An accordion is a musical instrument you play by squeezing and stretching it like a bellows while pressing buttons or keys. Air flows through metal reeds inside, creating sound. The player pushes the accordion together to force air through, then pulls it apart to draw air back in, all while their fingers dance across the keys to choose which notes play.

Accordions come in different styles. Some have piano-like keys on one side and buttons on the other. Others have buttons on both sides. The instrument straps onto your body, so you can play while standing or sitting. Street musicians often carry accordions because they're portable and loud enough to hear outdoors.

The accordion has a distinctive, bright, wavering sound that you might recognize from polka music, French café songs, or Tejano music. Different cultures have adopted it as their own: Irish folk musicians play accordions, as do conjunto bands in Texas and Mexico. In the early 1900s, accordions were everywhere in American popular music, though they're less common today.

Playing an accordion takes coordination. Your left hand works the bass buttons to create rhythm and harmony, your right hand plays the melody, and both arms control the bellows to shape volume and expression. It's like patting your head and rubbing your stomach, except you're also creating music.