Accordion

An accordion is a musical instrument of the handheld bellows-driven free reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as squeezeboxes.

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The accordion is played by compression and expansion of a bellows, which generates air flow across reeds; a keyboard controls which reeds receive air flow and therefore the tones produced.

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:For a full description of the sound-producing mechanism, see Free reed aerophone.

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Modern accordions consists of a body in two parts, each generally rectangular in shape, separated by a bellows. On each part of the body is a keyboard containing buttons, levers or piano-style keys. When pressed, the buttons travel in a direction perpendicular to the motion of the bellows (towards the performer). Most, but not all modern accordions also have buttons capable of producing entire chords, whereas concertinas' buttons produce only single notes.

Musical instrument: A musical instrument is a device that has been constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. In principle, anything that produces sound, and can somehow be controlled by a musician, can serve as a musical instrument; but the expression is reserved generally to items that have that specif...

Bellows: The bellows is a device for delivering pressured air in a controlled quantity to a controlled location. At its most simple terms a bellows is a container which is deformable in such a way as to alter its volume which has an outlet or outlets where one wishes to blow air. A bellows differs from a fan...

Free reed aerophone: A free reed aerophone is a musical instrument where sound is produced as air flows past a vibrating reed in a frame. Air pressure is typically generated by breath or with a bellows....

Accordion related Images and Photos (experimental)

Moleskine Accordion Project Planner	Boy with Accordion and Fan Palms	Musician Playing Accordion for Turkish Dancers Turkey	Two Gaucho Musicians Playing Guitar and Accordion Buenos Aires Argentina
Mexican Musician Playing an Accordion	Happy Easter Cartoon Rabbit with Accordion	Outdoor Service Being Held on the Beach with Accordion Accompaniment