Electroacoustic accordion

The topic of my doctoral studies is electroacoustic accordion. I delve into the electroacoustic possibilities of concert accordion and aim to define one version of electroacoustic accordion and its capabilities.

A key part of the degree is a physical instrument, an electroacoustic accordion, which I have been developing since 2019. The instrument is practically a concert accordion that, alongside the acoustic instrument, uses a midi system built into the instrument. Midi system tracks the basic actions of a concert accordion: the movement of the buttons and the air pressure inside the bellows. The midi data is sent to a digital audio workstation to control synthesis and samples recorded from the acoustic instrument. The accordion is also mic’d for amplification and effects. In live setup electronic and effected sound is produced by loudspeakers placed close to the player in order to achieve the best possible blend between acoustic and electronic sound sources.

The objectives of the doctoral degree are:
1. to explore and develop the electroacoustic possibilities of accordion
2. to describe the musical possibilities of the electroacoustic accordion
3. technical definition of the electroacoustic accordion developed by me and Arvi Jokela

Harri Kuusijärvi is a doctoral student in the Arts Study Programme at the DocMus doctoral school.

Keywords: Electroacoustic, accordion