Schwyzerörgeli
Encyclopedia
The Schwyzeroergeli is a type of diatonic button accordion
used in Swiss folk music. The name derives from the town/canton of Schwyz
where it was developed. Oergeli is the diminutive form of the word Orgel (organ). Outside of Switzerland the instrument is not well known and hard to find.
in canton Bern. The Langnauerli usually has one treble row of buttons and two bass/chord buttons on the left hand end, much like the accordion used in Cajun music
(minus the stops), but is sometimes seen with 2 or 3 rows on a stepped keyboard. The Schwyzeroergeli was a further development from the 1880s, with changes in the treble fingering and a flat keyboard (not stepped), and unisonoric basses.
The early makers including Eichhorn (Schwyz) and Nussbaumer (Bachenbülach) experimented with different arrangements and numbers of buttons. The typical Schwyzeroergeli today has 18 bass buttons arranged in two rows (one for bass notes and one for major chords), and 31 treble buttons on the RH arranged in 3 rows with a fingering similar to the 'club' system. The basses progress in 4ths like the Stradella system seen on chromatic and piano accordions, but in the opposite direction. Some Schwyzeroergelis have fewer buttons in the upper/inside row on the RH much like the club models, or more buttons - sometimes an extra row on the outside - and fewer or more basses. Since Swiss music rarely uses minor chords, even Oergelis with 4 bass rows usually have no minor chords but majors and 7ths instead. The only other variety still being made in substantial numbers today is the Schwyzeroergeli with chromatic fingering - usually with a C system (C-Griff) treble side and Stradella bass fingering.
The Schwyzeroergeli has a unique tuning (tone, voicing), called Schwyzerton. On the treble side, each button has 3 sets of reeds, with one main set and two other sets an octave higher than the first, each tuned slightly apart to give a somewhat tremolo sound. The reeds are arranged around one big reed block with a tone chamber inside, rather than a separate reed block for each row like most accordions. Some Oergelis only have 2 sets of reeds tuned an octave apart, Bandonion-style. The Oergeli with 2 sets of treble reeds of the same octave, tuned slightly apart (tremolo or 'wet'), is called a Wieneroergeli (Viennese Oergeli) because of the 'Viennese' tuning which is widespread among button accordions around the world such as those made by Hohner
and the Steirische Harmonika
. The internal construction (RH reed blocks) of this Oergeli also is not like the others but more like other accordions, but the fingering and the appearance is of the typical Schwyzeroergeli. In Canton Bern, there is a variety of Schwyzeroergeli called the Berneroergeli, pioneered by Ernst Salvisberg, distinguished primarily by a beveled bass end and usually dry tuning (no tremolo).
Diatonic button accordion
A diatonic button accordion or melodeon 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...
used in Swiss folk music. The name derives from the town/canton of Schwyz
Schwyz
The town of is the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.The Federal Charter of 1291 or Bundesbrief, the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland, can be seen at the Bundesbriefmuseum.-History of the toponym:...
where it was developed. Oergeli is the diminutive form of the word Orgel (organ). Outside of Switzerland the instrument is not well known and hard to find.
History
The accordion was brought to Switzerland in the 1830s, soon after its invention in Vienna. The earliest accordions were the typically one- or two-row diatonic button accordions, which carried on in Switzerland as the Langnauerli, named for LangnauLangnau im Emmental
-Sport:Langnau is the home of the SCL Tigers, who plays in the Swiss National League A. They play their home games at the Ilfis Stadium.- External links :* * *...
in canton Bern. The Langnauerli usually has one treble row of buttons and two bass/chord buttons on the left hand end, much like the accordion used in Cajun music
Cajun music
Cajun music, an emblematic music of Louisiana, is rooted in the ballads of the French-speaking Acadians of Canada. Cajun music is often mentioned in tandem with the Creole-based, Cajun-influenced zydeco form, both of Acadiana origin...
(minus the stops), but is sometimes seen with 2 or 3 rows on a stepped keyboard. The Schwyzeroergeli was a further development from the 1880s, with changes in the treble fingering and a flat keyboard (not stepped), and unisonoric basses.
The early makers including Eichhorn (Schwyz) and Nussbaumer (Bachenbülach) experimented with different arrangements and numbers of buttons. The typical Schwyzeroergeli today has 18 bass buttons arranged in two rows (one for bass notes and one for major chords), and 31 treble buttons on the RH arranged in 3 rows with a fingering similar to the 'club' system. The basses progress in 4ths like the Stradella system seen on chromatic and piano accordions, but in the opposite direction. Some Schwyzeroergelis have fewer buttons in the upper/inside row on the RH much like the club models, or more buttons - sometimes an extra row on the outside - and fewer or more basses. Since Swiss music rarely uses minor chords, even Oergelis with 4 bass rows usually have no minor chords but majors and 7ths instead. The only other variety still being made in substantial numbers today is the Schwyzeroergeli with chromatic fingering - usually with a C system (C-Griff) treble side and Stradella bass fingering.
Tuning
As most diatonic accordions are centered around certain keys, the Schwyzeroergeli is usually tuned in 'flat' keys to fit with the clarinet, with the outer row giving a Bb scale, the next row Eb, and the next giving a mixture of notes allowing music to be played in Ab, Db and Gb when fingered across the rows. Of course this means each key has a different fingering. This instrument is labelled a 'B-Oergeli' or 'B/Es' (Bb/Eb). Less common keys are A/D, C/F and B/E.The Schwyzeroergeli has a unique tuning (tone, voicing), called Schwyzerton. On the treble side, each button has 3 sets of reeds, with one main set and two other sets an octave higher than the first, each tuned slightly apart to give a somewhat tremolo sound. The reeds are arranged around one big reed block with a tone chamber inside, rather than a separate reed block for each row like most accordions. Some Oergelis only have 2 sets of reeds tuned an octave apart, Bandonion-style. The Oergeli with 2 sets of treble reeds of the same octave, tuned slightly apart (tremolo or 'wet'), is called a Wieneroergeli (Viennese Oergeli) because of the 'Viennese' tuning which is widespread among button accordions around the world such as those made by Hohner
Hohner
Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH & Co. KG is a company specialising in the manufacture of musical instruments. Founded in 1857 by Matthias Hohner , Hohner is identified especially with harmonicas and accordions. The Hohner company has invented and produced many different styles, and most of the...
and the Steirische Harmonika
Steirische Harmonika
The Steirische Harmonika is a type of bisonoric diatonic button accordion important to the alpine folk music of Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, the German state of Bavaria, and the Italian South Tyrol...
. The internal construction (RH reed blocks) of this Oergeli also is not like the others but more like other accordions, but the fingering and the appearance is of the typical Schwyzeroergeli. In Canton Bern, there is a variety of Schwyzeroergeli called the Berneroergeli, pioneered by Ernst Salvisberg, distinguished primarily by a beveled bass end and usually dry tuning (no tremolo).