accordion
instrumentsah-KOR-dee-un
A portable reed instrument with a bellows, keys, and buttons.
The accordion produces sound when air from the bellows passes over metal reeds. The player compresses and expands the bellows while pressing keys or buttons, and different instruments use different button layouts — the piano accordion has a keyboard on one side, while button accordions use a grid system.
Originally developed in early 19th-century Vienna, the accordion became central to folk music traditions worldwide. It is essential in French musette, Argentine tango, Cajun music, and Tex-Mex conjunto. Despite its association with folk genres, the accordion has found a place in contemporary classical and experimental music.
The accordion was banned from the concert hall for decades because critics considered it a street instrument. It wasn't until the mid-20th century that serious composers began writing for it.