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A diatonic button accordion is a type of button accordion where the melody-side keyboard is limited to the notes of diatonic scales in a small number of keys (sometimes only one). The bass side usually contains the principal chords of the instrument's key and the root notes of those chords.
[1] (Steirische Harmonika) or Slovenian style Box. Is very popular in the alpine region of Europe. This type of Boxes ware also made by Anton Mervar Button Accordion Manufacturer (1885-1942) Inducted on November 30, 1991 Man difference is the use of bigger Bass reeds (Helicon reeds).
The keys on the melody side are based on different keys. For example, you could have a 1-row melodeon in the key of G. This would give you the notes G/A - B/C -D/E -F#/G spread over 4 notes. The most common melodeons in existence now are the D/G box with 2 rows, used widely in English traditional music and the B/C box used in Irish traditional music. However, there are many variations on this with 2.5row melodeons, accidentals and various options which players customise to suit their own style of music.
Some diatonic button accordions (e.g.: melodeon) are bisonoric, meaning each button produces two notes: one when the bellows is compressed, another while it is expanded; other instruments (e.g.: garmon') are unisonoric, with each producing the same note regardless of bellows direction; still others (e.g.: schwyzerörgeli, trikitixa) have a combination of the two types of action.
[2] Dave Mallinson's webpage - some useful advice and information about melodeons<br /> [3] Melodeon.net - with a very lively discussion page<br /> [4] Melodeon FAQ page on Hobgoblin's website. Some useful information and good diagrams for key layout
![[1]](http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild:Schwarz-kaerntnerlkand.jpg){kind=link}