Accordion, free-reed Portable Musical Instrument

 Accordion: The Ode One

The accordion is a free-reed instrument, meaning the sound is produced by air passing through thin, vibrating metal reeds. It's known for its distinctive bellows and lively sound.

The accordion's origin has some debate. While some credit C. Friedrich L. Buschmann, whose Handäoline was patented in Berlin in 1822, as the inventor, others hail Cyril Demian of Vienna, who patented his Accordion in 1829 and also coined the name.

Demian's invention comprised a small manual bellows and five keys, although extra keys could be incorporated. Numerous variations of the device soon followed.

The accordion gained popularity in Europe in the late 19th century, particularly among folk musicians. It is still a popular instrument in many parts of the world today, used in a variety of musical genres.

The accordion's journey is a fascinating one, with roots tracing back to ancient instruments and culminating in the versatile instrument we know today.
Early influences for the accordion can be found in instruments like the Sheng, a Chinese instrument dating back thousands of years, which used free reeds to create sound.
In the early 19th century, European instrument makers began experimenting with bellows-driven instruments that employed free reeds.

THE  EVOLUTION

There are a couple of possibilities for what you might find a lot of in accordion videos on YouTube:

• Instructional videos: Accordions can be complex instruments to learn, so there are many channels dedicated to teaching people how to play. These videos might show close-up shots of the hands on the buttons and keys, or they might follow a player as they perform a piece.
• Performance videos: Of course, there are also many videos of accordion players simply showing off their skills! These videos can be a great way to hear the accordion played in different styles, from classical to folk to zydeco.

Here are some places to start your accordion video exploration on YouTube

• Search for "accordion lessons" or "how to play the accordion"Look for channels like ACCORDIONMAN, which features a virtuoso button accordion player
• Explore playlists like "GREAT ACCORDION MUSIC VIDEOS"