Melodica

[dezb1]

Had another birthday the other day and my kids put their pocket money into buying me a new keyboard



Being a big Depeche Mode and New Order fan I'm having a lot of fun with it. After a bit of a scout around the net I can't believe the amount of 80s tunes they've been used on...

[Larry Mal]

Gang of Four, also. I keep meaning to buy one.

[Telliot]

I’ve had one for at least 20 years. They’re great for all sorts of things, and can add nice textures when you want something out of the ordinary. I like that its timbre can vacillate between pseudo-accordion to pseudo-clarinet, depending on your playing, note range, and breath control.

Congrats and Happy Birthday!

[Larry Mal]

Here's the song that quickest came to my mind:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E4M3U3WG40

[Singlebladepickup]

I had one and it was fun until the hose started getting black mold. Plus mine was never in tune.

[dezb1]

This was my first thought:

https://youtu.be/UlHQSIMHqjA

[higgsblossom]

I found an original Hohner one at a flea market last year and it’s so much fun! I like that it can be both a toy and a „real“ instrument, and it was only 5€. A vintage instrument I can afford

One of those:

They’re great for drones, too.

[dezb1]

Nice, I had one of them as a kid never used it... I'd love to still have it but it's long gone.

[mackerelmint]

Awesome.

One's been on my list of things to buy forever... They're good sounding and fun.

[shadowplay]

I found an original Hohner one at a flea market last year and it’s so much fun! I like that it can be both a toy and a „real“ instrument, and it was only 5€. A vintage instrument I can afford

One of those:

They’re great for drones, too.

Looks really cool that. I've got a Hohner Piano 26 because that's thee Melodica in recorded music since it's the one Augustus Pablo use to such great effect on dozens of great albums and cameos.

D

[higgsblossom]

I would imagine that the Piano version allows for a more precise playing?
Mine has a minor issue with one of the keys, it must be worn or something because it's only half as loud as the others and if I play a single note on that key, I hear more of an "air noise" than the actual tone - I don't know how to describe that any better, it's just a lot of hissing over the actual tone. I wanted to open it to see if it's an easy fix but then I thought that this might do more damage than just leaving it as is...

[shadowplay]

I would imagine that the Piano version allows for a more precise playing?

I've only compared mine with Suzuki ones and it just sounds better, not as wheezy, yes easier to play I guess but it's the smooth, consistent but characterful tone that's the draw. It's 'thee' meloldica sound, the one New Order are aping on Love Vigilantes.

It was the first melodica I ever heard, at least outside a classroom (and the first Versioning/Discomix/dub) when I bought Jacob Millar Baby I Love You So with the iconic Augustus Pablo - King Tubby's Meet Rockers Up-Town on Island some time in late 1976. Still not just one of the best Reggae singles ever but one of the best singles full...stop...stop...stop.

Augustus Pablo didn't just play Melodica, he brought his style to piano and other keys, he was a much simpler player than the more flowery and more with foot in the 60's Jackie Mittoo who most folk would rate as thee reggae key wiz but his reduced, perussive and smeared style was so important. I think Mittoo ended up taking a tip from Pablo, his playing on the King Tubby helmed 'Clint Eastwood ‎– African Youth' elpee is much more akin to AP than his earlier more cinemmatic jazz style.

D

[panoramic]

I found an original Hohner one at a flea market last year and it’s so much fun! I like that it can be both a toy and a „real“ instrument, and it was only 5€. A vintage instrument I can afford

One of those:

They’re great for drones, too.

yeah i have this exact one, i bought it new like 30 years ago

[lizardville]

why pay 30 when you can the original joy division/new order one for 1,000 pounds?

https://bid.omegaauctions.co.uk/m/lot-d ... FEf9rCYoRU

[dezb1]

Bit too rich (and full of Barney Sumner's spit) for me.