How were accordions invented?

In “double-action” accordions, the two reeds of each pair are tuned to the same note, thus making each treble or bass note available from the same key or button with both directions of bellows movement. Among these instruments is the piano accordion, with a piano-style keyboard for the right hand. read more

Accordions evolved from bagpipes, one of our oldest non-simple instruments. Bagpipes evolved from bellows used for smelting metals. As a simple cracked pipe in a bellows birthed bagpipes, the invention of double-acting valves in smithing gave rise to concertina and accordion. read more

The accordion's basic form is believed to have been invented in Berlin, in 1822, by Christian Friedrich Ludwig Buschmann, although one instrument has been recently discovered that appears to have been built earlier. read more

Still, there were some important differences between the instruments of that era and those of today. For one, early accordions did not have shoulder straps that allowed the player to hold the instrument close to the body. read more