[Nick]

Hi there-

I’ve been working on a song with my band, and we want to include melodica. I’m the melodica player, but I’m singing on that song. I was thinking I could play it with something that blows air into the melodica, so that it plays sort of like a harmonium. I was thinking bellows, but I wasn’t sure if that would work? Just wondering if anyone’s tried this before or has any good ideas! Thanks!

[David Hart]

If you can rig up a bellows strapped to one arm, with a tube leading to a bag as in bagpipe under the other arm, with its output tube connected to the mouthpiece, then that would look very impressive. But in reality, I’d have thought you’d be as well to just use an accordion on single-reed setting. If you can get one with a cassotto, that might get you a slightly more melodica-ish sound.

[Nick]

If you can rig up a bellows strapped to one arm, with a tube leading to a bag as in bagpipe under the other arm, with its output tube connected to the mouthpiece, then that would look very impressive. But in reality, I’d have thought you’d be as well to just use an accordion on single-reed setting. If you can get one with a cassotto, that might get you a slightly more melodica-ish sound.

I forgot to mention that I don’t want to spend a lot of money doing this–otherwise I definitely would just buy a harmonium or accordion. That bagpipe idea sounds really cool, though…

[jazzman1945]

The Baloon Inflator:

Air Force 4™ Inflator

[Pino]

Hi, Nick. If it were my band, I’d rearrange the song and add some more instrumental sections where I could play melodica, and let the others play while I sang.

This is a wimpy solution, but I am not very good at rigging things up, especially for just one song.

[Mauricio Bernal]

A balloon inflator, or any electric pump, makes quite some unwanted noise.

[Steven Morris]

Here’s a video that you might like:

[Nicholas]

A way to play a melodica without costantly blowing into it is with a bellow air pump . They are inexpensive at ebay and amazon .. I recently bought one on ebay and I’m looking forward tp using it when it’s delivered .. on youtube look for a video called DOUBLE FOOTPUMP AND TOY PIANO .. Watch this young guy play his melodica with 2 bellow foot pumps .. Have a good one

[Paul Durham]

Welcome , Nicholas. Watched the foot pump video and found it very inovative. The only drawback is lack of expression that can be achieved through breath control. In part this is one of the charms of melodicas. But we thank you for the input and your interest in melodicas.

[Author]

Posts