Updated 07/29/13

So...you're trying to decide whether to play the PIANO or CHROMATIC button accordion.  And those of you that are trying to make this decision are probably young too.  The BEST decision that you've made is to start playing the Accordion in the first place.  In my life, I started with and finished with the following instruments:  Piano, Clarinet, Drums, Voice, Guitar, Vibraphone, Ukelele, and ultimately the Accordion.  I love the accordion because it's the most challenging of these instruments and the most versatile too.

We humans are basically all alike.  Unless there's some unfortunate circumstance, we're all endowed with two arms, two legs, two eyeballs, two ears, and so on.  We may differ by some appearances but we're basically the same on the inside too.  Because of this simple fact, many of us just want to be a little different from the next human.  And when it comes to the Arts, people are simply drawn to the unique and the different.  So, here's a few realities to consider with both types of accordions.  I don't cover everything but here's a few things to think about.

Most players and teachers in North and South America are playing PIANO accordions.  A large percentage of players in Europe, Russia, and Asia are playing CHROMATIC accordions.  If you live in North or South America, the advantage will be with the Piano Accordion.  Wherever there are many players, there will be many teachers and music and instruments available.  And in the case of North and South America, the Piano Accordion RULES. In other parts of the world, the opposite may be true, especially in Russia and Eastern Europe where the schools and music feature the Chromatic accordion.

As an example, if you choose to play the PIANO accordion in Russia, you will have a hard time competing with the Chromatic players in your country, AND you'll have a hard time competing with the Piano accordion players in North and South America.  Sure, "prodigies" exist everywhere but I'm talking about the general population of accordion players in the world.  The same is true about somebody that plays the Chromatic Accordion in North or South America.  You'll have to compete with Piano Accordion players here, AND you be competing against the incredible Chromatic players in Europe.

I'll be the first to admit that I like the "looks" of the Chromatic accordion over the Piano accordion, it just looks cool.  In fact, it looks dangerous, like a Darth Vader kind of dangerous.  And just because it looks cool, a lot of younger players get sucked into playing the Chromatic accordion.  For various reasons which are for the most part positive, accordion teachers generally encourage their more advanced students to compete.  This is a good educational tool because it helps the student to learn how to play AND how to perform in front of others.

So, let's say that you're a young person and you're thinking about competing in the future.  This is good goal and it's going to help you to get better.  But, in the long run, where do you want to be?  A lot of famous accordion players were practically required to go through the system of competitions in order to prove themselves to the accordion community.  I personally do not believe that this is utterly necessary.  I can name at least 50 great rock guitarists that never did one competition in their lives.  And, the LEAST of them is more famous than the greatest accordion player.  So, do you have to compete to make a name for yourself in the accordion community?  Probably.  Do you have to compete in order to make a name for yourself in the rest of the world of mankind?  Absolutely NOT.  Can you compete on a Piano accordion against a Chromatic accordion?  Absolutely. And I've seen players win competitions on BOTH types of accordions.

Regardless of whether you desire to compete or not, let's talk about how these two types of accordions PLAY and FEEL.  In my opinion, playing music on a Chromatic accordion is like trying to make music on a typewriter. It's a tickity tackity feel which I liken to the sound of goose-stepping army boots marching through the square of an eastern bloc city.  Due to the layout of the notes, I DO like what you can do musically with the Chromatic accordion.  Let's say you train your fingers to make 6th chord.  Due to the layout of the Chromatic keyboard, you can keep your fingers in the same position and just move your hand around the keyboard and play every 6th chord in the scale.  When it comes to playing chords, the Chromatic accordion is MUCH easier to play.  With the Piano keyboard, your finger position will be different with each 6th chord that you play in the scale.  So, when it comes to chords, the Piano accordion will require a LOT more brain power.

Due to the layout of the notes and the feel of buttons, playing with musical feeling on a Chromatic accordion always seems somewhat forced to me.  Sliding my finger down a Piano accordion feels like butter and it simply sounds nicer.  Sure, there's guys out there that make the Chromatic accordion sound wonderful but overall, I lean towards the Piano accordion.  The best players that I've ever seen and heard are using Piano accordions. And if you disagree, that's okay!!!

So, if you're still set on going with the Darth Vader accordion and you live in North or South America, I would recommend the C-System as the music and the teachers for this type of accordion seem to be a little more accessable in the long run.  Or, if you're over the looks of the Chromatic accordion, go with the Piano accordion and do something unique with it.  I hope this information is useful to you.