10 Secret Melodica Tips That Pro Players Never Share!

0:18 Copying musicians better than you
01:26 Shaping a note
2:37 Vibrato/tremolo
5:10 Cuts (grace notes)
5:50 Tap (inverted grace notes)
6:09 Combining taps and cuts
6:43 Irish triplets, tonguing
7:53 Tonguing chords
8:34 Ghost notes
9:44 Playing with minimal effort
10:44 Exercise for playing with minimal effort
11:40 Melodica tone
12:01 Playing with both hands while holding the melodica
11:12 Note for beginners

#melodica #melodicatechnique #melodicalessons

[scronx]

You're trying to get people treating it like a musical instrument, and it's about time people did! Good!

[smertonosnyibratni]

one more tip you can try out and I have found works really well for minor pieces and if you need bass sounds. You can hum subharmonics (a fifth, octave, octave + major 3rd etc. below the note) to the notes your playing and the reed will actually resonate with your voice. making a sort of chord that works like fm synthesis. If you have a low voice this can make some really cool effects.

[DihelsonMendonca]

These tips are gold 🥇. I purchased my melodica today and I feel the lack of expression, like vibratos, staccatos, glissandos, everything a saxophone can do. I am a jazz pianist, for 40 years. I would be awesome if we had a mídi melodica to play sounds form a synthesizer or a DAW. 🎉❤❤

[kenzieprice]

You do a fine job sharing melodica and inspiring others. I know you have been involved for quite awhile and I hope you keep your contagious passion alive as long as you can!

[agisfcp]

I got a melodica about a month ago. I have been just messing around of how to play on my own. I am glad to see some of the things I do are used by melodica players.

[jefemckee]

As previous saxophone player I'm learning that certain techniques don't transfer well to melodica. You've really helped me figure a lot of this stuff out and in such a great succinct way. Bravo, sir!

[NiekopTube]

Great tips! My recent discovery: On the Suzuki Melodion 37 you've got a "saliva valve" on the right side (maybe on other models too?). You can use that valve for a nice vibrato/hammond effect, by pressing it fast in-and-out (release). The only problem is that this requiers playing the desired notes with your left hand, because only the right hand will be able to press that valve.

[chrispollacchi]

This is golden knowledge that can be applied to any wind instrument as well. Thanks for the insight!

[dubmaster]

Nice video. What you're calling stomach "vibrato" is actually tremolo. Vibrato is pitch going up and down and tremolo is amplitude going up and down(louder and softer). Thanks for your instruction. Respect

[xmovana_ika]

just bought my first 32 key melodica. I´m very happy. It´s very underrated these days compared to piano or guitar, but it´s reall cool instrument. Thanks for the tutorial!😊

[colinsmith]

Even the first tip is great. That's how I got really solid on fretless bass. I would try play along with the vocal lines of familiar songs in the high range (it was a 6 string the extra high string helped), and try to emulate their phasing as best as I could. I'd really focus on the tiny slides, the subtle aspects of their vibrato, getting release times right etc. I've found a lot of fun and growth applying this idea in all kinds of ways across a lot of instruments!

[schoffelenrick]

I love your content. When you posted i jumped. Ive bought a cheap melodica during my countrys lockdown, as someone whose never played an instrument your vids gave me a lot of guidance. I crave more.

[daveverwoerd]

I was given a hohner Alto in 1970 at the age of twelve
Still got it and works fine. Thanks for the videos.

[unamusik-]

Great tips! I like and often use the tongueing technic. I often make a kind of combinaison of several cuts ù taps. I plan to train the vibrato. Keep going, very inspiring

[CreativeSteve]

I'm glad I discovered ya a couple of months ago. I bought my melodica a month ago now. whenever you upload it gives me the courage to practice for 20 minutes every other day. :)

[vpupkoff]

Finally, I've found a normal melodica player who plays the instrument with wind instrument approach. How it should be.
Not just pushing buttons. Many people think of melodica as of portable accordion, and put no soul in their playing, just pressing the buttons, ignoring vibratos, dynamics, bends or anything else possible. Just pushing the darn buttons.

[kleintjiestrydom]

I love this vibrato sound but have to practice a lot!❤

[danimations]

Thanks again, great tips. So much of musicianship is about listening and making subtle embellishments for expression. As a harmonica player, I naturally began with tongued vibrato... literally waving my tongue up and down while blowing.... but that only works at high speed. The stomach vibrato technique you demonstrate here is much more flexible.

As commented previously, I'd love to see you make a video comparing bass melodicas, and noting the particular playing techniques those take to master.

[uppotukki]

Wow, that's nice! Thx. I'm left-handed, so i put it like a piano on my knees and play left hand using a pipe with mouthpiece. Playing like you in a 10th example is so complicated for me.

[oscarcaviglia]

Congratulations!!
You gained in me a new subscriber!!
I'm a musician, but it is good to know that, we're always learners, happily I've become your student and you my melodica teacher.