larger key melodica build
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Sorry for the cross posting, I put this on another forum as well, but this might be more appropriate:
Hello, all: I just came back from a week at Brazil Camp in Cazadero CA, which was amazing. Hermeto Pascoal, Jovino Santos Neto were two of featured teachers. Anyway, there were several keyboard players there, and some of us brought melodicas, ranging from cheepish hohners to spendy suzuky/hammond 44. We were talking about the challenge of transferring keyboard technique to the melodica, and I started to wonder. Has anyone made–or would anyone be willing to discuss–a melodica with the same keybed as an accordion, and maybe even two reeds like an accordion. To keep weight and size manageable there are a number of potential compromises, like maybe it needs to be played with a flexible hose mouthpiece, or needs a shorter keybed. I think there would be a lot of interest in this kind of keyboard from keyboard players. If anyone has any leads to this or ideas for who might be willing to design a prototype, please contact me at esiegel2@gmail.com. Thanks in advance!
wow, this is the first time I have heard of this camp, I Would have loved to have participated. I will need to check it out for next year. In regards to your other statement, though many do not see the difference in the melodica from other keyboard instruments besides fingering technique the melodica should be played like a wind instrument and not like a piano using articulation from your mouth rather than from your hands to crate a more human feel to the melody. This was the basis of creating a melodica that could bend a note upwards as well as downwards like brass instruments or human voice. Basically You need to take the mechanical sound out and insert the human factor. The use of dual reeds has been used such as in the Vibrandoneon and recently in the melodica that Tatu Salmela here on Melodica world creating a melodica with Vibrato that incorporates two reeds slightly out of tune with each other to create the vibrato effect. Unfortunately creating a melodica is extremely expensive 🙁
Melodica-MeEric, what do you mean by the same keybed as the accordion? Do you mean a heavier action? Otherwise, I can’t see too much difference in the keyboard?
As MM says, 2 reeded melodicas have already been made – I have a couple of Vibrandoneons with 2 sets of accordion style reeds. I actually prefer a more standard melodica to them, as they’re easier to play.
I also think we should be looking at technique – the melodica is unique, and has many advantages over its free reed cousins because of the wind control, and the light reeds which enable so much expression.
How do you envisage your ideal instrument? And how would you describe the potential musical advantages? How would it be different from the Vibrandoneon or similar models?
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