5 Best Melodicas

Invented by Hohner in the 1950’s, the Melodica is a free reed instrument that works by manually blowing air into the instrument by using a tube or mouthpiece that is attached to it. The player can then manipulate the air flow using the keyboard on the melodica.

A free reed instrument is similar to a woodwind instrument, such as the clarinet or oboe, but instead of blowing air directly to a mouthpiece and reed, the reed is in a fixed position within a frame located inside of the instrument. The reed vibrates from the airflow produced by blowing into the tube. Harmonicas and accordions are two popular examples of a free reed instrument.

The Best Melodica is capable of playing music in any genre. Check out these videos to see the Melodica in action:

Also, watch this video to see how to properly take care and clean the melodica:

HAMMOND PRO-44HP “HAMMOND 44 HYPER”

This is hands down the best melodica on the market. Made by Hammond, the master organ makers, this melodica is masterful as it contains great key action, dynamics, and the ability to bend notes.

This best blow piano, being a digital instrument as well, can also be plugged into an amplifier for more sound. This is superb if you are planning on performing with your melodica in a concert and want to have greater sound. Also, this is great for recording situations as well.

The Hammond melodica also comes with a nifty case to protect the instrument from unwanted damage.

The pricing for this best melodica is quite high. I personally recommend buying a  more affordable melodica, such as the Yamaha 37D pianica, the Hohner 37 melodica, or the Hohner 32 key melodica before purchasing the Hammond melodica. You want to make sure that you really enjoy playing the melodica before you purchase this bad boy.

Check out this video to see reviews and demonstration of the Hammond melodica:

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Suzuki PRO-37V2 Pro 37-Key Melodion with Case

This is Suzuki’s recommended melodica for performances.

With a three octave range, you will have a lot of notes to perform on! The key action is also really great, so you will not have to worry about having bad key response.

Weighing at 2.2 pounds, this best melodica can easily be held using the leather holder for the trumpet holding position.

This best melodion also cost half as much as the Hammond melodica. If you wish to purchase a high quality melodica that is not super pricey, then I recommend purchasing this musical instrument.

Some complaints with this Suzuki melodica comes from the sound of the lowest and highest registers. Some users complain that the low register has a strange reverb effect and the high register has a strange metallic sound.

Watch this video to see a review by a Suzuki Professional:

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SUZUKI M-37C Melodion Melodica

Suzuki recommends this melodica for educational purposes.

However, some users recommend this melodica over the Suzuki Melodion Pro 37, which is Suzuki’s performance model melodica.

This instrument has a range from the F below Middle C (F3) to the F three octaves aboe (F6).

In terms of the pricing, this best melodica produces a very lovely tone that is comparable to the more expensive melodicas.

Check out this video to see how this instruments sounds and works (George Cooligan actually compares it to the Yamaha P 37 D pianica which is the next recommended melodica in this post):

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Yamaha P37D 37-Key Pianica

Yamaha is a newcomer with producing melodicas/pianicas, but they do an extraordinary job with producing their quality instrument.

This is an ideal buy for those looking for an inexpensive professional model of a pianica. I personally believe this is the best melodica for beginners, as it is of a decent quality and is quite affordable.

Some complaints from users of this instrument is the pitch of the instruments. All the notes are played slightly sharp. From my personal use of this musical instrument, I too have noticed how some of the notes are slightly out of tune. In the video of my playing, you can notice how some of the notes are quite in tune.

Here is a video of myself playing the Yamaha P37 D. Listen to the phrasing of the melodic line, and how each note has its own contour.

What I enjoy the most about the Yamaha 37D pianica is the warmth and expressive quality you can get from each note. Listen to the High D played in the Chopin Nocturne at 0:28 of the video. I am able to start with low volume and crescendo with the single note, creating a luscious tone. When I tried playing this on the Hohner melodica, I was unable to recreate the same tone.

Here is another video example of the Yamaha P37D pianica:

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Hohner Performer 37 Key Melodica – Black

The Hohner Performer 37 Key melodica is made by the original creators of the melodica.

This is the best professional model for melodicas in terms of pricing. At under 100 bucks, you will have a best cheap melodica that you can play and have fun with. There are even cheaper melodicas than this, but the quality of those other melodicas are so bad that it is not worth the buy.

This best blow-organ contains 37 notes and uses a bronze reed, which helps with retaining pitch and staying in tune. This best melodica for the money stays in tune better than the Yamaha 37D pianica. However, the tone quality is not as great.

From my personal use of using the Hohner Melodica, I really enjoy the lower range of the instrument. The low notes have a rich, deep, and warm sound. It is also easier to play in the lower range as well. The problem lies with the higher register. The tone is not so great up here. Also, trying to play a single note expressively in the higher register is quite difficult. I had much more ease playing the higher register of the melodica with the Yamaha 37D Pianica.

Some complaints from users of this instrument include the extra effort it requires to play chords. It takes extra air to play chords using this instrument in comparison to the melodicas mentioned above.

View this video to see what the Hohner melodica looks like:

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