The Best Misc. Musical Instruments

Answer 1

Over the years, the different families of Musical Instruments have crossed paths many times. This usually results in items that can’t be categorized, so they are merely labeled Misc. Musical Instruments. Not all of these musical hybrids are successful, but there two in particular that turned out wonderfully: the melodica and the omnichord. Although most people have never heard them, they’ve been on countless popular recordings.

The Melodica

The melodica is a light, two-octave keyboard with a pipe at the top. You hold the keyboard similarly to the way you would hold a clarinet and blow into the pipe to create sound. The melodica was invented in the sixties as a student instrument. It’s quite simple to figure out and highly portable, which makes it ideal for use anywhere. The melodica has a sweet organ-sounding tone that, when heard on a recording, is hard to place. It is perfect for a haunting single-note melody,. and when used with effects can produce a quite a large sound. Different musicians who have found a use for this instrument are R.E.M., Oasis, Steely Dan, and Depeche Mode.

The Omnichord

The omnichord is actually the electronic version of an autoharp, which is a hand-held instrument that the player strums with one hand while pushing a button to switch chords with the other. The omnichord works the same way as an autoharp, except there are no strings. Instead there is a touch-sensitive pad. Invented by the company Suzuki in the early eighties, it is very reminiscent of that time period. The music comes out of a small speaker and there is even a drum machine included on the instrument. The sounds are very lo-fi, almost like Nintendo music, but the chords have a dream-like quality that many musicians have grown very fond of. Bands who have used this instrument include David Bowie, Brian Eno, Grizzly Bear and Arcade Fire.

After hearing misc. musical instruments like these, it’s no wonder that musicians become addicted to finding the newest sounds. An omnichord and/or a melodica can give a recording just what it needed and although they may be hard to categorize, they should not be overlooked.