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[maggiewull]

Hi folk's after many months of reading and learning from this forum,I have something to ask
while browsing in a local shop I asked to try this instrument.to my surprise it is not diatonic and
the Bass which at first attracted me was unusual also in case I cant attach photo it is two row 23 treble/26bass
with what looks the a Russian name
Thanks

[John MacKenzie (Cugiok)]

It would appear that what you have found, is a Garmoshka. A Russian type of accordion.

More details here   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMUJlkzFZFU


Sir John

[playandteach]

I thought they were diatonic, but backwards to our system?

[george garside]

'diatonic' is not the same as having different notes on push and pull  . It simply means ( as the man in the video explains) that it has all the notes available for one particular key .  plus in this case  a couple of accidentals like what many 2 row DG etc boxes have to widen the scope a bit.

I have aways  seen it as a sort of primitive ancestor of the3 row B system continental box

george

[playandteach]

No, you're right I was trying to get two points in, in one go - which muddled it up.
I thought: it is a two row diatonic instrument, where the combined notes don't add up to a chromatic layout, and the rows retain their diatonic integrity using a bisonic construction, similar to but backwards to ours.
I don't think I've made it any clearer. Sorry.

[george garside]

 best    leave it  to the man in the videos excellent  description and demonstration

george

[triskel]

I thought they were diatonic, but backwards to our system?

That's the one-row Saratovskaya Garmoshka/Garmonika, it's even got bells on! 

But Russia is a huge country, with lots of different regional varieties of accordion, and this green one is very typical of a common style - the "Tulskaya Garmon".

[maggiewull]

HI again folk's thanks for your information, we learn something new every day.I am amazed at the
number of different types of accordions there are.
I wonder if there will be any interest in the instrument from the shop keepers point of view.
thanks for the link to the excellent video.

[triskel]

No, you're right I was trying to get two points in, in one go - which muddled it up.
I thought: it is a two row diatonic instrument, where the combined notes don't add up to a chromatic layout, and the rows retain their diatonic integrity using a bisonic construction, similar to but backwards to ours.

In my first reply I (without thinking) totally understood your meaning, in both senses, and agreed with it.

Though confusing, and not musically correct, in a free-reed instrument context the words "diatonic" and "chromatic" have long been used in English to mean "playing a different note on blow and suck/press and draw" and "playing the same note on blow and suck/press and draw".

"Bi-sonor"/"bisonoric" and "uni-sonor"/"unisonoric" are only very recent borrowings, from German, for the same meanings - and still sound contrived and alien to my ears... 

[george garside]

unless its a British Chromatic as played by JImmy Shand, Brandon McPhee, John Kirkpatick et al.  in which case  is it a diatonic chromatic ??

[triskel]

unless its a British Chromatic ...  in which case  is it a diatonic chromatic ??

Exactly George, it wouldn't be the first time I've heard English/Brtish Chromatic boxes explained in similar terms - we're playing on musical  contradictions!