[jazzman1945]

People, you have created a godly deed: research laboratory of melodica’s performing potential . I would like to add – with a big delay – a few strokes to the topic.
I worked a lot on the maximization of expressivity sound of melodica; in what was very helpful the experience with vocalists, playing in the past the clarinet and saxophone, and a thorough analysis of Count Basie piano playing – with its striking touch diversity , not amenable to copying . .
The first task was: to eliminate any sense of accordion sound , and possibly   to come nearer to the sound of human voice – harmonica allows that with great success. The human voice and harmonica have a common property : the sound does not have a stable floor – he always modulates. To achieve a similar effect on melodica, don’t need to press the keys until the end, but somewhere between the start and end point of keys movement ; and this point isn’t remains unchanged. .
But the most important thing: instead of having to play some tune, I uttered a kind of recitative on one note, trying to achieve the effect of prosody different syllables.And then it turned out what for deepening expressive sound, you need to play quieter, what enlarged not only dynamic, but also the timbral range of the instrument.

[jazzman1945]

Using conventional mouthpieces contradicts the idea to enhance the expressive possibilities of melodca : it’s like two communicating vessels with a subtle transition tube, rigid or flexible in between. What’s good for gas or liquids, not suitable for the transmission of the subtle nuances of articulation. The one who tried to talk with a pipe in the middle of mouth is familiar with this. It seems that for this purpose the most appropriate form of the mouthpiece- like short respirator or inner side of short curved harp tightly adjoining to the lips from outside.

Up to now I have not found anyone who is willing to make this.

[Author]

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