Although most people can conjure up a mental picture of an accordion, many don’t realize that there are severaldifferent kinds of accordions, developed over the years for specific musical genres. As free reed instruments, the opening and closing of an accordion’s bellows (or squeezebox) causes the air to flow over the reeds, which makes the sound. An accordion also has buttons, or both buttons and a keyboard. These serve to direct the airflow to certain reeds and not others, thereby controlling the tones played.

Some accordions have one row of buttons; some have two rows of buttons; and still others have three rows. Accordions with one row of buttons include the Hohner Concertina and the Hohner Ariette. The latter is often used for playing Cajun, Quebecois, Zydeco, and Irish folk music. These buttons typically play the diatonic scale, with each button able to play two notes: one when the bellows is squeezed in and another when it is spread apart. An accordion with one row of buttons is often tuned for the type of music being played. For example, certain reeds may be filled in order to produce the sounds typically associated with Cajun music. The Hohner Ariette, for instance, has ten treble buttons, two bass buttons, four sets of treble reeds, and three sets of bass reeds.

A two-row button accordion typically has 21 treble buttons, eight bass/chord buttons, and two sets of treble reeds. Such an accordion is available in key combination like GC, AD, CF, and DG. A three-row button accordion, such as the Hohner Corona, has 31 treble buttons and two sets of treble reeds. The third row of keys means that the key combination differ from those of a two-button accordion, and might be, for example, GCF, FBbEb, EAD, and ADG.

A piano accordion is fully chromatic instrument with a varying number of piano keys, depending on the size of the instrument. From the gold standard Gola piano accordion to the Hohnica piano accordion for the budget minded, there truly is a piano accordion for everyone.

One of the most beautiful aspects of accordions is that they cannot beabsolutelymass-produced and assembled. Like other fine musical instruments, the handmade components (in the case of accordions, most notably the reeds) are what give the instrument itsone-of-a-kindsound.

There’s no doubt that the accordion has traveled far from its stereotypical uses as an instrument for polkas. From Cajun and Zydeco to Klezmer and Classical music, from Lawrence Welk to Sheryl Crow, accordions are here to stay.

The Lead Guitarist has always been a bit of a front man, for instance, it’s not often that a bassist or drummer grabs a primary responsibility onstage, and frequently, the crowd  have a propensity to forget that they exist. With the barring of iconic bassists like Getty Lee from Rush or Flea from the Chilipeppers, Bassists are accepted for their support of the rock and roll tune. They do not commonly stand out, and in fact, most rock bands don’t want bassists to stand out at all. A badly executed bass run can be just as bad as a badly tuned stage band. Similarly, the Rock drummer is also a bit of lone man out, he sits at the back of the rest of the band members, often concealed by the drum rack that many people do not give them a second thought. The drummer’s job is to take care of the rhythm and make sure that everyone is on the beat. Although a drummer is probably the most significant part of the stage band, his campaign is often a thankless one, often, the better he’s the less he is noticed.

But you can’t say that concerning a lead guitarist, in truth, his actual presence is all about the performance. A lead guitarist would be a letdown if he didn’t stand out and knockout the audience with some remarkable riffs, melodically and harmonically. The lead guitarist is possibly one of the least essential parts of the band, for example, the rhythm guitar does all the harmonizing and often, the lead guitar just stands about wailing in from moment to moment. And yet, he’s essential to the energy of the music, his solos can bring upbeat or negative feelings in the listener.

If you ponder about Lead guitarists like Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, these dudes were the force of the band. But generally, a lead guitar solo is brief, and frequently only as an substitute to a verse or chorus line. The lead guitarist is a practical minimalist when it comes to over-all presence inside a song. Solos can happen everywhere in a song, both at the beginning, center or end, but normally you hear them after the first or second verse, and often in substitution of a chorus,  which is generally where the emotion and power of a tune is generally stored. But this isn’t at all times the case, particularly whenyou take into account blues rock artists like Eric Clapton who will play brief guitar hooks and solos anywhere he feels like it. For these artists, a guitar solo has the same right as the vocalist and therefore may and must be played at whatever time the guitar feels that it’s speech should be heard.

The Lead Guitarist, along with the singer is the energy of the band, and constitute the legacy of Rock n Roll.

From folk to psychedelic rock to Hard Rock etc. there have been many been many groundbreaking sounds and voices throughout the history of Rock. Here are the ten of the greatest classic rock bands in history.

Elvis Presley

While Elvis isn’t traditionally used in the classic rock genre, it is impossible to ignore his influence on the world of Rock-n-Roll. As the first mainstream American to something influence American culture and music,  he’d an enormous impact.

Despite the racism of during the 1950s, Elvis was deeply inspired by black music. In particular, African-American artists influenced Elvis’ sound and style. South radio disc jockeys originally refused to play Elvis’ singles, because they sounded “too Negro” for white-stations in the air.

It was not only Elvis’ sound, but also its performance, that made him controversial. The movement of the hips and provocative dancing her sparked an entire decade of debate.

Despite the firestorm of criticism that surrounded Elvis’ reign, his continuing popularity has ensured that Elvis’ crown as the King of Rock and Roll will remain valid for decades, even decades after his death.

The Beatles

It’s impossible toTalk about Rock N Roll without speaking about the impact of British bands. It’s hard to deny the influence of the Beatles, and not only on the musical culture of America, but also on every aspect of human life. The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Star and George Harrison created a new age of the Rock God that drove children crazy and their parent crazier.

Their innovative style defined the music of the 1960s . They  began their career in England, and by the time they arrived in the United States, their popularity had already preceded them, they were were already a great success in the United States.

As the hippie days of the end of the 1960s began to bite the American young people, their music, the Beatles redefined, with a new style of music was praised by the masses. Its very loud stance on drug use and war made them controversial, but their popularity never wavered. And who can forget the popular words spoken by the late John Lennon when he proclaimed, “The Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ.”

Bob Dylan

Dylan has one of the most easily recognizable voices in the world. Raspy and full of passion, Bob Dylan’s sound is unmistakable. His songs are amazing, and defined a generation obsessed with the themes of social unrest, anti-war stance, and encouragement for the civil rights movement.

A traditional folk singer, Dylan’s work exceeded all genres and appealed to many young Americans. His sincerity in song spoke about many issues of the time, and made it possible to empathize with his many causes.

Jimi Hendrix

As the undisputed master of the electric guitar, Jimi Hendrix is a classic rock foundation. The self-taught guitar player refused to abide by many of the traditional views of the guitarists.

Before the development of Jimi Hendrix as a guitarist, the electric guitar was louder than a version of the acoustic guitar. But with Hendrix, the uniqueness of the electric guitar showed the world the potential of this musical instrument.

Pink Floyd

Easily considered the greatest band of all time, Pink Floyd’svery special style and show defined psychedelic rock. Their albums were thematic approach masterpieces that appeal to many viewers. The Dark Side Of The Moon, Animals, The Wall, are still considered rock masterpieces today.

The Who

Also known for their thematic Records, which pioneered the idea of Who rock opera. Their success and fame to its uniqueapproach to concept albums and ultra testosterone driven stage performances made them instantly identifiable. Their musical skills are still highly regarded, by critics and fans alike.

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are one of the most long-lived bands in the history of rock music history.   Their grungy unkempt image became so popular, many artists are still trying to duplicatetoday. Their uniquesound and lyrics have stood the test of time, being as relevantThis day as it was 40 years ago.

Cream

Cream, with guitarist Eric Clapton, was one of the most technically advanced music groups of their time. Their instrumental techniques were legendary and paved the way for other bands to focus on the development of their instrument techniques, as well as lyrics.

The Doors

The doors have always been one of the most controversial bands that ever existed. Jim Morrison’s wild behavior set the tone for the countless musical Bad Boys who followed in his footsteps.   The poetic texts of The Doors and their outrageous behavior and their catchy tunes made them a favorite for the disenfranchised and those involved in the anti-war movement of the time.

Led Zeppelin

The way to heavy metal was paved by Led Zeppelin. Their first album was recorded in the central recording distorted amplification techniques. Over the years, their attempts to blend acoustic and electric sounds, with the addition of synthesized melodies have made their music unquestionably one of the most technical and complex in the history of Rock n Roll. The success of Led Zeppelin contributed to a strong base for the development of Metal music.

The above are some of Rock n Roll’s most influencing bands. These rock stars are still very listenable today, and in fact are the inspiration for many new bands who are looking to embracing a rock music that’s both technical, complex and meaningful.