App Detail » Hohner Chromatic Accordion

Published by: Michael Eskin

iPad App - Designed for iPad

Price: $3.99
Current Version: 4.1.1
Released: August 29, 2015

What's New

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.

Faster playing and audio quality improvements.

New features:

MIDI Control: The Treble sounds may be played via MIDI from a MIDI keyboard or other MIDI player or controller apps.

Set the MIDI channel for the treble side using the "MIDI Channel" slider on the settings page.

Lowest note is G3 (MIDI Note 55) Range is G3 through E6.

Bass/Chord Shift:

You can now transpose the bass and chords up or down by either zero or two semitones, effectively shifting the bass side up or down by two rows.

This allows you to play songs that use chords not available in the basic layout, for example Em tunes that require Bm and F#m.

For example, a shift of +2 means that the E bass and chord buttons now play F#, the A is a B, and D is an E.

Note: When the bass side sound is transposed, the labels on the buttons do not change. This may be addressed in a future update.

I added this feature after wanting to be able to play "Indifference" on the app, which required F#m. :-)

App Description

Mimicking the layout of Hohner's iconic chromatic button accordions (CBA), both B-System (Bayan) and C-System, this intuitive virtual accordion is easy to play and sounds exactly like the real instrument.

The Hohner Chromatic Accordion has a 52-button treble button board and 36 bass/chord buttons.

Choose between B or C-System button layout using the layout selector on the edge of the screen.

Choose between Bass/Major/Minor/7 or Counter Bass/Major/Minor configuration for the left side of the instrument.

The bass/chord side may be transposed up or down two semitones using the control at the bottom left of the screen. Note that when the pitch is transposed, the note labels do not change. This may be addressed in a future update. This feature expands the range of bass side by shifting the entire bass up or down two rows.

MIDI Control: The Treble sounds may be controlled via MIDI from external hardware or other MIDI player or controller apps. Lowest note is G3 (MIDI Note 55) Range is G3 through E6.

Touch the "?" button to rotate through the different button label displays.

Touch the "i" button to show the setting page where you balance the volume of the treble, bass, and chords independently.

On the settings page, you may also set the reverb style, individual reverb send levels for the treble, bass, and chords, as well as the overall reverb level.

Set the MIDI channel for the treble side using the "MIDI Channel" slider.

Touch the Hohner logo for the help screen with a link to the Hohner accordion website or touch the Accordion Life logo to start learning with online accordion lessons.

The Hohner Chromatic Accordion app allows musicians to practice chord combinations, scales, and songs on-the-go.

Headphones can be used for private practice, or the audio output of the virtual accordion can be amplified by plugging into computer speakers, or other sound enhancing devices.

This app is ideal for the beginning student or professional musician who needs a simple carry-on companion to compliment his or her actual accordion. While not meant to be a replacement for a real accordion, the app is a convenient and easy tool for practicing, learning, or teaching.

IMPORTANT: Since you may want to play chords and melody with more than 4 fingers on the screen at a time, you must disable "Multitasking Gestures" in the iPad Settings. Run the Settings app, go to "General / Multitasking Gestures" and turn them off.