B/C Accordion Foundations

The two most common accordion tunings are B/C and C♯/D. B/C is more popular but plenty of players have C♯/D. Examples of well known B/C players are Paddy O’Brien and Joe Burke. Popular C♯/D players are Maritin O’Connor and Sharon Shannon. Another not so well known tuning is D/D♯ which is played by Tony MacMahon.

A reed is a metal strip attached to a wooden unit. The metal strip vibrates when air pushes it, creating your desired note. The average Irish accordion will have 2-4 reeds per note.

Dry tuning means all the reeds are tuned very close to perfect pitch. Usually one set of reeds is at perfect pitch and the others are slightly flat or sharp ( a measure of a few cents). Wet tuning means some of the sets of reeds are tuned considerably further away from perfect pitch than a dryly tuned instrument. Typically you still have one set of reeds at perfect pitch but the other sets will be tuned flatter or sharper to achieve the desired wet sound.  

It’s hard to know exactly what to look for in a good accordion. Everybody’s preferences are different. Variables such as button height, bellow length and air button set up (some are pushed down…others in) are typical examples of what to look out for and what might make the difference to your playing. The weight of the instrument is very important also, some accordions are very heavy and not suitable for the smaller framed individual. The most critical factor is probably tone. Again this is completely unique to an individuals taste. Some people prefer 2-voice accordions, others 3 or 4 voice. Some prefer wet tuning, some dry. If you’re completely new to this and a bit anxious about joining sessions perhaps a 2-voice accordion with a more dry than wet type of tuning would be suitable.

There are many brands of Irish accordion available. Some of the best include Kincora, Briggs, Paolo Soprani, Manfrini, Van der Aa, Saltarelle, Hohner and Cairdin & Castagnari.

Again this comes down to personal preference. Until a scientific study is done proving that it’s better for your posture I’ll keep playing away with one;-)