Accordion Terms Explained: Beginner Accordion Guide

Accordion & Melodeon Jargon Buster

If you're new to the world of accordions or melodeons, you may quickly realise there is a lot of terminology that musicians use when discussing instruments. Words like bisonoric, musette tuning, cassotto and reed banks can sound confusing if you're just starting out.

Understanding this language is especially helpful when:

• buying your first accordion or melodeon
• reading instrument specifications
• talking with teachers or repairers
• learning how the instrument actually works

This accordion terminology guide and glossary explains the most common terms used by players, makers and technicians.

If you're new to the instrument, you may also find our guide to which accordion a beginner should buy helpful. If you're still deciding between different instrument families, our types of accordion guide explains the main differences between piano accordions, button accordions, melodeons and concertinas.

If you're new to melodeons in particular, our Beginner’s Guide to Choosing Your First Melodeon is a useful starting point, especially when comparing different layouts and key systems.

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced musician wanting to understand your instrument better, this guide will help you decode the language of the squeezebox.

Accordion vs Melodeon: Understanding the Difference

The word accordion is a broad category that includes several different types of free-reed instruments.

Common accordion types include:

• piano accordion
• chromatic button accordion
• diatonic button accordion
• melodeon
• concertina

In the British Isles, the word melodeon usually refers to a diatonic button accordion, most commonly used in folk music, Morris dancing and traditional music.

The main difference lies in how the notes behave when you move the bellows.

Most melodeons are bisonoric, meaning a button plays different notes depending on whether the bellows are pushed or pulled.

Most piano accordions and chromatic button accordions are unisonoric, meaning the same note sounds in both bellows directions. If you're considering learning melodeon, our definitive guide to D/G and G/C melodeons explains the differences between popular key systems.

A-Z Accordion & Melodeon Glossary

Below is a practical accordion and melodeon glossary explaining common terminology used by players, teachers, repairers and instrument makers.

A

Air Button

A button that releases air from the bellows without sounding a note. Players use the air button to silently reposition the bellows while playing.

B

Bass

On an accordion or melodeon, bass usually refers to the left-hand buttons that provide bass notes and chords.

Bellows

The bellows are the expanding and contracting centre section of the instrument that moves air through the reeds. Bellows control is essential for dynamics, phrasing and articulation.

Bellows Pins

Small removable metal pins that attach the bellows to the ends of the accordion.

Bisonoric

A bisonoric instrument produces different notes depending on bellows direction. Most melodeons work this way.

C

Cassotto

Cassotto refers to a tone chamber inside the accordion. It gives selected reeds a warmer, deeper and more rounded sound.

Chromatic

A chromatic instrument can play all twelve notes of the Western scale. Piano accordions and chromatic button accordions are chromatic instruments.

Compression

Compression refers to how airtight the instrument is. Good compression helps the accordion or melodeon respond efficiently and makes the bellows easier to control.

Couplers or Registers

Couplers allow players to select different reed banks, changing the tone, volume and character of the instrument.

D

Diatonic

A diatonic accordion is designed around specific scales. Many melodeons are diatonic, which gives them their distinctive push-pull character.

Dry Tuning

Dry tuning produces minimal tremolo. The sound is cleaner, more direct and often favoured by players who want a focused tone.

M

Musette

Musette refers to a tuning style where reeds are tuned slightly apart to create a rich, shimmering sound.

R

Reed

A reed is the thin metal tongue that vibrates when air passes over it. Reeds are the source of the accordion or melodeon’s sound.

Reed Blocks

Reed blocks are wooden structures inside the instrument that hold the reeds in position.

Reversal

A reversal is a note available in both bellows directions. Reversals can make phrasing smoother and give players more bellows control.

T

Tremolo

Tremolo occurs when reeds tuned slightly apart play together, creating a beating or shimmering effect in the sound.

W

Wet Tuning

Wet tuning produces strong tremolo. It is often associated with a fuller, more traditional accordion sound.

Choosing Your First Accordion or Melodeon

Understanding accordion terminology makes buying your first instrument much easier. Once you know what terms such as reeds, basses, bisonoric, tremolo and dry tuning mean, it becomes easier to compare instruments with confidence.

If you're still unsure, our guide to which accordion a beginner should buy can help. You can also explore our accordions for sale in the UK and our melodeons for sale in the UK to compare available instruments.

Final Thoughts

Accordion terminology may seem intimidating at first, but once you understand these terms, you'll find it much easier to choose the right instrument and focus on playing music.