Developed 1950s Invented 1950s | Place of origin Italy | |
 | ||
Classifications Wind instrument, Free reed aerophone | ||
Khamoshiyan piano melodica reprise instrumental cover by vishal bagul
The melodica, also known as the pianica, blow-organ, key harmonica, or melodyhorn, is a free-reed instrument similar to the pump organ 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.
Contents
- Khamoshiyan piano melodica reprise instrumental cover by vishal bagul
- A thousand years playing by melodica instrument
- Types
- Wooden melodicas
- Alternative names
- Two hands
- Comparison with traditional woodwind instruments
- References
The modern form of the instrument was invented by Hohner in the 1950s, though similar instruments have been known in Italy since the 19th century.
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) and jazz musician Phil Moore, Jr., on his 1969 Atlantic Records album Right On. Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal developed a technique consisting of singing while playing the melodica, resulting in a wide tonal and harmonic palette. It is associated with Jamaican dub and reggae musician Augustus Pablo who popularized it in the 1970s.
A thousand years playing by melodica instrument
Types
Melodicas are classified primarily by the range of the instrument. Melodicas with different ranges have slightly different shapes.
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." The Victoria Accordion company in Castelfidardo, Italy, produces a range of wooden melodicas and accordinas that they market under the name Vibrandoneon.
Alternative names
The melodica is known by various names, often at the whim of the manufacturer. Melodion (Suzuki), Triola (Seydel), Melodika (Apollo), Melodia (Diana), Pianica (Yamaha), Melodihorn (Samick), Clavietta and harmonaboard are just some of the variants. This can lead to some confusion, as many people 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.
Two hands
Melodica can be played with two hands employing an air tube.
To blow air, a foot pump can also be used.
Comparison with traditional woodwind instruments
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 their 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.