Accordions Accordin' to Gordon by Gordon Pultanes

Choosing an Accordion

In the 47 years that I have been selling Accordions, I've seen many players who have purchased Accordions from dealers, newspaper advertisements, garage sales, or whatever, asking why the Accordion they purchased is uncomfortable for them.

Usually we discover that their keyboard is either too small or too large. The keyboard must fit your fingers. In the Accordion field, there are six different size 41-key keyboards available; namely 14-1/2", 15-1/2", 16-3/4", 17-1/2", 18-3/8", and 19-1/4". Measurements are taken from the low F white key to the highest A key. Various brands may vary 1/4" to 3/8", but the above sizes are pretty standard with most manufacturers.

If you are a 7-year-old youngster with small hands, you need the 14- 1/2" keyboard. If you are a young lady with medium size hands, more than likely you should have the 16- 3/4" or 17-1/2" keyboards. An adult with large hands should be evaluating the 19-1/4" keyboard.

A beginner who plays single notes on the keyboard may be less concerned with size. As a student progresses and begins to play chords, the importance of keyboard size becomes obvious. Imagine a big hand trying to squeeze a finger between two black key to hit the white key on a small keyboard and finding there is not enough room.

Another keyboard concern is action. Some units have deep action, where a key will depress up to 1/2". Other actions which depress the key only 3/16" and others which depress the key anywhere between those two limits. If you're a speed player, you may prefer the shallower action because you will be able to play more quickly with a 3/ 16" drop. A deeper action might be preferable for an accordionist who plays lots of chords.

The amount of spring in keyboards also varies. You can choose between a light touch spring or heavy action spring. There is a limit as to lightness, as you don't want to have action so light that air leakage will occur from keyboard valves.

Hopefully the above information will be helpful to you when choosing an accordion.