Melodica
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 A Hohner melodica |
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| Keyboard instrument | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Wind; free reed aerophone |
| Hornbostel-Sachs Classification | 412.132 (Free-reed aerophone) |
| Developed | 1950s |
| Playing range | |
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usually 2 or 2.5 octaves |
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| Related instruments | |
The melodica, also known as 'blow-organ' is a free-reed instrument similar to the accordion and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole, allowing air to flow through a reed. The keyboard is usually two or three octaves long. Melodicas are small and light enough to be carried around. They have been very popular in music education, especially in Asia.
The instrument was invented by Hohner in the 1950s or 1960s,[1] although it is also claimed that it was invented by the Brooklyn musician Joseph Lederfine in order to teach music fundamentals to children,[citation needed] and similar instruments have been known in Italy since the 19th century.[2]
The melodica was probably first used as a serious musical instrument by jazz musician Phil Moore Jr. on his 1969 Atlantic Records album Right On.[3] It is associated with Jamaican dub and reggae musicians in the 1970s. [4]
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[edit] Types of melodicas
Melodicas are classified primarily by the range of the instrument. Melodicas with different ranges have slightly different shapes.
- Soprano and alto melodicas are higher-pitched and thinner sounding than tenors. Some are designed to be played with both hands at once; the left hand plays the black keys, and the right hand plays the white keys. Others are played like the tenor melodica.
- Tenor melodicas are a lower-pitched type of melodica. The left hand holds a handle on the bottom, and the right hand plays the keyboard. Tenor melodicas can be played with two hands by inserting a tube into the mouthpiece hole and placing the melodica on a flat surface.
- Bass melodicas (lower-pitched than the tenor type) also exist, but are less common than other types.
- The accordina uses the same mechanism, but with accordion-like buttons instead of keys.
[edit] Wooden melodicas
Although the majority of melodicas are made of plastic, some are made primarily of wood. The Sound Electra corporation makes the MyLodica, a wooden melodica designed "to produce a warmer richer sound than that of its plastic relatives".[5] The Victoria Accordion company, based in Castelfidardo, Italy, produces a range of wooden melodicas and accordinas they market under the name Vibrandoneon.
[edit] Alternate names
The melodica is known by various names, often at the whim of the manufacturer. Melodion (Suzuki), Melodika (Apollo), Melodia (Diana), Pianica (Yamaha), Melodihorn and Clavietta are just some of the variants.
[edit] Comparison with traditional woodwind instruments
Melodicas are unusual because they are handheld instruments that can be used to play a large variety of chords. This is accomplished by depressing multiple keys simultaneously.
Additionally, for a beginner, a melodica can play accidentals more easily than a woodwind, which may require extra keys or cross-fingering to reach any notes outside of its key.
These two factors give the melodica an unusual degree of flexibility and contribute to its wide usage in music education.
Notes played on most woodwinds can be started with a percussive tongued attack, however on a melodica this is not usually possible therefore the instrument's sound is strongly marked by the slurred or portamento quality of phrases where notes flow together without any percussive effect.
[edit] Notable players
The melodica was probably first used as a serious musical instrument by jazz musician Phil Moore Jr. on his 1969 Atlantic Records album Right On. Reggae musician Augustus Pablo used the instrument throughout his career, beginning the instrument's association with reggae and dub. His first album was released in 1973 and featured much melodica playing.
Rock bands influenced by reggae have also been known to use melodica in their music. The King Blues, Gang of Four, New Order and The Hooters make much use of the instrument - the latter taking their name from a nickname for the instrument. Damon Albarn is a melodica enthusiast, and has used the instrument increasingly in recent years. In the persona of 2D (of the "virtual band" Gorillaz) he makes extensive use of the instrument.
Jazz composer Hermeto Pascoal makes use of the instrument in his music, as does classical composer Troy Banarzi.
The band Cake uses a melodica in many songs, notably The Distance off of the 1996 album Fashion Nugget.
Donald Fagen of Steely Dan often uses a melodica in concert.
David Hughes, percussionist/keyboardist of Celtic band Mithril, frequently plays a bright green melodica.
[edit] Sound sample
The melodica can be used in classical music, and is heard here with a string quartet (2 violins, viola and cello). An excerpt from The Nature of Love/Euphonika (Troy Banarzi) http://www.banarzi.com/mp3-nature-of-love
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Missin P, 2004. A Brief History of Mouth-Blown Free Reed Instruments: Melodica Family. http://www.patmissin.com/history/melodica.html
- ^ http://www.duskyrecords.nl/vibrandoneon.engels.html
- ^ Phil Moore Jr., 1969. Right On, 1969. Atlantic Records (SD-1530)
- ^ Kliment and Watchtel, 2007. Augustus Pablo. http://trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=augustus_pablo
- ^ http://www.melodicas.com/mylodica.htm
