Apple Using the GarageBand Jam Pack: World Music Instruments - Manual (Page 17)

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Polka Accordion
Polka is a form of dance music that originated in Bohemia (now part of the Czech
Republic) in the 19th century. It quickly spread throughout Europe, Russia, and the
Americas. Several distinctive styles have evolved in North America, including the "Polish
style" with roots in Chicago, the “Slovenian style” associated with Cleveland, and the
“Conjunto style” of Texas and Northern Mexico (also called “Norteno”). In the 1980s and
1990s, adventurous bands combined polka with contemporary rock styles, producing
“punk polka” and “alternative polka.” Polkas can be played on many different
instruments, but the accordion is common to nearly all these polka styles.
The accordion (sometimes called the “squeezebox”) was invented in Austria in the 19th
century, and its use spread through Europe and the rest of the world along with the
spread of the polka. The accordion consists of a bellows that the player expands and
contracts to vibrate a set of metal reeds that produce the sound, and a keyboard that
triggers which reeds to set in motion. Some accordions also have buttons used to play
chords that accompany the melody. The instrument is held against the player’s body
with a strap, allowing the player to move freely while performing.