What Is The Best Kind Of Button Accordion

            This is a very difficult question to answer as a one word response. This really depends on where the accordion player is on their journey of playing music. I have recommended the best of button accordions before, and there are other sections on the site where accordion types are mentioned through different providers and professionals who service accordions. The question should be phrased differently depending on a person’s development.

What is the best kind of button accordion for a beginner?

              Now I always recommend the same couple of accordion types. The first one I recommend is the double ray Hohner, with the B push note on the B row in black. These Hohner accordions have been around for many many years, and with good reason. They are fantastically reliable. This is one of the best kind of button accordions for beginners. The traditional design or historical design of the Hohner’s are great as the melody buttons “sink” lower into the keyboard/button board. Hence making a student work a little harder to play tunes well. This may sound counter intuitive but if you can have musical fluency in your tunes on a Hohner, then this will contribute hugely to an accordion student using more modern accordions with great east. Similarly to Hohner, Garvey, Lisheen and McNeela accordions are great to start with. 

But I’m not a beginner, what is the best kind of button accordion for me?

           After the initial stage of an accordion player’s progression. It becomes more difficult to start making suggestions as to what is the best kind of button accordion. The above musings of accordions should provide enough challenge for the first 2 to 3 years of playing. There is so much choice available to accordion players nowadays, it is hard to go wrong. The best kinds of button accordions are often the ones that stay in tune, don’t leak air and the buttons play a note when they are pushed. That’s pretty much it. After progressing from the starter stage, one can’t go wrong with Saltarelle, Kincora accordions, Cairdín, Manfrini etc. The list goes on. Melodeons and one row accordions are coming back with the fabulous Beltuna melodeons. The brilliant Quinn accordions from one of Ireland’s great box players, Martin Quinn, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt_U9V3tAx4.   

I’m playing music four nights a week, I need something that won’t let me down……

           What is the best kind of accordion for an advanced player? I find it hard to look past Paolo Soprani. They have been around for so long. I am lucky enough to own 3 (different keys) and they provide me with endless fun. Red and Grey Paolo Sopranis are brilliant instruments. The Sopranis that were made in the 50s and 60s are harder to come by. However they are worth the chase. These accordions have lasted the pace for so long. They are reliable, stay in tune, don’t leak air from the bellows and the right hand buttons are responsive when played. The accordions from the middle paragraph are fantastic as well, and many great players play these accordions. Manfrini are the next closest boxes, made nowadays, that are closest to the old Sopranis. A detailed description of what is available:https://irishbuttonaccordionlessons.ie/buying-an-accordion/