaimed accordion companies in the world. This company primary caters to the Latino market, bridging both their Tex-Mex Conjunto and Norteño. Today, Reyes Accordions has a strong emphasis on the three-row button accordion, and with that they will soon be expanding their coverage to include piano accordion.

According to its history, the Reyes Accordions started as a family tradition. The current owner of this company, Gilbert Reyes, had stated on one of the interviews that his grandfather picked up his first accordion when he was fifteen years old. It was his great grandfather who bartered livestock in exchange for a one row diatonic accordion from a German merchant in Monterrey Nuevo Leon, Mexico in 1927.

In 1942, when Gilbert Reyes’ grandfather and father crossed the Rio Grande River and settled in Texas, the polka style of music had created an impact on the people, particularly to his grandfather. The following year, he brought the two-row diatonic accordion and started experimenting with the polkas. And, later on, having been exposed to many great accordion players, his grandfather had found a form to express himself – music.

However, Gilbert’s father was not well-known for his music or even cared to be. Conjunto that time was in fact a poor working mans music that really did not hold any value in the mainstream. Conjunto, the music of Gilbert’s father, is not a widely popular genre even though some who romanticize this style of music think it is.

It is interesting to know that it was the grandfather of Gilbert Reyes who left great impression on Gilbert. It was him who gave Gilbert the umbilical cord that connects him with the culture, heritage and people. And, it was his music that brought the Reyes Accordions to life.

Today, Reyes Accordions’ vision is not only to sell the high quality accordions. The company also strives to provide the customer the necessary information concerning the Tex-Mex and Norteño genre in particular. As a musician with his Reyes Accordions, Gilbert understands the needs of both the English and non-English speaking customers. The company is now composed of professional accordions staff, including Mark D., Sara Fernandez, Tina Valenzuela, and Gilbert Reyes.

It is further nice to know that Reyes Accordions with its highly dedicated accordions staff, knows and understands both the styles of music. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Gilbert Reyes, along with his cohorts, has been playing the three-row button accordion since the age of fourteen. As Gilbert once stated, “success comes from knowing your product and customer”.

The Scandalli Accordion

Scandalli is one of the most renowned Italian brands of genuine accordions. The company is specifically well-known for its piano and button accordions that feature amazing designs, with a great quality sound.

As its story suggest, the Scandalli company saw its light when Silvio Scandalli started to produce accordions in 1900 with the help of his family. The small company was created in a few years between 1915 and 1921, out of a small workshop, and it was in 1941 that the company employed more than 700 workers of genuine accordions. The Scandalli accordions became popular in the United States after the end of the Second World War and since then, their factory was among the most famous and prestigious accordion factories in the world. Starting from here, the Scandalli accordion brand then became synonymous with quality as well as a bench mark for other musical instruments.

The first widely acclaimed Scandalli accordion model is the Scandalli Super VI. According to certain resources, this accordion model was created in the early 1950’s. That time, Silvio Scandalli commences an ambitious project by using the company’s finest technicians, and that the Super VI was produced. This model has long been considered as the instrument with unparalleled quality which in a short space of time becomes the dream of all great accordion players. The Scandalli Super VI remained unsurpassed even up to these days, and many accordionists considered it as an instrument born from the passion of an innovative artisan.

The Scandalli Accordions is now a company well-known for its great piano and button accordions. It has merged with Paolo Soprani, the oldest factory accordion in the world, in 1984 under the new ownership. Then, as you may know, another name is added by the merger of SEM in 2003. The Scandalli Accordions now, with the forces of Paolo Soprani and SEM, produces and covers the wide range of accordion family. Their collection ranges from the smallest diatonic to the free bass instruments of today.

The Scandalli accordions brand, due to its enduring popularity, is now an icon for many. Its great reputation was even intensified with the distinguished history of innovation, prestige, and quality that Scandalli has long been maintaining. Just like the other accordion manufacturers, Scandalli firmly holds its own goal, which remains the same as it always was, that is, to provide accordions and other musical instruments of the highest standard and uncompromising quality.

Piano Accordion

The piano accordion is one of the well-known families of accordion instrument that have been used in a number of musical concerts in the whole world. It is most often indicated by the term “accordion”, but it is actually one of the most recent inventions among the types of accordion.

As numerous resources hold, the piano keyboard was first placed on accordion in 1852 by Bouton of Paris. From that time until the early the 1900s, this instrument was not given much attention or any improvement, until the year 1910 onwards when the piano accordion came into prominence almost worldwide and remains the most popular type of accordion used.

A new development with piano accordion came into being with the development of the Stradella bass system. This system is commonly noted as a standardization of the bass button layout, thus the piano accordion became the first truly standardized universal type of accordion ever developed. This means that the player of this instrument has the opportunity to play any type or make of piano accordion without any adjustment in the system. Well, this had not been possible before as there were a number of varying button accordions with a number of different systems.

The piano accordions come in a variety of sizes. It is necessary to note in the first place that they are sized by the number of basses they have, anywhere from 12 basses for a student instrument up to the standard 120bass full-sized instrument. There are also some vintage models and toys that are much smaller, such as the oddball instruments with extra basses or fewer basses; however, most of the accordions will fall in that range.

So, when you are opting for a piano accordion, it is perhaps necessary to check the width of the treble keyboard and the width of every white key, in particular. Note that the standard size keys are just a little narrower than the piano keys, which is about 3/4”. Thus, if you are used to playing the piano, or maybe you have larger hands, then you may have difficulty playing an accordion with smaller than standard keys.

Here are the standard reed specifications of the piano accordion:

* 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 treble reeds
* 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 bass reeds

Finally, it is worth noting that piano accordions are generally the same as that of the chromatic, except for a different shape to the keyboard notes as well as the keyboard layout. And, since it has a universal note system, it’s no wonder that the production of this instrument has far exceeded that of any form of button accordion from the early 1920s up to these days.

How to Play the Accordion

Love to play the accordion? Well, I have here a few information for you to consider while you are learning how to play the accordion.

The Fundamentals of Accordion

First things first – know the fundamentals of accordion: Sit down on a chair. Set the accordion on your left knee. The right hand operates the keyboard, while the left hand pumps the bellows. Place the straps over your shoulders, and adjust them if necessary. Slip your left hand under the strap on the button side, and don’t forget to adjust the strap as necessary.

The Basses

The accordion has actually a number of bass buttons, but there’s no need to worry because you only need four or six of them to start with. Note that a normal accordion can have up to 120 basses which are arranged in up to 20 columns and up to 6 rows. Also, in learning how to play the accordion, you should know that there are two bass rows and four chord rows in an accordion. The first row, the one closest to the bellows, is the counterbass row which is denoted by underlined capitals. On the other hand, the second row is the fundamental row which is denoted by capitals.

The Keyboard

In learning how to play the accordion, one should know that the white keys on the accordion keyboard are named from A through G, while the black keys are named after the white keys, depending on whether they are a half step higher (sharp) or lower (flat) than the adjacent white key. Perhaps the best thing to consider here, in learning how to play the accordion is to play the C Major scale. You should begin on a C near the low side of the keyboard (towards your chin) and lay adjacent white keys until you get the next C an octave higher, which is towards the base of the keyboard.

Reading the Music

When you wish to learn how to play the accordion, you should know how to read the music. Basically, the melody is located on the upper staff of the printed music, and the bass line is on the lower staff. Note that the melody is usually shown in treble clef, while the bass part is shown in the Bass clef. Well, for some people reading the music while learning how to play the accordion seems confusing, but actually that is how music works. You will just be surprised later that after a while is almost makes some sense. Just note that in learning how to play the accordion, locate C, which is the first note and just follow the music. After all, the melody is relatively straightforward to play.

MIDI Accordion

If there could be one greatest thing in the way of combined electronic and acoustic accordions, MIDI accordion is the right name to mention. Well, MIDI accordion is considered as one of the latest inventions in the music industry, although they’ve been around a number of years now. Perhaps this is due to the fact that with this instrument, you can play all your standard MIDI synthesizers, whether it is standalone module, rack-mounted, or having a keyboard attached. What is best is that you can also obtain the original acoustic accordion sounds as well.

MIDI actually stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It is a serial or electronic bus standard that was designed for musicians. It is typically equipped with a switch on every key and button. Note that a small circuit board and a switch for every key and button are all electronics required inside the accordion. As such, there is no minimal weigh added to the accordion. In addition, the circuit board of a MIDI accordion functions to scan the keys and sends out MIDI “Note On” or “Note Off” messages every time a change in the state of a key is detected. The change actually comes out every time a key is pressed or released.

In a MIDI accordion, a cable that connects the accordion to the synthesizers is always present. This cable is just a relatively thin cable which weighs similar as to that cable used on the old Cordovox accordions. Also, with a MIDI accordion, you have the option to get wireless transmitters for the instrument and this is commonly considered so that you have no cable going out of it at all.

There are a number of positive things or advantages for a MIDI accordion, and one of those stems from the fact that the synthesizer technology is continually growing at a much more rapid rate than is acoustic accordion technology. Therefore, is you have a standard accordion that you really love; you don’t need at all to trade it in every moment there is a development in the synthesizer. All you need to do is to keep the same accordion and just upgrade the synthesizers so to make a MIDI accordion.

Another nice highlight of MIDI accordion is that they make an ideal MIDI controller, which is in some ways better than a typical keyboard controller. With this instrument, you can also set up the MIDI channels for chords, for bass, treble and solo, effectively making the sound of the accordion like a five piece band, counting the acoustic accordion as one instrument.

Gabbanelli Accordion

As you may know, accordion is one of the very popular musical instruments that have been made available in the market for years. With this, it’s no wonder that many different brands of accordions are in the market these days. Italian and German brands of accordion seem to dominate the market. And, one of the highly acclaimed brands of Italian accordions is the Gabbanelli.

The Gabbanelli accordions are generally designed and manufactured by the International Music Company S.R.L. Italy, which is a family owned factory of Gabbanelli Accordions in Houston, Texas USA. As maintained, the innovation of design, the finest tonal qualities, and the thoughtful professional features of Gabbanelli are what set them apart from the rest of accordion brands. The company started to manufacture and produce accordions in the early days of 1960s, and since then they have always had a clear focus on what they do best, that is, designing and distributing accordions and instruments with superb quality.

According to its history, the production of Gabbanelli accordions originated from the mind of John Gabbanelli, the owner of Gabbanelli Accordions. He was brought into the trade at a young age, learning and developing the craft under the guidance of his late father. After forty years of experience in the music industry, John Gabbanelli decided to build the company, and since then the Gabbanelli Accordions have formed a solid reputation for premium quality hand made instruments as well as customer satisfaction.

The Gabbanelli accordions have been renowned for a richer sound, which comes with an option of having two sets of keys instead of one. This composition means that the players don’t have to be carrying two or more accordions around if they play in different keys. All they need to do is to press a button, and they convert the accordion from a GCF to an FBE. Aside from such excellent feature, the Gabbanelli accordions are fancier to look at, with a lot of glitter.

Today, the Gabbanelli accordions are used in a number of musical concerts, not just in Italy but worldwide. They come in different style and built, which include the Cajun king accordions, chromatic, diatonic, midi, norteño, piano, vallenato, and bajo-sexto. All of these Gabbanelli accordions were designed with the customer satisfaction in mind. And, with the strong dedication of the company to individualism, it is no wonder that Gabbanelli is able to set a new level of standard in the music industry.

Hohner Accordions

Hohner is basically a company well-known for its high quality accordions. Based on the company’s history, the first model of Hohner accordion was designed and manufactured in 1893, when the original founder Matthias Hohner passed away. His sons were the ones who decided to expand the company to include the manufacture of a new reed instrument, the accordion. Since then, Hohner quickly built a parallel reputation for excellence, and they have been well-known as a top accordion maker due to their string dedication to quality that continues up to these days.

Well, for nearly a century, it has been noted that the world’s top musicians have revered the unique sound of Hohner accordions. Speaking of “Hohner sound”, for which the company’s accordions are acclaimed, it is noted that it originates from the responsive and precisely tuned Hohner reed, as well as from the resonant construction of the woodwork. It has also been claimed that shortly after the company started manufacturing Hohner accordions, such distinct sound launched the company’s accordion to the top of the international market. It is where the Hohner accordions continue to be the world’s leading brand.

There are specifically two types of Hohner accordions: the Diatonic and Piano accordions. In terms of Diatonic accordions, there are about 13 Hohner accordion models in the current list. These include the HA-3522 Corona II Classic, HA-35 Corona II, Corona III, HA-3100 Panther, HA-2815, HA-3000 Erica, HA-1600 Corso, Double Ray, HA-114, 3002 and 3002B Ariette, and D40 Concertina. Of these Diatonic Hohner accordion models, the Corono II top the list and has in fact became an official Classic. Perhaps, this is due to the fact that the Corono II is capable of giving you the full resonant sound you should expect from Hohner, as well as a celluloid covered, wood keyboard, double strap brackets, improved bellow straps, and a lot more.

In the Piano Hohner accordions, five groups or series are now available. These include the Morino Piano models, Amica Series, New Bravo Series, Hohnica Accordions, and the Nova Series Chromatic Accordions. Of these series, it is the Morino Piano models that have been world acclaimed as the best Piano Hohner accordions on the market.

Today, these models of Hohner accordions are sold worldwide with aluminum framed plastic carrying case, at reasonable prices. However, the prices may vary depending on the suggested retail. Therefore, it is necessary to contact your local music dealer for consumer pricing in your area.

The Cajun Accordion

For long years, Cajun accordion has been well-known throughout the world as one of the interesting, fun to play type of reeds. Stories have been told that this instrument is actually by origin and definition as “melodeon”, meaning an instrument with fundamentally melodic potential, incompletely supported by tow simple harmonies. This is also the reason that many people call it the Melodeon.

The History

The Cajun accordion or melodeon is actually a small diatonic accordion initially manufactured in Germany in the second half of the nineteenth century. It has been commonly noted that the first instruments available during that time carried the trademarks Bruno, Lester, and Pine Tree. These instruments had the inconvenience of being pitched in A or F, which are keys practically impossible to accompany on the fiddle. Then, it wan not until the dawn of this century that Buegeleisen & Jacobson of New York brought in the Monarch and the Sterling in C and D. The Cajuns then nicknamed them “Tits Noirs” meaning “Little Blacks” on account of their size and color. These later on became the Cajun accordions and they required a great reputation, justified by the quality and reliability of their reeds.

Physical Features

As a small diatonic instrument, the Cajun accordion is features a one row keyboard with ten buttons on the right hand treble side. Each button controls two notes according to the motion of the bellows, whether they are pushed inwards or pulled outwards. The Cajuns call this as the “single action”. Aside from that, the Cajun accordion also has four stops on the right hand casing which bring into action four banks of reeds tuned in octaves associated to each other. It is important to note that the different banks of reeds in Cajun accordion are tuned in perfect octaves known as “dry” tuning.

On the left side of the Cajun accordion is a keyboard in the form of a hand-grip. This keyboard has two buttons giving respectively two bass notes as well as two chords. Other than that, the keyboard on the left side offer an air button for the thumb which enables the rapid opening or closing of the bellows during the playing.

Strengths of Cajun Accordion

Compared with the fiddle, the Cajun accordion is highly noted for its superb reliability and robustness. It has four reeds for each note, so even some of them were broken there are still others that are enough to make music. What’s more, this is also the only instrument which could endure the humidity of any region. The Cajun accordion only need the minimum maintenance and was easily repairable. Lastly, it was fully in tune and ready to play while the section of the basses efficiently backed up the melody and offer a fullness as well as resonant power which could not be matched by the fiddle.

Excelsior Accordion

Established in New York in 1924, the Excelsior Company has long been serving the market with great accordions. The company considered expansion of their production and sales in 1948 and since then, excellent sound, quality and fine look of the Excelsior accordions have been appreciated all over the world. It was in fact noted in one of the resources that the greatest popularity of Excelsior accordions was reached after the Second World War as they became a “must” for any big orchestra with Charles Magnante and Art Van Damme as a few among the many popular accordionists who prefer Excelsior.

As commonly claimed, all of the professional models of Excelsior accordions are very prestigious instruments. The selection ranges from the top-quality 960 (922 in button), highlighting tone chamber or cassoto and five sets of reeds that appear both in treble and bass, to the lighter 911 with 610 in button that is recommended to folk and modern music players. Aside from that, there was the glorious AC, popularly known as “Continental”, which has long been deemed as the one of the best accordions ever made in all times. Specifically, this model boasts its hand made sets of reeds in treble and six in bass, tone chamber, and lightest keyboard. It is these features which sets the Excelsior Continental the most appreciated by jazz and classic music lovers.

On the semi-professional side of Excelsior accordions, it is worth noting that all of the Excelsior accordions under this category are deigned and crafted according to the same quality standards applied to professional accordion manufacturing. It also covers a wide range of models which generally offered matches to any requirement that the forthgoing students or experienced amateur may have.

Just recently, Excelsior proudly introduced their new Conservatory series that is composed of six new mid priced convertor accordions. This particular series of Excelsior accordion was actually produced after many years of cooperation with teachers and professionals as well as by using only the quality materials and skilled craftsmen. This series is now well-known for its superb tonal quality and elegance that are coupled with its reasonable price.

The Excelsior accordion company today goes ahead in its tradition of quality and prestige, but all of their products are still crafted with selected materials and in accordance to the best traditional craftsmanship approaches as well. As you may know, to own an Excelsior accordion these days is like owning a prestigious instrument and following the path of the best accordion players of the past and present.

Tips for Buying an Antique Accordion

Thinking for a purchase of an antique accordion? If so, then you should note first that there are some helpful steps to consider when buying an antique accordion. Few of them are mentioned below.

Examine the Carrying Case

When you purchase an antique accordion, don’t forget to check the condition of the carrying case. Look for broken or missing hardware as possible. Note that a musty smelling case or bellows is one of the many indications that the accordion or other instrument may have been improperly cared for and stored, probably in damp basement. A musty case may also cause damage to the wood and leathers in the interior of the instrument. With this, it’s not impossible that the reeds may be rusted.

Check the Body of the Instrument

When we say antique, we are referring to something old, thus a certain defect is possible, unless the thing is really properly cared for. So, in terms of buying an antique accordion, looking for chips missing from the corners, cracks in the celluloid, scratch marks indicating abuse, and others is a pretty nice move to take. If possible, check the condition of all the leather straps, especially the ends that go through the metal holding brackets on the accordion, both top and bottom. If you find that the straps are much worn, then I think it is safer if you remove them entirely than risk their breaking while you are wearing the antique accordion.

Eyeball the Bellows

When you consider buying an antique accordion, try looking for signs of wear, especially on the folds at the base, as well as on the belt buckle wear (facing the chest of the player). Aside from this, check the corners of the bellows and look for corners that are missing or coming loose. Also make sure that in an antique accordion, all the bellows pins are still present and they are not folded or frozen in place with rust. Also note that in a piano accordion, for instance, the air release button is found poking through the bass cover at the left hand side towards the top of the instrument when held in playing position. So, if your antique accordion doesn’t have one, then this is a serious design flaw.

Look at the Keyboard

When checking the antique accordion, try looking at the keyboard edge on, especially the white keys. Note that a properly labeled keyboard is unusual in a very old instrument, unless it has been well cared for. So, check for keys that are out of level as the irregularity of the keys will impede performance in general.

Play It Yourself

It is often said that the best to check the performance of an instrument is to play it yourself. Try listening for the intonation, overall tone, dynamic range, volume, balance between the left and right sides, and the action of the antique accordion. Or, let another person play it, and listen to the sound.

Button Accordion

Accordions generally come in different style and forms. There are the Piano accordions, diatonic, chromatic, and a lot more. And, one of the families of accordions which developed in the late nineteenth century is the button accordion.

The button accordion is actually an adaptation of the older and more basic melodeon. Physically, it is noted for having an extra row of buttons, pitched a semi-tone above or below those of the melodeon. It is also noted that two notes can be sounded on one button by way of manipulating the bellows, and this is what gives the accordion greater articulation as well as economy of fingering.

Button accordions come in variation. There actually exists a wide variation on keyboard systems, tuning, action as well as construction of these instruments. One of the most notable types of button accordion is the Diatonic button accordion which has a melody-sized keyboard that is limited to the notes of diatonic scales in a small number of keys, which is sometimes only one. It is worthy to note that the bass side of this instrument usually contains the principal chords of the instrument’s key, including the root notes of those chords.

The diatonic button accordions are generally bisonoric. This means that every button produces a couple of note: one is produced when the bellows are compressed, while the other is produced when the bellows are expanded. However, there are few diatonic button accordions that are unisonoric, like the garmon for instance, with every button producing the same note regardless of the direction of the bellows. Others also have combination of two types.

Another well-known variation of button accordion is the chromatic. This is a type where the melody-sized keyboard is composed of uniform rows of buttons arranged so that the pitch increases chromatically along diagonals. Note that the bass-side keyboard of this instrument is typically the Stradella system, which is one of the many free-bass systems, or a converter system.

One of the very well-known forms included among the chromatic button accordions is the Russian Bayan. It is noted that sometimes an instrument of this class is simply known as “chromatic accordion”, even though the other types, such as the piano accordion, are fully chromatic as well. The chromatic buttons actually are highly preferred by a number of classical music performers since its introduction. This is mainly for the reason that the treble keyboard of this instrument is denser than that of a piano accordion, allowing a much greater range.

Today, various cultures have made their own versions of button accordions, and all of their inventions are adapted to suit their own music. Russia alone has a number of accordions, such as the Bayan, Garmon, Saratovskaya Garmonica, and Livenka.

Where to Find Accordion Sheet Music Online

Do you love music? Looking for a free accordion sheet music on the web? If your answer is affirmative, then you’ve certainly got the right page. This article will bring you to the most trusted and widely visited sites online where you can find the available accordion sheet music that you can copy for your own purpose. Just note however that what will be mentioned here are just among the many sites online that provide sheet music for accordionists. But, I’m sure that these will be great enough for you to get started. So, read on.

Free-Scores.com

Free-Scores.com has long been considered as the ultimate sheet music directory on the web. This site has a listing of the most requested sheet music for accordion. Here you can find a number of links, all dedicated to providing accordion sheet music for accordion players. What’s more nice about this site is that they offer sheet music for free. Thus, you can download them anytime you want. They generally carry songs and music from all over the world.

MusicaViva.com

Musica Viva is simply the internet center for free accordion sheet music downloads. The site basically features the Accordion Archive which is part of the Musica Viva collection of free sheet music. What is contained on this archive is sheet music, both in classical and traditional titles, in GIF, PDF, and ABC formats. So, if you wish to download a particular song in any format you want, then you can do so with MusicaViva.com.

Accordion-Online.de

Here is another great site for free accordion sheet music downloads, the Accordion-Online.de. At this site, you actually have the chance to save or download accordion sheet music, or see their MP3 archive for recordings of the pieces and notes. Perhaps what is best about this portal is that they organize their list of accordion sheet music by two categories: the Solos and the Duets. The songs are then easily accessible through these categories. In addition, Accordion Online gives you a guide to German Bass Notation in case you need them on your play.

FreeSheetMusic.net

Finally, here comes the FreeSheetMusic.com to give you a number of helpful links where you can find and collect accordion sheet music of your choice. This site also serves as one of the best directories online for sheet music, as they carry almost hundred of links. It is this reason basically that makes this site the ultimate choice of hundreds of accordion players. If you want to hear the tune being played or want to print the accordion sheet music now, then you can visit their digital sheet music library and from there, you can select thousands of tunes.

Accordion Supply Houses

Accordion is one of the well-known musical instruments in the world. It has been played by thousands of people and its enduring popularity is what further triggers these people to expect more from this instrument. It’s no wonder then that today more and more people are interested in accordion that many have been looking for suppliers and manufacturers of this instrument.

Now, if you are one of those accordion fans out there and you are currently searching for a particular accordion supply house or store that could provide you the instrument or parts you need, then great! I have mentioned below a few of the notable accordion supply houses on the net. Feel free to visit these sites online.

The-Music-Room.com

For long years, The Music Room has been the primary choice of acoustic and traditional musicians because the company can supply pretty well anything you may want. The Music Room is actually a family business, which is owned, staffed and run by professional musicians. They play and employ the products that they sell, and that they know the instruments pretty well inside out. Well, this accordion supply house was established in 1987 and since then, they have acquired a reputation second to none. Today, as an accordion supply online store, The Music Room aims to give the people the best of value, service and advice, whether you are a professional or beginner, new or existing customer. To mention but one, this accordion supply store is now featuring their Weltmeister Rubin 60 Bass Piano Accordion at a reasonable, discounted price.

Alibaba.com

I guess many of you have heard about Alibaba.com as this site is one of the most notable suppliers of different items, whether musical instruments, textile and leather products, health and beauty items, and a lot more. In particular, Alibaba features a listing of accordion instruments and pieces that are available for purchase. As an accordion supply store, Alibaba works to supply a variety of accordions, with various design and colors. What’s more, all of their products are noted for great quality and style, making this accordion supply store one of the ultimate options for accordionists.

Accordions.com

If you are in or from Australia, then Accordions.com is the best option for you. This company actually has been serving Australia for more than 30 years. Accordions.com is the exclusive Australian distributor of Titano and Pigini accordions, master midi and microphones, Deffner publication, Diero and Pagani publications. As an accordion supply house, Accordions.com carries hundreds of accordions in stock right now. All of their instruments are crafted by skilled craftsmen, incorporating exclusive design features which are not available on the lesser products. It is this fact that gives their accordions an unprecedented harmony, response and tonal quality, making them the world famous instruments.

Top Accordion Players

Are you a professional event planner or a consultant who books two or more events per year? Or, are you one of those who enjoy listening to the accordion music with a popular accordion player playing it? Well, if your answer is affirmative to any of those questions, I think it is best for you to know first about certain accordion players who can give you the fun and excitement you want most. I have mentioned a few of them here.

Classical Accordion Players

* Teodoro Anzellotti – is among the best classical accordion players in the world. The repertoire of this man ranges from the Baroque to composers like Berio and Kagel or Erik Satie. Anzelloti also teaches among others at the Hochschule fur Musik und Theater Biel in Switzerland.
* Kallis Bengtsson – is a classical accordion player from Visby, Sweden. He is now currently living in Goteborg and he has performed solo concerts throughout Sweden and Europe. He had in fact been featured in a number of radio and television recordings, and now he has founded a private music school in Goteborg, which offers classes in accordion and piano. Bengtsson is also a composer.

Jazz and Avant-Garde

* Amy Denio – is an avant-garde composer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who played in the second Accordion Tribe tour. She is now based in Seattle.
* Bob Goldberg – is one of the best accordion players from New York who plays in the Brooklyn Academy of Noise Radio Orchestra, as well as in Le Nozze di Carlo.
* Kurt Larsen – is a professional accordionist from Denmark who plays mainly jazz. He also plays and has recorded other genres, like the Danish children’s songs, and Danish evergreen and musette.

Entertainers

* Casey Admiraal – is one of the best accordion players and organists who was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He is now settling in Vancouver, Canada, and over the years he has played at a number of weddings. He also played Pipe Organ in Church services, weddings, and funerals for many years. Admiraal had recorded someCDs in 2002, amongst which one with accordion classics.
* Hugh Barwell – is an accordion player from York, England who plays a wide range of styles. As a musician, he has written guide books on different MIDI modules intended for accordion players. He even teaches accordion as well as MIDI accordion.

Rock

* Ad Cominotto – from Belgium, started to play contemporary classical music for accordion while he studied piano at the conservatory of Liege. Recently, as one of the acclaimed accordion players, Cominotto has taken up the classical side again after he switched to keyboard.
* Zolty Cracker – is a motorfolk tribal-pop band from Vancouver, with Annie Wilkinson on bass, accordion and vocals.

Pointers for Accordion Repair

The accordion had gained immense popularity throughout the world. Many people enjoyed playing it in concerts and other performances, while some love to own it. Also, many people today consider for an accordion repair, while some are selling the instrument. Well, in terms of the accordion repair, note that there are some things to consider when dealing with this matter. This is for the fact that accordion is a sensitive musical instrument that needs proper care.

As you may know, the accordion is a musical instrument that belongs to the handheld bellows-driven free reed aerophone family and is sometimes known as squeezebox. It is played by way of compressing and expanding the bellows, which generate air flow across the reed. Just like some keyboard instruments, the accordion has keyboard controls which are capable for the production of tones.

Being a sensitive reed instrument, the accordion has a lot of extremely delicate parts inside that can easily damaged if you don’t know about them. So, when you are considering an accordion repair, my recommendation is never to take it apart unless you are very mechanically wise and careful. Moreover, if you are planning for taking your accordion apart for an accordion repair, then take it apart slowly. There’s nothing bad with taking time to note where each part came from. This could in fact help you put the parts together correctly when you’re done with your DIY accordion repair.

In accordion repair, never take apart the bass mechanism of the piano accordion, in particular, unless you’ve successfully done it before or been trained about the proper way of doing it. Note that each of the 120 buttons fits in exactly in one location only. So when considering an accordion repair, it’s best to have a special made fixture to handle every button in its respective location so that they don’t mixed up while the bass mechanism is apart.

Another thing to consider is never to attempt replacing a reed skin with anything other than the proper reed skin leather from an accordion supply shop. Note that it has a very distinct properties not found in most other types of leather. In relation to this, when you consider an accordion repair, avoid removing and replacing a reed skin as this will cause the note to play out of tune, thus requiring re-tuning.

Finally, be careful not to get dirt on the base of the reed block. Removing the reed block is something that you should not try unless you are experienced or have an old accordion that you don’t care if you impose further damage on it. Generally, tuning, waxing and other necessary things in accordion repair require year of practice, thus should be best left to the experts.

Accordion Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking is one of the favorite pastimes of most people. It helps to develop our artistic side and it sometimes serves as a good way for releasing tension that many people find scrapbooking enjoyable and relaxing.

Now, if you would like to start an accordion scrapbook in particular, but don’t know where to start, then this page is for you. This article will actually cover the fundamental steps to creating an accordion scrapbook. So, make the most of your time and effort as you learn to document the special events and lives of the ones you love through accordion scrapbooking. Just note that this project is adapted from the Close to My Heart website, a company dedicated to scrapbooking.

Materials You’ll Need

Before you start forming your accordion scrapbooking, you must first gather the materials needed for the project. Here they are:

2 6x6 inch squares of background and texture paper
2 5x5 inch square of cardstock
2 4-3/4x12 inch strips of cardstock
Ribbon if desired
Stamps or other kinds of embellishments

The Procedure:

1. Usually, an accordion scrapbooking starts with wrapping each of the five inch squares of cardstock with the texture paper and desired background. I guess it is best to think that you’re doing this as if it were a present. Note that here you are making the front and back covers.
2. Take the two long strips of cardstock. Note the term “long”. Then, glue them together by way of overlapping them by ½ inch. After that, you obviously have one long strip. Now, fold this strip on the seam where the two pieces are joined.
3. From the fold you’ve made, don’t forget to mark 4-3/4 inches from the fold and crease at this point. This step must be done on the other side of the fold as well.
4. If done, trim off the excess paper, making the pages even. After this step, you’re done making the pages.
5. Now, focus on the front and back covers you’ve made earlier and glue them on to the inside pages of your accordion scrapbook. At this point, you have the option to add a ribbon if you desired. If yes, then glue the ribbon particularly on the back cover prior to attaching the pages. Then, tie the ribbon in front to keep the accordion scrapbook flat and closed.
6. Finally, stamp on the inside to decorate. And, since you are making an accordion scrapbook here, you have the right to add pictures and do some journaling on it. Then, you’re done!

Isn’t it simple? Well, this accordion scrapbook is a pretty good present for your children, parents, grandparents, or friends. These are loads of fun to make, but one thing that you must be aware is that, once you make one, you won’t be able to stop. Accordion Scrapbooking is addictive!

Accordion Partitions

In today’s fast-paced world where strength and durability are required, most of the commercial and residential facilities look for accordion partitions. It is this situation that calls for the rise of a number of manufacturing companies that offer these products for economical space division. As noted, there are almost hundred companies out there offering accordion partitions, and some of them are operating online.

Now, if you are thinking of purchasing accordion or folding doors/partitions, then this page is for you. I have mentioned below a few of the most well-known models of accordion doors or partitions with their brief specifications. Just read on.

Hufcor’s Accordion Partitions

Hufcor’s partitions generally provide fast space division. All you need to do is to pull them away from the wall, stretch across the opening and latch. You are also given the right to add switches, curves and posts to move the partitions to other locations or to intersect them with other accordions, portables or operable walls. These products are now available in single doors or pairs. The Hufcor’s accordion walls, doors or partitions are highly recommended for meeting rooms, classrooms, and religious buildings.

Modernfold’s Accordion Partitions

As claimed, the standard Modernfold’s partitions are the answer when strength and durability are needed, but less stringent sound control is required. Generally, these products highlight three dimensional welded steel frame, heavy-duty track system, as well as extra-strength hinges. With this feature, it’s no wonder that the panels can be extended again and again with a minimum of effort. What is more interesting about the accordion partitions of Modernfold is that they can be acoustically improved for sound absorption with the carpet option.

Kwik-Wall’s Accordion Partitions

Kwik-Wall presents their Accordion 200 Series of partitions just recently. Their partitions are generally designed and crafted for a single purpose, that is, to provide economical space division with a traditional or standard vinyl or carpet finish that is contoured to the three-dimensional welded steel frame. The architectural features of these accordion partitions include steel rust-resistant hinges, balanced frame support, wrinkle prevention construction, and positive stops. What’s more, Kwik-Wall’s partitions have clear anodized structural alloy aluminum track system that highlights a lifetime guarantee in the original installation. Today, these products are made available for use in religious facilities, restaurants, auditoriums, schools, corporate training facilities, and banquet facilities.

Customfold’s Accordion Partitions

Lastly, Customfold is here to provide you with beautiful partitions for you space division needs, whether in shouses of worship, schools, meetings or in social halls. They are double wall, drapery-look partitions that are ceiling supported by the structural grade aluminum track for safety. What’s more, these items have splined-together track sections, and steel bearing wheels for an easy and quick transfer.

Accordion Pictures

The accordion is now deemed as truly an international phenomenon. Several manufacturers of this fine instrument are now operating worldwide, with Germany, Italy, France, and USSR being the top listed hubs of voluminous companies. Recent researches further revealed that 75 percent of the instruments were built and exported around the world.

Now, with such immense popularity, I guess many of you are familiar with how the accordion looks like. But, for those who have no idea about the physical appearance of this thing, I have here a few sites for you to visit online where you can find great accordion pictures, enough to tell you the details about this instrument.

Music-With-Ease.com

Music With Ease is in the first place a website dedicated to providing free information on various kinds of music, whether classical, opera, and more. This site is owned by a group of music lovers who believe that music, whether you are listening to it or playing it or just learning more about it, should always be a pleasure. Now, in terms of the accordion picture, I guarantee you that here, you will find pictures of the accordion instrument, particularly the piano accordion. And, what is best about this site is that they do not only feature accordion pictures on their gallery, but there are drawings, paintings, diagrams, and illustrations of them as well.

Images.Google.com

I guess you are all familiar with Google Images. Well, Google Images, as the name implies, is no doubt a repository of images about everything. Since, we are talking about accordion pictures here, the Google Images is another great portal for you to visit online. They actually carry a list of accordion pictures, all are great. There you can find the piano accordion, chromatic, button, and a lot more.

Celestialink.com

Celestialink.com currently holds a number of accordion pictures that are collected for the viewers’ advantage. There is a picture of a Hohner accordion, Italian accordion, a girlie accordion, as well as an art deco accordion of 1920. And, one of the most recent accordion pictures included here is the little gold and white accordion with the amplifier built inside.

Amazon.com

Amazon.com is but another great site to visit for an accordion picture. At this portal, there is no wonder that you can find a number of images that will give you an idea about the appearance of an accordion instrument as they feature a number of accordion items with pictures of them. With all those designs and colors, I’m sure that you’ll enjoy looking at them.

The Italian Accordion Music

When it comes to accordion music, Italy is the leader. In fact, Italy has been considered as the worldwide leader in quality and production of accordion. This title has remained undisputed for a long period of time, and Italy should say “thank you” to the high quality of this instrument for which the production first began in 1863.

As you may have known, the history of accordion music has been written by the Italian manufacturers. The names Paolo Soprani, Mariano Dallape, Sante Cruncianelli and Silvio Scandalli are all names that have contributed to the fortunes of accordions, which has been making its own way to almost every corner of the world. Perhaps the development of accordion music in the classical genre is due to a large number of Italian musicians and manufacturers who possess great skills in creating samples of outstanding artistic and technical value.

It is further worth noting that although the accordion musical trends over the past decade have identified a somewhat decrease in the demand for these instruments and its quality music, the Italians still continue to manufacture accordions. The products are generally created for those professional musicians who wanted to express themselves through their music and entertain the people at all cost. It is with this continuing production that Italy continues to enjoy an excellent reputation. The tone of the Italian accordion music has in fact been universally considered as the best currently available on the market. And, I guess there is no concert performer anywhere in the world, who doesn’t own, or hopes to own, an Italian accordion music.

Today, it is interesting to know that even though the areas of production in Italy have remained the traditional ones, the technological development has reached some companies in the country that have gone into the production of the fine electronic, coupled with the traditional accordions. This has also been coupled with a number of different creative uses which has been possible to extend with the application of MIDI devices.

The accordion instruments and the accordion music now hold the second place in the line-up of the Italian musical instruments and products that have been exported abroad. And, with the ever growing popularity of Italian accordion music, it’s no wonder that at present there are about 30 accordion manufacturers just in the province of Ancona, which employ 600 people. It is further interesting to know that according to some records, the number of pieces produced for the instrument is a little higher then 12.000 units for a total value of US$11 millions, 89 percent of which are destined to foreign markets, like Japan, European Union and the United States.

Accordion Parts

Accordion is a musical instrument played by compression and expansion of a bellows, which generates air flow across the reed. It has keyboard controls which reeds receive air flow, producing the tones. Just like the other musical instruments, the accordion has a number of parts that play different functions. However, these accordion parts work together to produce the exact, great quality tones that accordion is well-acclaimed of.

Here are the major parts of accordion:

The Bellows

The bellows are said to be the “heart” of the accordion. It is this accordion part that creates the volume by forcing air through the reeds. As you may know, controlling the air flow with the bellows for dynamics and expression is one thing that is unique to accordion.

The Reeds

The reeds have long been considered as the most vital part of an accordion’s sound quality. This is for the fact that the reeds are the ones that produce the accordion’s sound. Technically, this particular accordion part is consists of thins steel, which is riveted at one end of the reed plate. The other end of the reed is free to vibrate in and out of the slot, especially when air pressure is supplied from the bellows. This accordion part has plates that are mounted on reed blocks, which are typically made of poplar wood. And, this part has leathers that work to moderate the flow of air.

Switches

Switches function to open or close one or more sets of reeds, through the register slides in the reed blocks. It is noted that the more reeds in an accordion, the more switches become available.

Air Button

Another important accordion part is the air button, which mainly operates the valve that allows the bellows to open and close without the accordion making any sound. The air button is typically situated on the side of the bass board, or is the very top bass button.

Valves

The valves are generally what allow the air to enter into the reed.
Treble Keyboard

This accordion part has basically the same layout as the piano. Note that in this part, the lowest note is at the top when you look at it from the front.

Tone Chamber

Also called “Cassoto”, the tone chamber is actually the box into which a set of reeds is placed. Cassoto is actually the general term used for any instrument with reeds in a chamber. It is this accordion part which gives the instrument a rich and full sound.

Grille

The grille covers the treble valves and mechanisms of the keyboard. This accordion part is employed to decorate the accordion, and the grille usually displays the brand name or logo of the manufacturer. It is also usually vented to let a louder treble sound. However, this is also used as a muting mechanism.

Accordion Lesson

Thinking for learning how to play the accordion? Wanna go for an accordion lesson? Well, if that’s what you want, then go for it. But before you go for the lesson, you should first try knowing all the necessary things behind the accordion lesson.

Generally, there are hundreds of people and schools handling or offering accordion lessons for those who wish to learn playing the instrument. Some of these lessons are intended for kids, age 3 to 6, while the others are intended for adults. As far as I know, all of these lessons have specific goals to meet, and it is usually expected that after learning how to play the instrument, the students already know how to read the music, how to pick up the tunes by ear, developed a strong understanding of the music theory, learned to play with other musicians in sessions, as well as for dancers.

In an accordion lesson intended for beginners or those who have little or no knowledge of the instrument, it is so typical that all music taught in class is written in staff notation and recorded onto audio cassette tapes. This is what most of the professional accordion teachers commonly require for their students. Under this program, the students are taught to be familiar with the fundamentals of the instrument. The basics of music theory are also typically covered, including the relationship of music notes to the buttons on the accordion. What’s more, in the beginners’ program, the basic fingering techniques are included in the accordion lesson, and mostly the students are introduced to the left hand basses and chords.

Most of the accordion lessons are also offered for those students who have been playing for at least one year. Thus, the intermediate program was developed. Under this program, the students should now have a solid understanding of the accordion and be able to read music and play it on the instrument. Well, under this coverage of the accordion lesson, the students are introduced to the level II tunes, which are composed of difficult jigs and hornpipes, including polkas, slides, reels and set pieces. An introduction to variations and ornamentation, development of the left hand skills to accompany the right hand melodies are also tackled. And, it is during this stage in an accordion lesson that a participation in music sessions is strongly encouraged.

Finally, there is the advanced program, offered for students who have a strong background on the accordion and has been playing for the last three years. Here, a higher degree of difficulty in terms of the tunes is introduced, and it is in this accordion lesson stage that the students will develop strong right hand maneuverability through advanced fingering techniques. It is also here that the students begin to write their own music.

Accordion Gates

Accordion gates in the first place have nothing to do with music. Rather, it has something to do with public and residential security. In what sense? Well, you read on.

Many people are currently looking for accordion gates to secure their warehouses, their bay doors, their aisles, and other restricted areas. These gates are generally excellent for situations where compact, restricted access is a priority; however visibility as well as air flow is also desired as well. As you may know, security and access aren’t mutually exclusive.

The accordion gates generally come in different forms, but they are usually folded. They are designed to make the facilities more secure and still allow frequent and easy access to those who need it. As folding gates, the accordion gates fold easily back and out of the way especially when people or equipments need to pass. However, they mostly offer a lockable barrier when closed.

It is further worth noting that most of the accordion gates are crafted from heavy-duty steel U-type channel riveted back to back. This is actually the reason that the accordion gates are also called “steel gates”. Also, they typically come in single or double, and all the double gates are commonly protected with drop pins. As you may know, some even feature steel ball bearing swivel casters for an easy opening as well as closing. There are also some accordion gates that feature webs that are riveted to vertical rails. The rivets are generally held behind in order to prevent tampering. Also, with this kind of accordion gates, welding is not necessarily required for installation.

Today, most of the available accordion gates are intended for pets and babies security. These gates are called pet gates or baby gates, and they are usually made of metal, plastic, or wood. As, a pet gates, they are designed to help keeping the dog out of trouble as the accordion gates restrict the dog’s access to specific rooms or areas. The gates also confine him to acceptable surroundings. This is also true with babies. These gates are generally a better option to simply closing a door to restrict or confine your pet or baby.

Most of the accordion gates are also used in residential elevators. They basically feature solid panels that are joined with steel hinges and sealed with premium vinyl for a gate that completely closes the car opening and eliminates pinch hazards. Just like the pet and baby gates, this kind of accordion gate generally carries the concepts of quality and safety as top priority.

The Accordion History

The accordion has a fascinating history. Its starts way back 4,500 years ago with the Cheng or Sheng in China, the first known instrument to use the free vibrating reed principle, which is the basis of the accordion’s sound production.

However, it was Cyrillus Damian, a Viennese instrument maker, who has often been credited with the creation of the first true accordion. According to numerous historical resources, he was the first to patent an instrument of that name, having received royal patronage for his invention in 1829. But later, reports have revealed that the first true accordion made its appearance in 1822 when Christian Friedrich Buschmann put some expanding bellows onto a small portable keyboard, with free vibrating reeds inside the instrument itself. He dubbed it the hand-aeoline and helped spread its fame in 1828 by touring with it.

From then on, several varieties of free-vibrating reed instruments were developed. Some of them are still quite well-known today. As the instrument received a growing popularity, the demand for instruction manuals started to grow. According to certain historical resources, the first textbook featured both the original music and arrangements of familiar pieces written by A. Reisner and was published in Paris in 1832. Several textbooks were produced since then.

Meanwhile, from 1830 onwards, the development of accordion continued at a rapidly accelerating pace. Several varieties of instrument were further developed, such as the bandoneon, the harmonica and chromatic type which still exist today. Perhaps one of the interesting developments from this period was the introduction of what subsequently became known as the Schrammel that comprises an accordion, two violins, and bass guitar. This model was often used at Viennese gatherings and can still be heard today.

In 1863, the first piano accordion was introduced to the public, and many performers regarded it as a means of liberating themselves from being confined to their massive and immobile walls of pipes. That time, one of the artists, Pietro Diero brought his custom built piano accordion to the United States and earned a reputation for himself as the father of the American accordion playing. During the early part of the twentieth century, several manufacturers of this reed instrument began establishing their companies and thanks to pressure from professional players that the standard size and shape of the instrument was formed.

Today, the accordion is truly an international phenomenon. More and more manufacturers of this instrument in the United States were established, but their output according to some researches is small compared to their European counterparts. The large contemporary producers of this instrument are located at Germany, France, USSR, and Italy, not to mention to the other countries.

How to Make an Accordion Book

As stories have been told, the accordion book originates from Asia. It has long been considered as an ancient craft in many Asian countries and it was invented to accommodate scrolls that had become unmanageable due to their length and size.

Basically, the accordion book is composed of a continuous folded sheet of paper that is often enclosed between two covers. Just the accordion instrument, it can be either expanded outward or compressed or kept flat.

In terms of the paper, it is interesting to know that the paper employed for the inside sheets of the accordion book can be of the weight of drawing paper, heavy wrapping paper or colored construction paper. However, it can also be heavier like that of the tagboard or thin Bristol board. This paper, when used as a scrapbook, has the capability to handle as much mounted material as desired without bulging at the open edge.

The inside paper, on the other hand, which is folded into sheets may be similar as to that card stock cover or lightly smaller than that. As many of the experts say, if the accordion book is to stand, stiff paper the same size of the cover works effectively.

Having such qualities, the accordion book is considered best for exhibits and displays. The main reason behind this claim is the fact that you can stand them up and both sides can be viewed. Just note that the finished size of the accordion book greatly varies depending on the size of the paper that you use.

Materials Needed for Making an Accordion Book

If you are thinking for forming an accordion book, then you need get hold of these materials:

* Strips of paper cut to size
* Cardstock for covers
* Bone folder or wooden craft stick
* Glue stick

The Preparation

All you need to do with the preparation is to cut the paper and the cardstock.

The Procedure

The first thing to do is to fold the paper in half and crease the edge. In doing this, you can employ a bone folder, tongue depressor or ruler. Then, fold one end to meet the center fold, still creasing the edge of the paper. If done, reverse the direction of such fold, and fold the new fold up to meet the center fold. Now, fold the end to the center fold and repeat with the other end fold. If done, you will notice that you have formed an 8-page accordion book. But, if you want 16 pages, all you need to do is to keep folding in the same way, but always remember to bring the fold back to the center. Finally, glue the cardstock covers to the first and the last page of the text block. Here you can also use a bone folder, tongue depressor or a ruler for boning down the edges of the glued cover to the text block.

As easy as that!

Accordion for Sale

As you trudge around your neighborhood, you may notice advertisements posted perhaps on the windows, on the walls, or anywhere else with this line “accordion for sale”. Well, many people and music stores are now selling accordions for those who wish to own the instrument. Their number even increase as more and more people learn to appreciate the wonders accordion is capable of bringing. Accordion is in fact highly considered as one of the most renowned musical instruments worldwide, being widely used in concerts and professional performances throughout the world.

Now, if you are one of those people who have interest in owning accordion, or if you are currently looking for an accordion for sale, then look no more for I have mentioned below a few of the most trusted and widely visited stores online where you can find the best models of accordion for sale. If possible, check these out!

Accordion for Sale at Accordion-O-Rama.com

Accordion-O-Rama now carries hundreds of new and rebuilt accordions in stock. Perhaps what is best about this music online store is that they take used accordion that are worthy of restoration and expertly rebuild them. These rebuilt models then can easily pass for new. What’s more, their expert sales staff is glad to help you place an order for the right features and the right accordion. So, if you wish to own the accordion with the exact features you would like, then don’t worry because they can recommend you the specific instruments that are ready to sell. Today, they carry accordion for sale under different series, such as electronic accordions, diatonic button, piano accordions and concertinas.

Accordion for Sale at NetInstruments.com

If you prefer an over flowing list of accordion for sale, then Net Instruments is not doubt the right place for you. Here you will find a list of excellent accordions under the name Giulitte, Hohner, Saltarelle, Titano, and a lot more. Net Instruments is also nice enough to feature the accordion for sale and wanted by categories, thus you will find here the antique instruments and the newly built.

Accordion for Sale at MusicalInstrumentSales.co.uk

Finally, here comes the Musical Instrument Sales, which currently feature a listing of accordion concertina melodeon sales. Through this online store, you will find instruments made by Alessandri, Borsini, Delicia Carmen, Paolo Soprani, Pigini, and Sem. All of these accordions are in good condition and some are custom made. They all come with fantastic appearance, and for special offer. All the technical details are presented here for your own advantage.

Accordion

An accordion basically is a musical instrument that had gained popularity throughout its history. It belongs to the handheld bellows-driven free reed aerophone family and is sometimes known as squeezeboxes. It is played by compression and expansion of a bellows, which generates air flow across the reed. It also has keyboard controls which reeds receive air flow and therefore the tones are produced.

Physical Features

The accordion of today’s world consists of a body in two parts. Each part has a rectangular shape and generally separated by bellows. On each part of the body, you will find a keyboard that contains buttons, levers or piano style keys. It is these buttons, when pressed, that travel in a direction perpendicular to the movement of the bellows, which is towards the performer. Well, it is worth noting that most of the modern accordions also have buttons that are capable of producing entire chords. This feature basically what sets concertinas’ buttons from the modern accordions as the former produce only single notes.

Speaking of concertina, it is interesting to know that this instrument is just a variation of accordion, but it differs from the modern accordion as its buttons never produce chords and travel parallel to the motion of the bellows, which is then towards the opposite end of the instrument. Between concertinas and the modern accordions, there are also differences when it comes to the internal materials, construction, mechanics, and tone color, but the most interesting fact is the basic standards of sound production are identical.

Types of Accordions

Accordions generally come in a number of different styles and key-note systems. These mainly include the Diatonic, Concertinas, Chromatic, and Piano accordions. I have here below brief specifications to these types.

Diatonic: This type is frequently used by many folks and dance groups because of its great sound output, simplicity, light weight and low cost, making Diatonic one of the most popular accordions in the world. Perhaps it is nice to know that the note pattern of its keyboard is typically similar to that of the mouth harmonica.

Concertinas: This instrument is noted for its unique shape, ranging from four to twelve sides, in cross-section. It has two keyboards, one at every end of the bellows. All of the buttons are individual notes, thus there are no fixed chords on concertina. Also, the different notes and systems vary so greatly that a performer of one system will almost not be able to pick up a concertina of a different system and play it without having to almost learn it from scratch.

Chromatic Accordions: This instrument could play a 46 note chromatic scale. Its button is not diatonic and has the greatest range of treble noted of any type available these days. Its size ranges from an accordion with 20 treble keys and 12 bass buttons to the modern chromatic models which have 6 treble button rows and 160 bass buttons. This is now very popular in Russia.

Piano Accordions: So far, this instrument became the first truly standardized universal type, since the development of the Stradella bass system. This then means that a performer can play any type without a change in system, making the piano accordion the easiest type to play.