Bandoneon

Sound and Character

The sound of the bandoneon is piercing, sharp, nostalgic, with a pronounced reed “cry”. Unlike the accordion, it has a square body and a complex button system where compressing and expanding the bellows on the exact same button can produce different notes.

Design and Features

A square instrument with polygonal covers on the sides, featuring a huge number of mother-of-pearl buttons (up to 71–74 buttons) controlling a complex system of internal reeds.

Genres Used In

• Argentine tango (orchestras of Astor Piazzolla)
• Salon and dramatic Latin American music