Melodica
 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 | |
| Usually 2 or 3 octaves | |
| Related instruments | |
| accordion, harmonica, reed organ, yu | |
The melodica, also known as the pianica, blow-organ or key-flute, is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodion 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, light, and portable. They are popular in music education, especially in Asia.
The modern form of the instrument was invented by Hohner in the 1950s,[1] though similar instruments have been known in Italy since the 19th century.[2]
The melodica was first used as a serious musical instrument in the 1960s by composers such as Steve Reich, in his piece titled Melodica (1966)[3] and jazz musician Phil Moore, Jr., on his 1969 Atlantic Records album Right On.[4] Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal developed a technique consisting in singing while playing the melodica, resulting in a wide tonal and harmonical palette.[5] It is associated with Jamaican dub and reggae musician Augustus Pablo who popularized it in the 1970s.[6] It was featured on the 1972 #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit "Oh Girl" by the Chi-Lites. In the 1980s, electronic rock band New Order featured the melodica prominently in songs such as "Truth," "Your Silent Face," "Love Vigilantes," and others. Melodicas have also been used in indie folk music by artists such as Rabbit of Steam Powered Giraffe and Paul Duncan of Warm Ghost[7] and Emmanuel Del Real of Café Tacvba.
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Types of melodicas [edit]
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 also exist, but are less common than other tenor, alto, and soprano.
- The Accordina, generally made of metal, uses the same mechanism as a traditional melodica; however, the keyboard is replaced with a button arrangement similar to a chromatic button accordion's keyboard.
Wooden melodicas [edit]
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."[8] The Victoria Accordion company in Castelfidardo, Italy, produces a range of wooden melodicas and accordinas that they market under the name Vibrandoneon.
Alternative names [edit]
The melodica is known by various names, often at the whim of the manufacturer. Melodion (Suzuki), Melodika (Apollo), Melodia (Diana), Pianica (Yamaha), Melodihorn (Samick) and Clavietta are just some of the variants. This can lead to some confusion, as many people[who?] will use different names as a blanket term to describe all of these instruments. The melodica may colloquially be referred to as a "hooter". This was the source of the name for Philadelphia band, The Hooters.[9]
Comparison with traditional woodwind instruments [edit]
Melodicas are unusual because unlike most conventional woodwind instruments, they make use of a piano keyboard rather than a specialized fingering system using holes and/or buttons. This allows the player to use a single finger to play any one note of the instrument's range, rather than requiring several fingers to play individual notes, as is the case with most other woodwinds. The player can then play chords by using his remaining fingers to press additional keys, and thus, sound additional notes. In other words, whereas most woodwind instruments such as saxophones or clarinets are monophonic when played by trained musicians, the melodica is polyphonic.
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.
Gallery [edit]
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A Suzuki melodion
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Melodica being played horizontally with an air tube
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Melodica being played vertically without air tube
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Patent drawing for accordina
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Accordina being played
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ 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
- ^ Steve Reich: Melodica
- ^ Phil Moore Jr., 1969. Right On, 1969. Atlantic Records (SD-1530)
- ^ Hermeto Pascoal - Rebuliço on Youtube
- ^ Kliment and Watchtel, 2007. Augustus Pablo. http://trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=augustus_pablo
- ^ Peter Funk (19 January 2006). "Paul Duncan: Be Careful What You Call Home". PopMatters. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
- ^ http://www.melodicas.com/mylodica.htm
- ^ Darling, John (2000). What's in a Name?: The Book of Bands. Writers Club Press. ISBN 978-0-595-09629-9.
External links [edit]
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Clavietta melodica
Recording of a Clavietta melodica playing traditional Irish music, "Rakes of Kildare", played by Troy Banarzi
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Media related to Melodicas at Wikimedia Commons
