The "Bandoneon"

BANDONEON, a short history

For thousands of years, mouth organs used in the far east, incorporated pipes coupled to free reeds, but it is only last century that the free reed sonic principle (metal reeds without pipes) was discovered in Europe. This discovery made possible the advent of a whole series of similar instruments of various shapes and sizes bearing a great variety of names (harmoniums, reed organs, accordions, harmonicas etc.

The BANDONEON is an offshoot of a family of German button and bellows instruments called concertinas, invented around 1845. Concertinas (distinct from those played in the British isles) were small square instruments which had 14 buttons on each side. Later this number increased to more than 70 buttons.

Unlike what has happened to other instruments of the tango, the origin of the bandoneon is a subject in which the historians have only agreed on; is the place of their birth: Germany.

Some attribute their invention to Carl Friedrich (or Herman) "Uhlig" (1789-1874), who was born in a town called Chemnitz, in Sajonia. For the fair in Leipzig in 1830, Uhlig presented an instrument that, modifying the English concertina of hexagonal boxes, is acquiring the form that it has at the moment, but with only five notes in each one of its sides, which are now squares.

The new born instrument was essential to replace the organ, because of its high cost and difficult transfer, in the religious and funeral offices as well as in the street processions. It was played hung off the neck and soon it began to be used to accompany jubilant dances in Bavaria and Hamburg.

But who initiated its artisan production was Heinrich "Band" (1805-1888), native of the city of Krefeld. From his last name it derives its name, whereupon "Bandoneon" is known world-wide; with its diverse variants like Bandonium, Bandonion, Bandonio, and Bandoleon. In Argentina it is called affectionately the "Bandola", but its commonest name between the players of the tango is "Fueye".

When it comes to defining what constitutes a bandoneon, there is the possibility of some confusion. The bandoneon used for Tango will invariably have two reeds per note; one will be at normal pitch, the other will be one octave higher. These reeds are always tuned to a pure octave; no tremolo should be audible when a single note is played! Another important attribute of instruments destined for the South American market is the configuration of the keyboards. The instrument originally had 60 notes disposed over 30 buttons, but that quickly changed to 130 notes. By the beginning of the 20th century, a 142-note version with 71 buttons had become the standard in South America and for Tango music.

The bandoneon's arrival in Argentina,

If its origin is discussed, much debate is when and whom introduced it there. On the subject there are also numerous hypotheses and versions: Augusto P. Berto says that it was an English sailor, Tomas Moor who brought with himself one with 32 keys. Hector Bats maintains that it was a Brazilian called Bartolo and Eros N. Sirl that a tropeiro of Pascualin name, brought from Germany. Others think that one of Heinrich Band's sons came with the instrument that his father had made and gave the first lessons on its use to a native, Jose Santa Cruz, who soon transmitted his knowledge to his followers only certain thing is that it arrived at the port of Buenos Aires towards 1870, without knowledge of its mechanics and its technique, without any musical tradition, virgin and empty, and without any history.

The bandoneon was developed throughout Germany under various sizes and systems. One of these many different models, the "Reinlander" (from the Rein district) was exported to Argentina at the very end of last century, whereas the "Chemnitzer" (from the city of Chemnitz) was brought to USA by Polish and Czech migrants. Germany used to sell a lot of musical instruments to both north and south America, i.e. the harmonicas used in blues, the melodeons used in Cajun music and all kinds of accordions in the Brazilian Nordeste region, Colombia, and so on.

Bandoneon was very quickly adopted in Buenos Aires and became the symbol of Tango. It was never actually built there. Most bandoneons were made by the German maker ALFRED ARNOLD from 1911 until few years after the war.

The modern Argentinian bandoneon is a two voice instrument (each note being doubled at the superior octave) with 71 buttons. Each button plays a different note depending on whether the bellows is opened or closed (improperly called diatonic). Around 1925, Charles Pegurian, an Italian accordion player and repairer settled in Paris designed a new keyboard where each button produced the same note regardless of whether the bellows was open or closed (called "chromatic") which has been widely used in France For playing Tango, the bandoneon must be tuned without vibrato (the two voices being precisely an octave apart).

There are only a few manufacturers of this specialty instrument worldwide and a large market of old and reconditioned bandoneons for purchase from around $2,000 -$7,000. This instrument is what gives the tango music we dance to it's unique sound.