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Squeezebox from 12th century...

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If we have a competition for the most inquisitive accordionist, I know who will win!

As ever, the most interesting things always raise more questions than they answer.
 
Does anyone have a fingering diagram for this model? ;)
 
It's the same as a piano keyboard on this one. The Similar instrument is used in India with free reeds instead of pipes and tuned in 1/4 steps. JIM D.
 
I didn't know there was a 12th century accordion, unless its something else called an accordion, but I don't think the word accordion even existed in those days - too complicated a word for people of the 12th century.
 
The accordion we know today is believed to be invented in Germany in 1822. It found its way to Britain around 1831. JIM D.
 
Yeah and that was really a 1 row Melodeon -

I`m not 100% sure if this is correct Chronologically but apparently the designer of that first squeezebox travelled all over Europe with it and at one point was in Italy , stayed at a farm owned by the Soprani Family for a night and one of the sons of the farmer, Paolo, copied the design drawings ---- the rest is History .
 
I believe the origins of the European accordion was the Sheng - a reed instrument brought back from China by a Jesuit priest.
In England Wheatstone - later a famous physicist - invented the Symphonium (1829) - essentially a sheng with metal reeds and buttons to unstop them.
He would have been really fed up had he known about the twelfth century bellows as it took him a while to transform the Symphonium into the English concertina.
 
Amazing , I thought a Symphonium was a type of music box with interchangeable "records" ..... The Sheng sounds interesting ..... I`d like a Martin Horn (a really bizarre Free reeder like a cross between a trumpet and a bicycle horn)
 
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