Janko Melodica
Tagged: janko melodica
- This topic has 20 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 1 year ago by
David Colpitts.
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AuthorPosts
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July 15, 2020 at 12:04 pm #11335
Steve Giedosh
ParticipantAfter almost a decade of research, design and work, I am pleased to announce with the help of the amazing artist/designer Patricia Sichmanova, the completion of the 3d printed Janko Melodica. With thirty seven digitally designed janko keys, you can turn any Hohner Performer 37 or Airboard 37 into a portable, loud and extremely playable Janko keyboard.
Now with a fraction of the cost of other hard to come by janko keyboards, you can have a janko keyboard instrument that fits right in your hand and goes wherever you go!I love this instrument.
July 16, 2020 at 6:52 am #11336Pál Krammer
ParticipantA few questions:
– What is the cost?
– Can there be a light/dark pattern made which is typical of Janko keyboards?
– Will keyboards be available for other 37-key melodicas, such as Yamaha or Suzuki?
July 29, 2020 at 3:54 pm #11349Kevin
ParticipantYes, I am also interested. Are you in fact manufacturing and marketing these?
August 2, 2020 at 2:32 pm #11384Steve Giedosh
ParticipantHi everybody!
Info and prices here:
I am making and marketing these, thus far they are only for the Hohner Performer 37 and Hohner Airboard 37 Melodicas. If you get a set you can color them anyway you like but they will come white.
Basically it’s $350 for a melodica with keys installed or $175 for the keys. See link for more detail!
August 4, 2020 at 1:17 pm #11401Daren
KeymasterHow about a video 🙂
August 4, 2020 at 1:50 pm #11403Steve Giedosh
ParticipantHere you go:
August 4, 2020 at 2:52 pm #11405Daren
KeymasterI love it! Is it a big adaption from playing standard keys? Would possibly be worth it just for the look 🙂
August 12, 2020 at 9:56 pm #11649Steve Giedosh
ParticipantHey Daren,
Sorry for the long reply, I got a hungry newborn and a wife who needs the sleep. I will be posting a proper reply with a video on Friday to answer all of your question!
August 14, 2020 at 11:50 pm #11662Steve Giedosh
ParticipantHey Daren
To answer your question, no I don’t think it’s a big adaptation as it’s far easier to play than the normal piano layout.
The Janko layout, invented by Paul Von Janko in the late 1800s was (at the time) made to be a replacement for the standard 7 on 5 piano but never really took off as piano was a well established institution at that point in history. It’s a isomorphic layout that allows uniform fingerings and shapes for all material played on the keyboard. It’s like every key is as easy to play as “C”.
You have two rows:
C D E F#/Gb G#/Ab A#/Bb
and
C#/Db D#/Eb F G A B
These two rows make the two wholetone scales and when you stack them on top of each other you have a symmetrical layout.
Basically once you learn something, be it a scale, chord, interval or melody in one key, it’s played the same in all other 11 keys. This effect of uniformity and moving of shape is exactly the same as guitar, bass or any other stringed instrument. Couple this logical and streamlined layout with the punch and portability of the melodica and you’ve got yourself a very powerful musical tool. I came across this layout in grad school after attending a Dr. Barry Harris lecture which lead me to research alternative musical tools, myself being a bassist and dyslexic this layout was a natural and logical conclusion to harmony and something I wish I had in my undergrad piano and theory classes. If you are familier with how Dr. Barry Harris talks about harmony and theory, then this layout will make perfect sense because it’s basically just that.
I’ve put together a short video to demonstrate this simple and powerful layout.
August 14, 2020 at 11:57 pm #11664Steve Giedosh
ParticipantHere is the video I made demonstrating the layout.
August 15, 2020 at 10:44 pm #11668Daren
KeymasterGood work Steve. If I was learning from scratch again, I’d probably consider this system
July 8, 2021 at 12:18 pm #13716David Colpitts
ParticipantHello, Steve. I have been busy with other projects, and not checking here for a year….I am happy to see you have finished and are bringing to market your elegant keyboard options. As a hacker who glues shirt buttons onto craft sticks and then to the melodica keys, I appreciate your attention to detail and precision. Are you shipping now, if you get a keys-only order?
Regards,
David
July 8, 2021 at 4:58 pm #13717Steve Giedosh
ParticipantHey David.
Let me get a hold of my partner who fabricates the keys.
Is there an email I can reach you at?
Steve.
July 9, 2021 at 12:23 am #13718David Colpitts
ParticipantIs there no personal messaging on this site? I am not completely comfortable posting emails on public forum sites. If you are, I’ll gladly email you directly. Or, the squeeze-box sites, maybe?
Thanks.
David
July 9, 2021 at 1:52 am #13719Steve Giedosh
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