Bayan (accordion)

The bayan is the eastern form of the chromatic button accordions.

Differences to the accordion consisting in the execution of the case and the type of reed plates. The reeds of an Bajans are usually mounted together on a metal base plate in large groups.

Properties

Treble

The treble is not equipped with keys but with studs, extended range allows. The construction of the treble side differs from that of other modern chromatic button accordions. The keyboard is further displaced forward a little, thereby also a smaller hood behind the keyboard. The mechanism for the folding of the rear stick voting must therefore be diverted to the rear.

The bayan is played mostly in sitting posture, with the players often a cloth is placed over the knee so that the bellows and the clothes are protected. Originally it as the traditional Viennese harmonica was also played with a strap. The keyboard is for instruments from Tula usually graded, because the traditional way of playing without the thumb of the right hand done, making an easier accessibility of the keys ( buttons here ) is guaranteed. Triple row instruments have or had an open keyboard with exposed levers, similar as is the case with the traditional Styrian harmonica.

Bass

After recent bass systems were developed in Germany, was built in Russia also on the bass side bass systems according to the system of Tauscheck, Paul Blum and Steiner, which largely correspond to our present Stradella bass, only they did not have diminished seventh chords. There are now on the bass side, as with other modern chromatic accordions and the possibility of tune bass converter. This has the advantage that one can vary between standard bass and melody Bass and it is possible to play music for other instruments such as piano and organ. Some of these tools were and are built with extremely deep, powerful bass (32 ' ), this of course increases the weight is not insignificant.

The arrangement of the melody bass is mirrored at the Russian bayan, figuratively the sounds / buttons are thus on the head, when compared with the common Western European arrangement.

Reedplates

The reed plates with the reeds of an Bajans are summarized in a sound post. This design feature the Bajan shares with the bandoneon and the traditional Russian B -handle accordion. The reeds are very often still made ​​almost entirely by hand. Reeds and reed plates are pre-cut, the remaining work done but only by händisches rivets and filing. When Bajan usually very hard steel is used for the reeds to achieve the preferred sound rich in overtones. On the unique sound but are the effects of other design factors. The size, shape and type of filing contour are essential factors in addition to the material for the reeds. But there are also Bajans with normal individual voting disks and machine-made long reed plates.

The name, dissemination and conceptual delimitation

The instrument was named after the legendary Russian bard or storyteller Bojan. For Greek antiquity one would call such a person a rhapsodists or a bard for the Celtic Middle Ages.

In Russia, in the rural areas accordions have a long tradition and are still very much prevalent even today, the term is used especially for bayan accordion with a five - or six-row keyboard and left a three - or five-row keyboard right. Thus, the term bayan used in Eastern Europe reflects the spirit of the term accordion used in the German language area.

Contrast, are referred to herein by the term accordion in contrast to the German use primarily accordions with a piano keyboard on the right side. Accordions are all generally designated concertina; differentiated one means by that first and foremost the easiest to learn and traditional for the Slavic Village Culture handy accordion, which usually (and often very customized) with traditional natural patterns and motifs decorated and with one to three rows of buttons on the right side and three on the left is equipped.

From Handzuginstrumenten the bayan in Russia today is much less common than harmonicas or accordions and is played in the cities, especially by professional musicians with a musical higher education. The harmonica, however, is mainly used in rural areas and among amateurs or self-taught; (Piano keyboard ) Accordions are brought into Eastern Europe, however, primarily with the " restaurant " and "Chanson culture " or the backyard and criminals genre in conjunction.

History

A precursor was the traditional Viennese accordion.