Right-hand manual: The Russian bayan and chromatic button accordions have a much greater right-hand range in scientific pitch notation than an accordion with a piano keyboard: five octaves plus a minor third (written range = E2-G7, actual range = E1-C#8).

Left-hand manual

• Stradella bass system
• Free-bass system

Musicians List of accordionists More articles Accordion, Chromatic button accordion, Bayan, Diatonic button accordion, Piano accordion, Stradella bass system, Free-bass system, Accordion reed ranks & switches

A chromatic button accordion is a type of button accordion where the melody-side keyboard consists of rows of buttons arranged chromatically. The bass-side keyboard is usually the Stradella system or one of the various free-bass systems. Included among chromatic button accordions are the Russian bayan and Schrammel accordion. There can be 3 to 5 rows of horizontal treble buttons. In a 5 row chromatic, two additional rows repeat the first 2 rows to facilitate options in fingering.

Chromatic button system (type C) Chromatic button system (type B)

Comparing the layout to the piano accordion, the advantages of a chromatic button accordion is the greater range and better fingering options. On the other hand, some fingering positions require twisting of the wrist and the aspect of alternative fingering patterns may stunt one in sessions of difficult sight reading.

Throughout former Yugoslavia a 6-row chromatic button layout is used based on the B system. It is referred to as dugmetara.