Squeezebox StudioC major on a B/C button accordion
C major uses C, D, E, F, G, A and B. On a B/C you can play the whole scale up from C4 and C5.
From C4 to C5
Every note of this octave is on the C row, so you can play it without leaving the row. That takes six changes of bellows going up.
Crossing the rows cuts that to four changes of bellows, at the cost of two moves between rows:
| Note | Buttons |
|---|---|
| C4 | 3′ push |
| D4 | 3′ pull |
| E4 | 4 pull, 4′ push |
| F4 | 4′ pull |
| G4 | 5′ push |
| A4 | 5′ pull |
| B4 | 6 push, 6′ pull |
| C5 | 6′ push |
From C5 to C6
Every note of this octave is on the C row, so you can play it without leaving the row. That takes six changes of bellows going up.
Crossing the rows cuts that to four changes of bellows, at the cost of two moves between rows:
| Note | Buttons |
|---|---|
| C5 | 6′ push |
| D5 | 7′ pull |
| E5 | 8 pull, 7′ push |
| F5 | 8′ pull |
| G5 | 8′ push |
| A5 | 9′ pull |
| B5 | 9 push, 10′ pull |
| C6 | 9′ push |
Above and below
From C3 the scale is incomplete: this box has no C3, D3 or F3. Tunes that go that far down will need a different note there, or a different key.
Tab is only the start
A scale shows where the notes are, but a tune rarely runs straight up the octave. Whether you play a note on the push or the pull depends on the notes either side of it, the rhythm, and whether you play along the rows or across them. Along or across the rows explains the difference.
Same notes, different home: A minor, D Dorian, G Mixolydian.
C major on other boxes: D/G melodeon, G/C melodeon.
Other keys on a B/C: G major, D major, A major, F major, E major, E minor, A minor, B minor, D minor, G minor, A Dorian, E Dorian, D Dorian, B Dorian, G Dorian, D Mixolydian, A Mixolydian, G Mixolydian, C Mixolydian. Or see every key compared and the B/C button chart.