Garmon
The garmon, commonly called garmoshka, is a kind of Russian button accordion, a free-reed wind instrument. A garmon has two rows of buttons on the right side, which play the notes of a diatonic scale, and at least two rows of buttons on the left side, which play the primary chords in the key of the instrument as well as its relative harmonic minor key. Many instruments have additional right-hand buttons with useful accidental notes, additional left-hand chords for playing in related keys, and a row of free-bass buttons, to facilitate playing of bass melodies.
The garmons can be of two major classes: unisonoric, meaning that each button plays the same note or chord when the bellows is being expanded as it does when compressed; and bisonoric, in which the note depends on the direction of the bellowswork. Examples of unisonoric type are , , Tula accordion and
Beside Russian folk music, the garmon is an important musical instrument for Caucasian and Mari people in the Volga and Ural regions, and in Slovenian music. It is also used in popular music.
Keyboard arrangement
Although reduced and expanded versions are widely available, the standard arrangement is as follows:- 25 treble buttons in two rows: three diatonic octaves plus three accidentals. There are versions with 27 treble buttons adding 2 more accidentals, and versions with 29 treble buttons adding 2 more high notes also exist.
- 25 bass buttons in three rows: two rows of eight buttons, with bass notes and chords; one free-bass row.
Right hand
Left hand
The bass keyboard is arranged so that the principal chords for the major key are in the outer row, placed in circle of fifths order; the principal chords for the harmonic minor key are in the middle row; free bass notes are in the inner row. One free bass accidental note is included.There are also 36*36 garmon accordions which have a third row of buttons including more accidentals and high notes, as well as more free bass notes.
Russian types
Since the introduction of the accordion from Germany to Russia in the 1830s, Russian masters invented a lot of different types of local garmons during the 19th and 20th centuries.Khromka
The was invented in 1870 in Tula by Russian musician Nikolay Beloborodov. It was a unisonoric, diatonic accordion but on the right keyboard there were also two or three chromatic buttons, usually g1♯, d2♯, f2♯, hence the name khromka. It became the most popular and widespread button accordion in Russia, so almost all modern Russian garmons are khromkas.Tula garmon
Tula garmon was the first Russian accordion, which began to be manufactured since the 1830s. It had five or seven buttons on the right keyboard, and like in the most Western diatonic accordions it produced different sounds on pull and push. So Tula garmon had two full diatonic octaves. The left bass keyboard had two buttons. Tula garmon was a base for all the Russian diatonic bisonoric garmoshkasVyatka garmon
Vyatka garmon first appeared on the factories of Vyatka governorate in the middle of the 19th century. It was chromatic unisonoric, it had a piano keyboard on the right side and two bass buttons on the left one. Vyatka garmon was a prototype for many different types of national accordions in the Volga region and the Caucasus. Also after it there were made Russian diatonic and chromatic accordions: Elets "royal" garmon, Beloborodov's royal garmon and others.Saratov garmon
The Saratov garmon is a diatonic, bisonoric garmoshka with bells which ring when the bass and chord keys are played. Lidia Ruslanova sang to the accompaniment of this garmonika.Livenka
The livenka or Livenskaya garmoshka was developed in the 1860s and 1870s in the factories around the town of Livny.Asian and Caucasian garmons
Russian garmons were popular not only among the Russians but also among the other nations of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. Almost all the national garmons are based on the Tula, Vyatka and Khromka garmons, with modifications to fit the local national musical traditions. Some were professionally invented in music factories in the 20th century.Volga, Ural and Siberian regions
- The Mari accordion is a seven-button, diatonic, bisonoric instrument based on the Tula garmon.
- The Mari koga-karmon and Chuvash kubos are based on the khromka.
Caucasian
Oriental accordion
The oriental bayan was invented in 1936 in the Kazan musical factory, it has a right-hand piano keyboard but a little smaller, so in fact it imitates a piano accordion. In 1961 the Kazan revised it so that the left keyboard mirrored the right, though the left buttons are not rectangular but round, like in button accordions. This type is popular in the music of Azerbaijan, where it is known as the qarmon. It has been popularized in Azerbaijan by Aftandil Israfilov. It has been popularized in Turkey, too, through the recordings of Nejat Özgür.Georgia and Armenia
The came to Georgia and Armenia from Europe, namely from Russia, in the 1830s, and immediately became popular among folk musicians. It is especially popular in Tusheti, where it is used as an accompanying instrument for vocals, and also as a solo instrument. The garmoni has two miniature variants, the and the.The is widespread especially among the mountain inhabitants of Georgia, with its own distinct sound. It is considered a women's instrument, and often a bride was presented with a buzik at the time of her engagement. It was widely used for national holidays, festivals, and parties, and is associated mainly with song and dance melodies. It is also sometimes used for performing solo melodies, or in an ensemble with a doli, daira, diplipito, and panduri.
The, came to Georgia and Armenia from Europe in the 1830s, and mainly accompanies dances.