The Notes of the Three-Row Accordion: The G/C/F Button Map

The notes of a three-row G/C/F button accordion explained in words: how the rows are named, how push and pull notes are arranged, and where to find each note.

How the map is organized

This guide describes the common 31-button G/C/F layout, as printed on the manufacturer fingering chart for Hohner’s Corona-style G/C/F instruments. Other brands and models may differ, especially in the first button of each row, so compare with your own instrument.

There are three rows. The outer row, farthest from the bellows, is in G. The middle row is in C. The inner row, next to the bellows, is in F. Buttons are counted from the end nearest your chin, so button 1 is at the top. The outer and inner rows have 10 buttons and the middle row has 11.

Button 1 of each row is a “helper” button with an accidental, and it varies between models. Beginners usually start from button 2 onward.

The middle row (C)

On the push, the middle row plays only the notes of the C chord, rising button by button: button 2 G, 3 C, 4 E, 5 G, 6 C, 7 E, 8 G, and so on along the row.

On the pull, the same buttons give the other notes of the scale: button 2 B, 3 D, 4 F, 5 A, 6 B, 7 D, 8 F. These belong to the G7 chord plus the second and sixth notes of the scale, which is why pull notes sound like they want to return to the push.

Middle C itself is middle-row button 3 on the push.

The outer row (G) and the inner row (F)

The outer row works the same way in G. Push gives the G chord: button 2 G, 3 B, 4 D, 5 G, 6 B, 7 D. Pull gives the D7 side: button 2 A, 3 C, 4 E, 5 F♯, 6 A, 7 C. This is where you find F♯ (Fa♯).

The inner row is in F. Push gives the F chord: button 2 C, 3 F, 4 A, 5 C, 6 F. Pull gives the C7 side: button 2 E, 3 G, 4 B♭, 5 D, 6 E. This is where you find B♭ (Si♭).

A handy rule for all three rows: push = the row’s home chord, pull = the notes that lead back to it.

The same note in different places

Many pitches appear on more than one row, and often in opposite bellows directions. Middle C is middle-row 3 on the push, inner-row 2 on the push and outer-row 3 on the pull. The G above it is button 5 on the push of both the middle and outer rows, and inner-row 3 on the pull. The A above that is middle-row 5 on the pull, inner-row 4 on the push and outer-row 6 on the pull.

These alternatives let you choose the bellows direction instead of letting the melody choose it for you. For example, you can play an A minor scale entirely on the push by crossing rows: inner 4, outer 6, middle 6, outer 7, middle 7.

The bass side

The twelve bass buttons sit in two rows of six. Lowercase labels on charts mean a single bass note, uppercase means a chord, and each button also changes with the bellows. On the row printed first on the chart, the pairs are: g and G on the push (becoming d and D on the pull), c and C (becoming g and G), and f and F (becoming c and C).

Those three pairs match the three rows: the G pair for the outer row, the C pair for the middle row and the F pair for the inner row. Each gives the home chord on the push and the chord a fifth above on the pull.

Learning the map without memorizing a chart

Don’t try to memorize all 62 notes at once. Learn the middle row first, buttons 2 to 8, push and pull. Then the inner and outer rows, using the push = home chord rule to fill in the gaps. Our free note-names lesson covers both naming systems, C D E and Do Re Mi, with an interactive map you can play and hear.

Updated: 2026-11-12