The piano-key is the most recognizable style of accordion and is the one probably the most common in the west. With a range from 2 octaves to nearly 4 the keys are laid out in exactly the same way as a piano and as a result is the quickest for many people to start with. There is a wealth of material available giving advice on good piano fingering and this is vital for the beginner. Particularly well suited to traditional music you will find many of today’s artists playing on beautiful compact piano accordions. The one disadvantage however is the physical dimensions. A 4 octave accordion is very large and therefore heavy and many people are now trying to downsize. If you are only wishing to play traditional music and do not need a huge range of notes, then this is not a problem but if you are looking to playing classical repertoire you will need a full size instrument, or you need to look at the next section!

The button-key is at first glance a frightening idea, with a keyboard coated in buttons with no clues as to how to start! It is however worth a second look as this is perhaps the best way to layout a musical keyboard! Unfortunately to make matters more confusing there are a number of different layouts and you will find even more opinions out there as to which is the best! Here at The Music Room we would like to set the record straight once and for all so here goes!

There is no best button-key system! It’s not what you have it’s what you do with it!

If you haven’t started playing yet then there is no best system! Lets look at the 2 main systems, B system and C system. The principles are the same, notes laid out in a diagonal chromatic pattern, and both systems have many of the same benefits. The main gain over a piano-key is the compact layout gives you a much greater range in a smaller instrument. This is true no matter which key system you have! You will come across opinions the one system wins over the other, because of hand position or maybe finger shapes, but this is really not the case if you learn using sensible fingering and posture. If you don’t believe us have a look at how many top professionals play each system! You will find the breakdown is roughly equal, with the finest recognized player on any system you care to mention. So there you have it! Try both systems yourself and see which works for you the best then make your choice. Don’t be forced into someone else’s choice of system, make the right choice for you!

So should you play piano or button key? Well here are some simple thoughts to help you make the decision.

1) There is more material out there for Piano key. This may change and we will of course let you know whenever a new book for button-key arrives!
2) The Button-Key has a greater range than the Piano-Key. This is the significant difference and you need to decide how important the extra range is for you.
3) Button-Key accordions cost more than Piano-Key accordions. As a general rule this is the case, and this means your potential to upgrade in the future will also be affected. We sometimes come across good deals on button-key accordions and we will of course let you know when this happens!
4) There is a greater availability in Piano-key. At this point in time you will find a greater availability in piano keys due to their current popularity. DON’T let this make you decide on piano key if everything else points you to buttons!

Left Hand

Once you have chosen the right hand you still have another decision to make.

There are a few different systems but they split into two distict styles. The traditional left hand keyboard is usually what is called the ‘Stradella’ bass, a wonderful system of prefixed chord buttons combined with a range of 12 semitones of single notes. These buttons create a simple accompaniment style or as you progress more complex chords and styles. This layout is the same no matter how many buttons you have, the bigger instruments just have more.

The other style of left hand is the classical or ‘free-bass’ system. This accordion has individual notes allowing you to play classical repertoire as a two manual organ. The layout has a number of different versions, similar to the chromatic button right hand keyboards. Click below to have a look at a few of the different systems out there.

Both the traditional and classical left hand systems can be paired with either a piano key or button key. Most free-bass instruments are so called converter bass, giving the player both the free bass AND the Stradella keyboards.

Glossary of terms

Voices - The number of reeds sounding. E.g 1 voice = 1 reed, 2 reeds = 2 voices, 3 reeds = 3 voices

Stops / Registers - Knobs or switches to allow certain reeds to be switched on and off.

Dry - One reed tuned in concert pitch and the second is tuned to the same pitch.

Wet / Musette - One reed tuned in concert pitch and the other is tuned very sharp

Swing - One reed tuned in concert pitch and the other is tuned slightly sharp. Somewhere between Wet and Dry

Cassotto - A wooden chamber within the accordion where a reed bank is placed to soften and warm the sound of the reeds. If two banks of reeds are placed in the chamber then this is a double cassotto instrument.