Have you ever seen the melodica? Or have you ever even heard of it? This instrument is really funny looking and produces a unique sound. There are not a lot of pop songs that contain the melodica, it’s mostly used in comedy or theatre, but you might have seen some artists in reggae or jazz that use this instrument as well. The melodica is really fun to play, really fun to look at and really fun to listen to. We’ll tell you everything about this instrument in this article.
What is the melodica?
The melodica is part of the family of wind instruments, but it looks like a very small keyboard or piano with some weird tube attached to it. You can compare the melodica to an accordion. It’s a polyphonic wind instrument, which means that it’s a wind instrument where you can play multiple tones at the same time. Where instruments like trumpets or flutes can play only one note at a time, with the melodica, you can play chords.
Playing the melodica
Playing the melodica is a lot like playing the accordion, but without the bellows. You take the tube in your mouth and blow while simultaneously pressing the keys of the notes you want to play. If you already know how to play the piano, you would theoretically be able to play the melodica. That is: with a lot of practice of course, because blowing and pressing at the same time can be a bit hard. Most people hold the melodica in their hands, but if the tube is long enough, you can lay the melodica down and play with two hands. The options are limited though, because the melodica doesn’t have as many octaves as a piano or even a keyboard.
The melodica in music
The melodica looks funny and produces a very distinct sound. Maybe you hear about it for the first time while reading this article. Though it is not used in pop songs nowadays, melodica’s play a big part in reggae and sometimes jazz. What’s so great about the melodica, is that you can hear the intention of your blowing in the music you make (a little bit like a kazoo). The sound of the melodica can be very light, but also very dragging. That’s why the melodica is a very good instrument to express certain feelings with.
The melodica is part of the family of wind instruments, but it looks like a very small keyboard or piano with some weird tube attached to it. You can compare the melodica to an accordion. It’s a polyphonic wind instrument, which means that it’s a wind instrument where you can play multiple tones at the same time. Where instruments like trumpets or flutes can play only one note at a time, with the melodica, you can play chords.
Playing the melodica
Playing the melodica is a lot like playing the accordion, but without the bellows. You take the tube in your mouth and blow while simultaneously pressing the keys of the notes you want to play. If you already know how to play the piano, you would theoretically be able to play the melodica. That is: with a lot of practice of course, because blowing and pressing at the same time can be a bit hard. Most people hold the melodica in their hands, but if the tube is long enough, you can lay the melodica down and play with two hands. The options are limited though, because the melodica doesn’t have as many octaves as a piano or even a keyboard.
The melodica in music
The melodica looks funny and produces a very distinct sound. Maybe you hear about it for the first time while reading this article. Though it is not used in pop songs nowadays, melodica’s play a big part in reggae and sometimes jazz. What’s so great about the melodica, is that you can hear the intention of your blowing in the music you make (a little bit like a kazoo). The sound of the melodica can be very light, but also very dragging. That’s why the melodica is a very good instrument to express certain feelings with.
