We thought we’d give some attention to this wonderfully characterful, humble, often over-looked instrument. As you know, we source many of our images from Pixabay, a treasure trove of beautiful images from across the globe. But hey, at the time of posting, there were only 7 images of accordians listed on Pixabay – and 5 of those were different shots of the same picture. Can you believe that? Out of the whole world, only 7 pics of the accordian have been uploaded! That’s how over-looked we’re talking about.

What makes that even more strange is that the accordian is one of the world’s most  familiar and versatile instruments – it’s diverse repertoire spanning a host of different genres and cultures. The eclectic sound of the accordian can evoke a myriad of settings – from the elegant streets of Paris or Vienna, the chic golden beaches of the French riviera to the rural mountain tops of Germany. It is the instrument for melancholy eastern European dance melodies, Latin vibes like the tango, American Cajun rhythms as well as simple folk tunes and of course, the blues. I mean what’s not to like?

For a classical take on the tango, get listening to Astor Piazolla, virtuoso artist Art Van Damme for jazz and swing, for Irish and Celtic -Joe Burke or Joe Cooley, for Tejano Flaco Jimenez… to name but only a few.

So let’s hear it for the accordian! It’s not the easiest instrument to play if you think about it. -you can’t see the buttons for playing and of course the hands co-ordination can be an issue, but usually after a few weeks a beginner can be playing a few simple tunes. Why not give it a go?

It’s also a beautiful looking instrument with it’s metal work and wood. Each one is different with so much character. As we say, what’s not to like?