Google honored the accordion on May 23, 2024, the day of the instrument’s patent anniversary, with a unique Doodle. With its characteristic bellows and upbeat tone, this well-liked instrument has won hearts and inspired music genres all over the world.
The Google Doodle
The Doodle was a charming musical performance in and of itself. The bellows of an accordion replaced the Google logo, and animated people dressed in traditional German garb danced to the music. This honored the German ancestry of the instrument (the word “accordion” is derived from the German word “akkord,” which means “chord”) as well as its ongoing appeal in folk music.
Google Doodle mentions: “Throughout the late 1800s, manufacturers in Germany increased their accordion production due to its popularity among folk musicians across Europe. Early accordions had buttons on just one side, and each of these buttons created the sound of an entire chord. Another impressive feature is that the same button could produce two chords — one when the bellows were expanding and another when the bellows were contracting.”
Who Invented Accodrion?
The question of who invented the accordion is not easily answered. According to some historians, C. Friedrich L. Buschmann in Germany is credited with patenting the Handäoline in 1822. Others refer to Cyril Demian of Vienna, who is credited with giving the instrument its present name. Demian received a patent for his own version in 1829, which he simply called the accordion.
Britannica mentions: “The advent of the accordion is the subject of debate among researchers. Many credit C. Friedrich L. Buschmann, whose Handäoline was patented in Berlin in 1822, as the inventor of the accordion, while others give the distinction to Cyril Demian of Vienna, who patented his accordion in 1829, thus coining the name.”
The global travels of the accordion reflected the great wave of European migration in the nineteenth century. People brought their accordions and music with them when they migrated to new continents, such as North America. The several nicknames for the instrument reflect this international interchange. Russians referred to it as the “Bayan,” but Italians welcomed it as the “Fisarmonica,” according to Stage Music Center. Changes in name were made to it: Pakistan called it “Harmonium,” China called it “Sun-Fin-Chin,” and Norwegians called it “Trekspill.” Every phrase captures the distinct cultural viewpoint of its home area.
The doodle demonstrated the instrument’s adaptability and its impact on pop, jazz, and classical music. Google’s doodle description jokingly referred to the accordion as a “folk musician’s main squeeze,” highlighting its portability and simplicity of usage.
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