The 1,1-bis(dimethylamino)-1,3-butadienes (keten aminals) 11a–l are prepared from orthoamide derivatives of alkyne carbonxylic acids 9b, d, e, i and CH2-acidic compounds 10a–c, f–h, k, o. The C-silylated orthoamide derivative 9c shows an ambivalent behaviour towards CH-acidic compounds. Reactions of 9c with strong CH2-acidic compounds like the nitro alkanes 10m, n and strongly enolized carbonyl compounds as methyl acetoacetate, cyanoacetamide, dibenzoylmethane, 1,3-dimethylbarbituric acid proceed under desilylation to give the ketene aminals 11u–z. In contrast to these reactions, the C-silylated ketene aminals 11o–t are obtained from 9c and weaker CH2-acidic compounds as dimethyl malonate, cyanoacetic acid derivatives and benzylcyanides. CH2/NH2-acidic compounds [cyanoacetamide (10d) and N-ethyl-cyanoacetamide (10f)] react with the orthoamide derivatives 9b, e–g at the acidic carbon-hydrogen bond to give the ketene aminals 11ac, ad, af, ag, ai, which cyclize to the pyridones 14a–d, d–g on heating. From the reaction of the orthoamide 9d with cyanoacetamide the pyridone 14c results directly. The persubstituted pyridone derivative 19 is formed by the reaction of cyanoacetamide with a mixture of the isomeric orthoamides 15 and 16. The 5,5-diamino-2,4-pentadienamide 11v attacks the orthoamide 9a at C3/C1. In the product 20 a cross conjugated multiple bond system is formed which contains an 1-aza-2,3-diamino function and a further ketene aminal function.