Over the past 25 years, search engine Google has been delighting its users with fun drawings to mark certain days.
From birthdays of famous scientists and musicians to interactive games and international events, Google has been transforming its logo into fun designs, racking up a total of more than 5,000 since 1998.
The first Google Doodle stemmed from an out-of-office message, with Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin tweaking the logo to add a man behind the second O to let people know they would be out of office for the US arts festival, Burning Man.
Today’s – May 23, 2024 – Google Doodle is an accordion.
What is an accordion?
An accordion is a box-shaped free-reed musical instrument, consisting of a keyboard and a bass casing (usually with buttons) attached to opposite sides of a hand-operated bellows.
It was created in Germany in the 19th century.
Google has said the following about the Doodle: “Throughout the late 1800s, manufacturers in Germany increased their accordion production due to its popularity among folk musicians across Europe. Early accordions had buttons on just one side, and each of these buttons created the sound of an entire chord. Another impressive feature is that the same button could produce two chords — one when the bellows were expanding and another when the bellows were contracting.
“As Europeans emigrated around the world, the accordion’s use in music expanded. Modern versions can be played with either buttons or a piano-style keyboard, and some even have both options. They also sometimes incorporate electronic elements so they can be plugged into an amplifier or create synthesized sounds.
Why is today’s Google Doodle celebrating the accordion?
Google has said it is marking the instrument today as on this day in 1829 it was patented with the name accordion, which derives from the German word akkord.
It added: “Today the instrument can be heard in folk music, the Latino polka, the tango, cajun music, and more! One event that the accordion is always present at is Oktoberfest. This lively festival is full of carnival fun, music, and traditional clothing like Dirndl dresses and lederhosen.
“With this melody maker in hand, everything goes accordion to plan! The traditional sound continues to influence German celebrations and music across the world 200 years later.”
Who is known for playing the accordion?
While other instruments such as the guitar, drums, bass and piano are more often used by pop musicians, there are plenty of bands who incorporate accordions into their music.
The Rolling Stones, Counting Crows, The Pogues and E Street Band are just some well-known groups who have used accordions in their songs. US comedian and musician “Weird Al” Yankovic is also known for being an accomplished player, incorporating his accordion into his skits and songs.
Other well-known accordion players also include the late Astor Piazzolla, Radojka Zivkovic, Lawrence Welk and Frank Marocco, Richard Galliano and Yuri Shishkin.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
