Google celebrating anniversary of 1829 patent of accordion with Doodle

The accordion, which has had a profound impact on the world of music with its versatility, has been honored in an animated doodle. This free-reed instrument with bellows influenced many musical styles such as pop, jazz, folk and classical.

This instrument produces sound when the bellows expands and contracts. It is a free-reed instrument, which means that air flow vibrates the reeds inside the accordion to produce sound. A variety of free-reed instruments with bellows were produced in the early 1800s, such as the concertina, bandoneon, and harmonium.

Its growing popularity among folk musicians throughout Europe in the late 1800s led manufacturers in Germany to increase production of the accordion. Early accordions had buttons on only one side, with each button producing the sound of an entire chord. The special thing is that the same button can produce two different chords, one when the bellows is expanding and the other when the bellows is contracting.

The use of the accordion in music increased as Europeans migrated around the world. Modern versions can be played with buttons or a piano-style keyboard, and some even have both options. Sometimes they also include electronic elements so they can be plugged into an amplifier or to create a different sound.

Today this instrument can be heard in folk music, Latino polka, tango, Cajun music and much more. The accordion is always present at Oktoberfest. A lot can be done with this melody maker at hand. The traditional sound continues to influence German festivals and music around the world even after 200 years.