Going to music stores can be very dangerous on the wallet. Time spent in three nice music shops in Bangalore on Sunday and I find myself with a new instrument. This time it's another melodica. A 37 key one opposed to the 26 key one I already have.
It is not unusual for even a brand new melodica to have notes that are out of tune. It's sad but unfortunately the case. Luckily however this is not something too difficult to fix. A screwdriver, a tuner and some sand paper and one hour later mine was playing like a dream.
Having watched some YouTube videos on the same topic this is what I did:
It is not unusual for even a brand new melodica to have notes that are out of tune. It's sad but unfortunately the case. Luckily however this is not something too difficult to fix. A screwdriver, a tuner and some sand paper and one hour later mine was playing like a dream.
Having watched some YouTube videos on the same topic this is what I did:
- Take your tuner and identify the notes that are out of tune. Note how many cents they are sharp or flat. I would tackle only the very worst ones first. It is unlikely that you will notice notes that are slightly out of tune. I dealt with the ones that were 10 cents or more off.
- Unscrew the melodica. Be careful to keep the same screws in the same wholes. The last time I took a melodica apart, I didn't quite put it properly back together, and it was leaking air making it almost impossible to play.
- Identify the reeds that correspond to the out of tune notes, either by gently plucking with a pocket knife or lining up the corresponding key.
- Take a small piece of sandpaper and sand a small amount at either the tip or the base of the reed to correct it.
- If the note is flat, you need to sand near the tip. Support the tip from under with a pocket knife or something like that to protect it.
- If the note is sharp you sand the base near where the reed is attached.
- Put the melodica back together without the screws, and test the notes. You will need to blow fairly hard.
- Adjust as needed and put the melodica back together.
- It is very important that the screws are tightly put back or the melodica will not be airtight.
This is what worked for me. A feel good fix for someone that had spent money on an instrument, and was disappointed when it was out of tune. The melodicas I have are not expensive and I was prepared to take the risk. I would advise anyone wishing to do this, to research it properly first. For a more thorough explanation read these article from melodica.com and melodicaworld.com
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