Talk:Melodica

message: you need to compare the melodica's size to something.
-krum0786
That trivia is entirely pointless and almost painful to read. --John Lunney 20:29, 22 March 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: That is not a valid reason. --Escape Orbit (Talk) 22:25, 27 May 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  picture 

message: The Rock band "The Hooters" are named after the melodica. Their music features plenty of melodica.
The notable instrumentalists section doesnt seem to be exactly full of notable instrumentalists, rather ones that have used the instrument. Using the instrument doesn't make you a notable instrumentalist. As it is, the list is long and a pain to look at and should be trimmed down to only those who actually are notable. Glassbreaker5791 02:51, 9 July 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: First off, associated content is self-published, i.e. the author submits the article and the "editor" posts the article. The author receives money depending on the number of hits. Second, to base notabity of instrumentalists based on a source that does not meet source standards fails my sniff test, at least. I do think that it is very hard to verify this sort of thing, but that does not justify linking to a blacklisted source. Stealthound (talk) 14:05, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Notable? 

message: These don't really seem like types of melodicas, but rather specific models produced by a couple of different companies:
The MyLodica uses a similar mechanism, but is constructed with wood.
SPECIAL EDITIONS - In 2008 Hohner Germany released its 50th Anniversary Jubilee Limited Edition Melodica. Made in Germany. In Ruby Red with Black Keys (and includes a Melodica Tube and mouthpiece, along with a carry case).
The rest of the list is varieties of melodica, not models.  To pull out the dreaded car analogy (evil cackle), it would be like this:
Types of automobiles:
Sedan/saloon
Station wagon/estate
Pickup truck
SUV
Ford F150
Toyota Camry
Suggest removing the last two items (which I'll do in nobody complains and I remember it later). Nasch (talk) 20:49, 17 March 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Types 

message: Okay, so we seem to have established that we need some rhyme and/or reason to the list. In my opinion it needs to be in a similar form to the list of guitarists in the Wah-wah pedal article. Below follows the list as it stands, for its members to either be included in the new "verbose" version or eliminated. --Bobyllib (talk) 17:05, 30 May 2009 (UTC)
thread_title: Notable players

message: ====Currently in article====
*Augustus Pablo
*Hermeto Pascoal
*Damon Albarn of Blur, The Good, The Bad & The Queen and as 2D in the virtual band Gorillaz
*Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian of The Hooters
*Bernard Sumner of Joy Division and New Order
*Jon King of Gang of Four
*Jonny Fox (a.k.a. Itch) of The King Blues
====Probably going in article====
*Monty Alexander 
*Donald Fagen of Steely Dan - definitely notable, and if I can find the paragraph in my SD biog he's going to be included and cited. 
*Stevie Wonder
====Not sure / currently not in article====
*Ian Curtis of Joy Division
*Rick Davies of Supertramp
*Jack DeJohnette
*Ben Folds
*Zach Gill of Animal Liberation Orchestra and Jack Johnson
*Tom Gray of Gomez (band)
*Mark Hart of Crowded House
*Joe Jackson
*David McWane of Big D and the Kids Table
*John Medeski of Medeski Martin & Wood
*Julia Nunes
*Jared Gomes of Hed PE
*Jeremy Michael Ward of De Facto 
*Bernie Worrell of Parliament/Funkadelic
*Ollie McGill of The Cat Empire
*Dan Haseltine of Jars of Clay
*Joe Zawinul of Weather Report (can be heard on the track Birdland)
*Christopher Bear of Grizzly Bear
*Yann Tiersen
*Billy Preston
*Missy Higgins
*Richard Galliano  (apparently plays the Vibrandoneon, according to its article (RIP))
*Michael Stipe of R.E.M.
*Mike Patton
*John Lennon of The Beatles - all I can find on Lennon playing one is that he played one a bit in a documentary. 
*Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs while with Oasis - not that notable. one song (IIRC)
*Alison Goldfrapp of Goldfrapp - not mentioned in article
*Andre Matos - not mentioned in article
*Peter Murphy of Bauhaus - not mentioned in article. also, needed to link to Peter Murphy (musician). 
*John Frusciante - not mentioned in article
Thanks for doing this, Bobyllib.   I broadly agree with your categorisation, but I don't think we need a list at all.  Notable players should be a mention of a select few who are particularly skilled and noted for playing the Melodica.  Musicians who, if someone was wishing to hear the instrument at its best, would be the ones to be recommended.  Musicians where the instrument is specifically mentioned in their WP article.  Occasional players, musicians who are not generally known to be players of the instrument, or musicians who are not widely known themselves, should not be mentioned.  It's not the job of this article to itemize every musician who has once picked up a melodica, any more than you'd expect to see a list of occasional strummers on the guitar article. --Escape Orbit (Talk) 09:11, 8 July 2009 (UTC)
thread_title: List, as of May 30 2009

message: *Ian Curtis of Joy Division
*Rick Davies of Supertramp
*Jack DeJohnette
*Ben Folds
*Zach Gill of Animal Liberation Orchestra and Jack Johnson
*Tom Gray of Gomez (band)
*Mark Hart of Crowded House
*Joe Jackson
*David McWane of Big D and the Kids Table
*John Medeski of Medeski Martin & Wood
*Julia Nunes
*Jared Gomes of Hed PE
*Jeremy Michael Ward of De Facto 
*Bernie Worrell of Parliament/Funkadelic
*Ollie McGill of The Cat Empire
*Dan Haseltine of Jars of Clay
*Joe Zawinul of Weather Report (can be heard on the track Birdland)
*Christopher Bear of Grizzly Bear
*Yann Tiersen
*Billy Preston
*Missy Higgins
*Richard Galliano  (apparently plays the Vibrandoneon, according to its article (RIP))
*Michael Stipe of R.E.M.
*Mike Patton
*John Lennon of The Beatles - all I can find on Lennon playing one is that he played one a bit in a documentary. 
*Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs while with Oasis - not that notable. one song (IIRC)
*Alison Goldfrapp of Goldfrapp - not mentioned in article
*Andre Matos - not mentioned in article
*Peter Murphy of Bauhaus - not mentioned in article. also, needed to link to Peter Murphy (musician). 
*John Frusciante - not mentioned in article
Thanks for doing this, Bobyllib.   I broadly agree with your categorisation, but I don't think we need a list at all.  Notable players should be a mention of a select few who are particularly skilled and noted for playing the Melodica.  Musicians who, if someone was wishing to hear the instrument at its best, would be the ones to be recommended.  Musicians where the instrument is specifically mentioned in their WP article.  Occasional players, musicians who are not generally known to be players of the instrument, or musicians who are not widely known themselves, should not be mentioned.  It's not the job of this article to itemize every musician who has once picked up a melodica, any more than you'd expect to see a list of occasional strummers on the guitar article. --Escape Orbit (Talk) 09:11, 8 July 2009 (UTC)
thread_title: Not sure / currently not in article

message: Hi, All.
The article says "Notes played on most woodwinds can be started with a percussive tongued attack; however, on a melodica this is not usually possible". I've only ever played one model of melodica, a plastic, one-octave one made for kids. On it, tonguing and trills are easy. It's hard for me to conceive of a melodica on which things things would be "usually" impossible—let alone how they would be impossible. Will someone enlighten me, or shall we change the article?
(Random tidbit: John Lennon plays a melodica at New York City's Plaza Hotel in the Beatles documentary The First U.S. Visit.)
President Lethe (talk) 00:06, 15 April 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Tonguing 

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thread_title:  External links modified 

message: Per an old online article by one Pat Missin, "Melodica" was the Hohner trade name for their 1950s introduction of a line of "small hand-held breath powered reed organs." Though the device had been around for some time, it was apparently Hohner that made it a commercial success. While "melodica" may have become a generic term, it's likely still Hohner's property at least by coinage and usage.
FWIW, Missin also notes similar instruments such as the Harmoniphon (patented 1836, and another under the same name in the 1850s) and the Sears-Roebuck blow accordion with "ten buttons or keys, plus a pair of bass and chord buttons." Western free-reed instruments
 Weeb Dingle (talk) 15:06, 2 September 2017 (UTC)
thread_title:  the device's name 

message: I have removed this section again. It confuses free reed instruments https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_reed_aerophone with woodwind instruments https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodwind_instrument . It is the same as comparing a piano with a rebab (single string fiddle). If this comparison is worthwhile, it should be added to the free reed page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_reed_aerophone . Further critique below:
- "Melodicas are unusual because unlike most other reed instruments, they make use of a piano keyboard rather than a specialized fingering system using holes and/or buttons"
Not true. Out of the three most popular free reed instruments (mouth organ, accordian, pump organ), two have piano type keyboards. No free reed instrument uses fingering holes etc - the free reed decides the pitch, not the column of air ala saxaphone, clarinet etc.
- "This allows the player to use a single finger to play any one note of the instrument's range, rather than requiring several fingers to play individual notes, as is the case with most other reed instruments."
Again this is not true, as above. 
- "The player can then play chords by using their remaining fingers to press additional keys, and thus, sound additional notes. In other words, whereas most reed instruments such as saxophones or clarinets are monophonic, the melodica is polyphonic"
Mouth organ, accordian, and pump organ are all polyphonic. Two of them have piano keyboards.
- "Additionally, for a beginner, a melodica can play accidentals more easily than a reed instrument, which requires special fingering."
Again, this is as relevant as comparing a xylophone with a cowbell.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.101.170.68 (talk) 23:12, 31 January 2019 (UTC)
thread_title:  Problems with "Comparison with other reed instruments" section 

message: Not sure what is trying to be said in the fourth paragraph of the intro. Also pretty sure 'mouse' is supposed to be 'mouth'? I don't know enough about this to start fixing it.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mikevanoost (talk • contribs) 19:26, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
thread_title:  intro edits 

message: I think the recent move from  to Keyboard Harmonica (Melodica) suffers from several defects.
#The instrument's WP:COMMONNAME is "Melodica"; it started as a specific instrument by Hohner, but now it is used generically (although the Hohner is by far the most used model).
#The new name violates several naming guidelines: the second word should not be in caps, and the disambiguator is unnecessary.
#The move of an article that existed under this name for more than 18 years, and exists under this name in many interlanguage Wikipedias, including DE and Commons, ought to have been discussed here first.
In light of the issues above, I'm going to revert the move and related edits to the article. -- Michael Bednarek (talk) 03:52, 25 July 2020 (UTC)
thread_title: Recent move

message: The instrument can be played with or without a tube. It can be played single-sided or dual-sided. These two facts are unrelated. Separately, it's possible to use a type of bellows to replace the mouthing of the instrument, but that means you can't control the timbre that way. Basically, that's like using a metal hook to play the snares of the guitar: You get sound out of the instrument, but it's rather an amputation, no longer the complete instrument. I guess this could all be fitted in "Styles of play", but "Two hands" is a rather inaccurate and incomplete description. Mysha (talk)  —Preceding undated comment added 12:43, 10 September 2020 (UTC)
thread_title:  0 or more hands