Lazy summer thought

[marino]

Well, actually I'm working like mad, but this didn't prevent me to have one of those fantasies which only come, I believe, during a summer afternoon.

Here's the deal: I was playing my melodica - a decent one, for sure, and quite expressive when you know how to phrase. But the sound itself is too similar to an accordion to consider it a 'beautiful' sound. I'd like to have more of a sax quality, or maybe a flute or clarinet... in short, a setting of its harmonics which would give more character and expressivity.

 

Now, I'm almost positive that in the '70s, I've seen melodicas with different embochures, or sax end bells, or both. But a quick search on the web brought me nothing.

(yes, I could undertake the sax or the clarinet again, but at this point in my life, that's out of the discussion)

 

So my question is, have you ever seen, heard, or even discussed, such a beast? Do you think that applying a soprano or alto sax embochure and/or bell to a melodica would do it any good to its sound? (um, metal against plastic - it's gonna be difficult perhaps) Would it be worth to experiment? Any further ideas?

 

 

[DanS]

I have an idea, jam a kazoo on the end of it.

You'll sound just like Miles.

[drawback]

http://www.slashtoys.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/saxophone.jpg

 

 

 

 

[iLaw]

"But the sound itself is too similar to an accordion to consider it a 'beautiful' sound."

Any accordion players out there want to call him out on that one?

 

Larry.

[stepay]

"But the sound itself is too similar to an accordion to consider it a 'beautiful' sound."

Any accordion players out there want to call him out on that one?

 

Larry.

 

I'll back Marino up on that one. Not a fan of the accordion.

[VLH]

Well, I'll disagree on the tone thing: In general I like the sound of the accordion more than the sound of the sax as most contemporary players make the sax sound. They seem to favor that harsh, reedy tone, like a buzzsaw on a chalkboard. Gak. Half the time when I think sax players sound like they are yelling. And the other half--well, they can be heavenly. Accordion is at least predictable in tone!

 

I have an older Yamaha melodica (late 70s) with two mouthpieces--a standard stem type one and one shaped like a trumpet mouthpiece, meant to be played straight on. There's no difference in tone with either one. I get different tones by overblowing, underblowing, stop tongueing, fluttertongueing, and breath control.

 

[marino]

Ok guys, so I happen to dislike the sound of the accordion as pure sound, sorry for the fans. I know several *great* accordion players, I know it can sound great in the right hands, but its basic, straight sound just doesn't appeal to me, and there's nothing I can do about it. Got that?

 

To return to the initial matter - thinking about it, I don't think that a flux of air coming rom a reed embochure could move the 'reeds' of the melodica in the right way... so probably,the whole idea is flawed. Adding a sax or trumpet bell at the end probably won't do much to the character of the sound, too.

The only altrnative which comes to mind would be to build a whole mechanical system attached to the piano-shaped keyboard, which would move sax-like 'keys' on sax-like holes - that would mean to design a completely new instrument, not the DIY hybrid which I had thought about. Oh well.

 

Any wind instrument expert would like to add ides or considerations?

 

 

[kanker.]

Get a breath controller?

[marino]

Get a breath controller?

 

Got it already, thanks... but the Yamaha VL1, though a great instrument, can't be brought around so easily... what I had in mind was to have the immediacy and expressivity of a real wind instrument, but using my keyboard abilities to control it. I guess I'll have to stick with the original melodica.

 

 

[longfuse]

There are 'swan neck' pipes that replace the snorkel and they make no difference in tone: that comes from the reeds and the space they vibrate in.

 

It's a pity the sound isn't channeled down to a single opening (like a clarinet/sax/trumpet etc) so that a mute could be fitted. I fashioned a piece of aluminium to work like a mute with my Hohner. It fits onto the back of the Melodica's body and prevents some of the sound from coming out of slots. It works, but I don't use it much.

 

Processing would be your best bet. Mic the Melodica and use effects/filtering. If only manufacturers would nickel coat the reeds we could use piano 'ribbon' (as in strip) pickups to amplify...no feedback and great for processing.

 

There was a guy in New Orleans, in the (very) early 1900s who used a kazoo as a replacement mouthpiece for his clarinet...not sure how he got the reed to work...or perhaps it didn't work and he just tried to fool everyone into thinking that he could play the clarinet? Either way, I bet it sounded awful!

 

There's a Japanese guy on yootoob with a lot of melodica vids and he uses a sax mouthpiece. Done more for practicality/looks than anything, from what I gather.

[marino]

It's a pity the sound isn't channeled down to a single opening (like a clarinet/sax/trumpet etc)

Exactly.

I fashioned a piece of aluminium to work like a mute with my Hohner. It fits onto the back of the Melodica's body and prevents some of the sound from coming out of slots. It works, but I don't use it much.

mmmm. Now that's an interesting idea.

Processing would be your best bet. Mic the Melodica and use effects/filtering. If only manufacturers would nickel coat the reeds we could use piano 'ribbon' (as in strip) pickups to amplify...no feedback and great for processing.

Frankly, I don't need a studio instrument... my idea was to have some fun with an instrument that could be carried around like most wind instruments.

There's a Japanese guy on yootoob with a lot of melodica vids and he uses a sax mouthpiece. Done more for practicality/looks than anything, from what I gather.

Interesting. Back to searching - and thanks!

 

 

[longfuse]

I fashioned a piece of aluminium to work like a mute with my Hohner. It fits onto the back of the Melodica's body and prevents some of the sound from coming out of slots. It works, but I don't use it much.

mmmm. Now that's an interesting idea.

 

It's late here, but tomorrow I'll upload a pic or two showing how it attaches.

 

This is the Japanese chap:

 

 

If you search his vids there's one showing how he made his contraption.

 

Edit: this vid shows the skeleton:

 

[longfuse]

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr14/Longfuse123/Mute1.jpg

 

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr14/Longfuse123/Mute2.jpg

 

The last pic shows that it works for any of the common grips used for melodica.

 

The mute mellows the tone; makes things a little less shrill.

 

Before you start hacking up bits of aluminium sheet, try running a strip of masking tape down the instrument's back to block the holes. Only a temporary measure: you need ventilation to let the condensation out, otherwise the reeds gunk up (the mute allows for this as it's not fully pressed up against the holes).