Yamaha Pianica, 37-note Melodica, Maroon (P37D),Red

My grandson loves it.

This is the third melodica I've had. It's the most expensive and it's the best by far. Easy to play, relatively in tune. Comes in a nice hard-shell case. I love it and I can't wait to incorporate it into some of my musical endeavors. Well worth paying more for.

As my old piano teacher used to say, if you can slap your finger down you can play music. That's true of the piano, and of the melodica after a fashion. That said I also play the saxophone, so I'm used to being a literal blow-hard. My first note, my dog ran for cover, I'll put it that way! It takes very little breath to sound out a note, especially at the low end, but nice, even tone across volume levels, easy to do vibrato and tonguing.Chording requires more breath support, especially if you're chording and playing the melody, which is where the depth comes in. But just playing with your right hand while holding it with the left, you can get an amazing range of volume.Now all that said, if you're coming from a piano background there is an adjustment. There are no melodicas that I could find (short of a VERY expensive, hard to find, vintage one made in the 50s-60s) with "piano" size keys. If you absolutely can't stand mini key MIDI keyboards you're going to hate this. I've heard the Suzuki meldoicas have a wider key so you might give them a look.If you don't mind some minor mental adjustment though, I think you'll be happy with this over one of the cheaper models. I certainly am - plus now I have another Yamaha instrument alongside my Yamaha saxophone and bass guitar. 🎹🎷🎸

The instrument is well made and comes in a rigid plastic carrying case. It is made in Indonesia and has a small manual in both Japanese and English. A mouthpiece and a tube are provided, giving you two ways to play the instrument.The sound quality is very good. The best way I would describe its sound is as being somewhere between an accordion and a clarinet. It takes more initial breath to get any sound out of the higher notes than the lower notes, but it takes more breath to play lower notes (especially between F3 and C4) at mezzo forte than higher notes. I've played clarinet before, and the buzz you feel on notes below middle C is not unlike the buzz you feel on the low notes of a clarinet. The keys are significantly narrower than piano keys; on a piano I can reach a 9th easily (or a 10th if I stretch), but on this melodica I can reach an 11th easily (or a 12th if I stretch). The keys are springy like an unweighted electric keyboard.There is a hole at the bottom to allow you to shake out spit after a long session. The back has a black leather strap, useful for when playing it vertically with the mouthpiece (it seems to be louder when played that way, though I can't tell if it's actually louder or if it's just the effect of being closer to the instrument).

This melodica is very fun and comes with a mouthpiece and hose attachment. The plastic carrying case is great and keeps it protected when I bring it with me camping.Unfortunately, all keys were sharp to some degree or another (some very sharp). You should expect to learn how to tune it. It's an easy but somewhat time-consuming process to tune every key. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials on how to do it.I'm not sure this is the "best" melodica out there, but it's a good one to try if you don't want to waste your time with one of those cheap student versions.

I bought this instrument as a fun little supplimentary item for a two-man guitar/vocal group. I was worried it would arrive out-of-tune (other reviewers commented thusly), but it was perfectly in-tune and ready-to-go. Sounds a lot like an accordion, rather than a harmonica. I suppose the highest notes sound harmonica-like. Having mediocre piano skill, I was surprised to find there is still a bit of a learning curve in playing this... especially when playing with the mouthpiece as apposed to the detachable tube. (Playing with the tube does seem to reduce both volume and articulation; though I'm far from an expert, and my observation in this may be unreliable.) I think I'm going to like learning this instrument, and I think that it will allow me to learn breathing and phrasing without having to focus on finger location that much. As such, I would imagine that it may help me as a stepping stone in learning my recorders; that is, to have breathing addressed so I can focus on finger technique later. I don't know.Having tried no other melodica or pianica models, I can't offer any comparisons. I can only say I am pleased that this instrument is worth what I paid for it.

Muy bonito, llegó rápido, en menos tiempo del programado

Excellent melodica. I used to get the Angel K37 melodicas (the green model) but they seem to no longer be available. This melodica has a slightly more brassy tone than the Angel, so it cuts through nicely without having to over-blow. The tuning was reasonably good - only a couple of notes needed a touch-up. The Angel melodicas typically lasted me about a year (an initial tuning when it arrived, and then a touch-up tuning 6 months later, then a give away 6 months after that). So far (after 2 months of use) this melodica seems to be holding pitch nicely. The keyboard is the same "toy style" keyboard that you find in most melodicas (not the "musical instrument" style keyboard found in the much more expensive Hammond PRO-44). This is a nice instrument at a surprizingly affordable price.