The melodica is a handheld free-reed instrument similar to a pump organ or harmonica. It features a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument.

The musician normally plays the melody on buttons or keys on the right-hand side (referred to as the keyboard or sometimes the manual), and the accompaniment on bass or pre-set chord buttons on the left-hand side. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist.

Standard bass accordions with piano keys on the treble side are called Piano Accordions (PA), and have a more limited range of notes on the treble side (usually 41 keys on a 120 bass) than a CBA of the same size.

Jul 14, 2021 · 10. Piano Accordion. This category of accordion features keys instead of buttons. The treble keyboard, found on the right side of the instrument, is designed just like a piano, making them easier to learn. The board has various numbers of keys, with a full-sized board containing 41 keys across more than three octaves.

Aug 2, 2022 · Modern Irish button accordions are far more lightweight and compact than piano accordions. With just two rows of buttons on the right side of the instrument, and 8 to 12 bass buttons on the left, they are also far less intimidating than the chromatic accordion.

Jan 25, 2025 · Accordion, free-reed portable musical instrument, consisting of a treble casing with external piano-style keys or buttons and a bass casing (usually with buttons) attached to opposite sides of a hand-operated bellows. The advent of the …

Oct 15, 2021 · An accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument. It has creases or folds in the central part. These folds or creases are bellows. Each accordion has a piano or a button keyboard, reeds, and bellows. Rows of buttons are present on the right side. The approximation and separation of these folds produce sound.

Dec 23, 2023 · Piano accordions combine melody and accompaniment functions into one instrument, making them popular among singers and musicians who specialize in different genres. Each melody button controls two reeds; thus enabling an …

Aug 11, 2023 · On the right side of an instrument is a keyboard with up to 45 piano-style keys that produce melody notes tuned to true pitch. Chromatic button accordions may also be played using only one bass row; however, their range of single notes will be significantly smaller.

Feb 12, 2024 · All piano keys are treble keys on most modern keyboard accordions, balanced by a larger array of bass buttons. The keyboards are typically located on the instrument’s right side, but you may find some specialty instruments that have them on the left.