Accordions for beginners

An accordion for a beginner is a bellows-driven instrument that should be sized and weighted so you can hold it while practising and comfortably reach both the keys and the bass buttons. This page has Hohner and Latone accordions, ranging from small instruments with 17 keys and 8 bass buttons to student models with 37 keys and 96 bass buttons. Most are piano accordions, with a smaller selection of button accordions, including the diatonic Hohner El Rey del Vallenato. Most packages include straps and a case.

How many bass buttons and keys does a beginner accordionist need?

An accordion's size is described by the number of bass buttons for the left hand and keys for the right. More bass buttons mean a larger, heavier instrument with a wider range. Here is a rough guide based on age and build:

Weight increases with size: the Hohner Bravo II weighs around 5 kg, the Hohner Bravo III 72 around 7.4 kg and the Hohner Bravo III 96 around 8.6 kg. For a child, weight matters more than range, because an instrument that is too heavy will quickly tire them out during practice and put them off playing.

Piano accordion or button accordion?

A piano accordion has a piano-style keyboard for the right hand, so if you have already played piano or keyboard, you do not need to learn a new note layout. A button accordion has rows of buttons instead of keys, fitting a wider range within the reach of one hand. The small Latone Akordino button accordions have 7 buttons and 2 bass buttons.

The diatonic Hohner El Rey del Vallenato produces a different note on the same button when you pull the bellows out and when you push them in. It is voiced for Colombian vallenato music, comes in ADG or BbEbAb tuning, and is better suited to someone who knows they want to play that particular style. If you are still unsure which kind of music you will pursue, choosing a piano accordion keeps your options open.

What are registers for, and what is included?

Registers are switches that change the tone colour by engaging different ranks of reeds, so the same note can sound soft or bright. Children's instruments have one register, the Latone MasterChord 26K 48B has three, models with 72 bass buttons have five, and those with 96 bass buttons have seven. A few registers are enough for the first years of lessons; you will appreciate the others when you start playing pieces of different character.

Most accordions come with straps and a soft case, while some include a hard case. You can find more instruments to get started with in the Keyboard instruments for beginners section, or, if you would prefer an electronic instrument, take a look at keyboards for beginners.