Push and pull on a button accordion: a beginner's guide

Short answer: on a diatonic button accordion, every treble button plays one note when you push (close) the bellows and a different note when you pull (open) them. To play a melody you press the right button and move the bellows in the right direction.

Why one button has two notes

Diatonic accordions are bisonoric: each button opens two reeds, and the direction of the air decides which one sounds. This is why the instrument fits so many buttons into three rows, and why beginners are often surprised that "the same button" sounds wrong half the time. The button was right; the bellows were going the other way.

The pattern on one row

Take the middle row of a GCF accordion, which is in C. Pushing across the row gives the notes of the C chord: C, E, G, C, E, G. Pulling gives D, F, A, B and so on. Put together, the C major scale goes:

C (do): push
D (re): pull
E (mi): push
F (fa): pull
G (sol): push
A (la): pull
B (ti): pull
C (do): push

Every row follows the same pattern in its own key, which is why a song in the row's key often sounds like "push for the long notes, pull for the passing notes".

Fewer bellows changes, smoother playing

Many notes exist on more than one row, once on push and once on pull. Good players pick the button that keeps the bellows going the same way.
Change direction at the start of a phrase, not in the middle of a long note.
Do not run out of bellows: switch direction before the bellows are fully open or fully closed.

Practicing push and pull in Fuellito

Open free play and pick the GCF tuning.
Hold the bellows bar on the left: that is push. Let go: that is pull. The bar's color shows the direction.
Play the scale above on the middle row, then open a scale from the songs list and follow the golden lights. The bellows bar tells you when to switch.
When the scale feels easy, try a guided song such as Ode to Joy or When the Saints. The guided songs pick buttons that keep bellows changes low.

FAQ

Why does the same button play two notes?

A diatonic button accordion is bisonoric: each button has two reeds, one that sounds when the bellows close (push) and one when they open (pull).

Is push or pull the 'home' note?

On each row, the push notes spell the row's home chord (do, mi, sol), and the pull notes give re, fa, la and ti. So the scale starts on a push.

How do I push and pull in Fuellito?

Hold the bellows bar on the left to close (push) and let go to open (pull). The bar changes color so you always know the direction.

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