The melodica is a small, handheld instrument that uses reeds to make sound, similar to a pump organ or harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole on the side. The keyboard usually covers two or three octaves. Melodicas are lightweight and easy to carry, and many are made for children to use. They are often used in music classes, especially in Asia. The modern version of the instrument was created by Hohner in the late 1950s, although similar instruments were known in Italy as early as the 19th century.

Description

The mouthpiece of a melodica can be a short, stiff or partly bendable plastic piece or a long, flexible plastic tube. The tube is designed to let the player hold the keyboard so the keys are visible or place the keyboard flat on a surface for two-handed playing. A foot pump can also be used instead of breathing into the instrument. Melodica keyboards usually start with a low F note. Most keyboards have 32 or 37 keys, though some instruments have as few as 13 or as many as 45 keys. Larger models include the Hammond Pro 44 and the Ballone Burini Eolina P45, which have 44 and 45 keys, respectively.

As a free reed instrument, the melodica creates sound by pushing air over individual reeds that match each note. When a key is pressed, it opens a valve that blocks its corresponding reed, letting air pass through. The sound from each vibrating reed echoes inside the instrument’s shell, which can be made of plastic, wood, or metal. Players control the instrument’s volume by adjusting air pressure. Unlike most wind instruments, the melodica can play multiple notes at the same time, limited only by the air available. An external microphone can be used to amplify or record the instrument’s sound. The Hammond Pro-44 melodion and Pro 24-B bass melodion each have built-in microphones that connect to a PA system or recording device through a single TRS 1/4" jack. As early as 1968, Hohner sold a "Professional" Melodica model with a built-in pickup.

Melodicas vary in price from under US$20 for a basic plastic model to several thousand dollars for rare, custom-made, or antique versions.

Use

The melodica was first used as a serious musical instrument in the 1960s by composers like Steve Reich, who created a piece called Melodica in 1966. Brazilian musician Hermeto Pascoal developed a method of singing while playing the melodica, creating a wide range of musical sounds and combinations. Jamaican musician Augustus Pablo helped make the melodica popular in the 1970s. His son, Addis Pablo, continues to use the instrument in similar music styles. American musician Jon Batiste often played the melodica on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Funk keyboardist Bernie Worrell used the melodica on several recordings in Bootsy Collins’s music collection. The instrument is also connected to the Inti Raymi festival in Otavalo, Ecuador.

Types

Melodicas are mainly grouped by their range, which affects their shape. Melodicas with different ranges have slightly different designs.

• Soprano and alto melodicas produce higher-pitched and thinner sounds compared to tenors. Some models are designed for both hands to play at the same time: the left hand plays the black keys, and the right hand plays the white keys. Others are played like tenor melodicas.
• Tenor melodicas are lower-pitched. 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 instrument on a flat surface.
• Bass melodicas include the Hohner Melodica-Basso (no longer available), the Suzuki B-24 Bass Melodion, and the Hammond Bass Melodion BB-24.
• The Accordina, also called the "Chromatic Button Melodica," is usually made of metal. It uses the same mechanism and reeds as a traditional melodica. Its keyboard is replaced with a button arrangement similar to a chromatic button accordion’s keyboard.

Alternative names

The melodica has many different names, and the names often depend on the company that makes it. Some of these names include Melodion (Suzuki), Triola (Seydel), Melodika (Apollo), Melodia (Diana), Pianica (Yamaha), Melodihorn (Samick), Melodyhorn (Angel), Diamonica (Bontempi), Pianetta (Guerrini), face piano, and Clavietta (Borel/Beuscher). A recording technician who did not know about the melodica once called it a "hooter," and a band later used that name as their own, becoming known as the Hooters.

Gallery

• The instrument is played horizontally using two hands and an air tube
• The instrument is played vertically using two hands and an air tube
• The melodica is played vertically using one hand and without an air tube
• A wooden melodica; Suzuki Wood Melodion W-37
• A Hohner alto melodica
• A patent drawing for an accordina
• A person playing an accordina
• Donald Fagen using a Yamaha Pianica in 2007
• John Medeski