Bandoneón Totally Explained

Everything about Bandone N totally explained

The bandoneón is a free-reed instrument particularly popular in Argentina. It plays an essential role in the orquesta tipica, the tango orchestra. The bandoneón, called bandonion by its German inventor, Heinrich Band, was originally intended as an instrument for religious music and the popular music of the day, in contrast to its closest cousin, the German concertina (or Konzertina), considered to be a folk instrument. German emigrants to Argentina brought the instrument with them in the early twentieth century, where it was incorporated into the local music. Like accordions and concertinas, the bandoneón is played by holding the instrument between both hands and either pushing in or pulling out the instrument while simultaneously pressing one or more buttons with the fingers.
Unlike the piano accordion, the bandoneón doesn't have keyboards per se, but has buttons on both sides; and also unlike most accordions, most buttons on the bandoneón produce a different note when played closing than when played opening. This means that each keyboard has actually two layouts - one for the opening notes, and one for the closing notes. Since the right and left hand keyboards are also different, this adds up to four different keyboard layouts that must be learned in order to play the instrument. There is also a difference between the notes produced on the button layout of an Argentine-tuned bandoneón versus a German-tuned one.
Additionally, none of these keyboard layouts presents a scalar sequence of notes. A few of the adjacent buttons form triads, for example the buttons under three adjacent fingers might sound G, B, and D when the instrument is pushed in, and F#, A, and C when it's pulled out -- an example from an Argentine-tuned bandoneón. This makes it easier to play some simple music with I-V harmony, but quite challenging to play elaborate scalar passages and runs.

Famous musicians

The late Argentinian classicist and tango king Ástor Piazzolla was a leading exponent of the bandoneón. His "Fugata" from 1969 showcases the instrument which plays the initial fugue subject on the 3rd statement, then moves on to the outright tango played after the introduction.

Bandoneonists

List of some bandoneonists:

Lisandro Adrover

Julio Ahumada

Roberto Álvares

Eduardo Arolas (1892-1924)

Ernesto Baffa

Alejandro Barletta

Oscar Bassil

Francisca Paquita Bernardo (la primera mujer bandoneonista).

Pedro Laurenz (1902–1972)

José Libertella

Marcos Madrigal

Pedro Maffia (1899-1967)

Nestor Marconi

Rodolfo Mederos (1940-)

Julio Pane (1947-)

Ástor Piazzolla (1921-1992)

Julián Plaza

Alejandro Prevignano

Antonio Ríos

Eduardo Rovira (1925-1980)

Dino Saluzzi (1935-)

Aníbal Troilo (1914-1975)

Fernando Obregón

Javier Vallejos

Victor Villena

Further Information

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