Duet with a melodica

ShiroKuro · 2025-04-12T13:42:09+00:00

I am prepping a piano+violin piece that I'll be playing at a party in May. So for my lesson last week, my teacher brought his melodica to play the violin par...

pianoloverus

Here are some examples of what a genius pianist and melodica player can do:

More examples here:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cateen+melodica

Sophia

pianoloverus some examples of what a genius pianist and melodica player can do

That was incredible and very enjoyable, thank you for sharing that! It's so wonderful to see talented people do the impossible... and I'm so very very very impressed with him mastering TWO instruments at once. Loved it!

Slightly off topic (but still sorta not), people say the same about the harmonica, that it's not a "real" instrument etc. Here's my late father performing the same many years ago (it's the performance with which he became the world champion when he was only 20 years old).

Sam

I have two of them. My wife and I play funny stuff on them. Tomorrow for a piano group - "Baby Elephant Walk" by Henry Mancini!

Sam

ShiroKuro

keystring I'm picturing your eyebrows shooting up as your piano teacher pulled out his melodica

🤣🤣🤣

pianoloverus

Sophia Besides the technical brilliance of the playing the tone is particularly beautiful

twocats

Sophia Here's my late father performing the same many years ago (it's the performance with which he became the world champion when he was only 20 years old).

Wow!! Is he performing with a melodica and a harmonica at the same time?

Btw if you want to be impressed by a musician who can play multiple instruments at the same time, check out the ridiculously talented Gunhild Carling who can not only play everything but can famously play three trumpets at the same time!!

ShiroKuro

Sophia Wow, that's sooo cool! I am certain I've heard that song before, although I didn't recognize the name. (I'm Italian American, so I'm pretty sure I heard it in my grandma's household. It sounds very nostalgic to me!)

BTW is a vineta a kind of harmonica? It's fascinating how these instruments sound, because if I didn't know they were all harmonicas, I might guess there was a bandoneon in there or something.... (ok, it's been a long time since I heard a bandoneon, nobody come at me if I'm totally off!! 😅

Sophia

twocats Wow!! Is he performing with a melodica and a harmonica at the same time?

No melodica there 🙂 Well I DID say I was derailing the thread a little, haha. Sorry Shiro 😃
He performed that with two buddies, one playing the bass harmonica, the other one a vineta (chords).

Sophia

twocats ridiculously talented

I love those two words 😃 That's some crazy performance!!! I love where this thread is going 😃

ShiroKuro

twocats Gunhild Carling is amazing isn't she!! I remember when that video came out and I just was in awe of her. And the way she sings in this song is so cool as well, so all those instruments plus her voice!

pianoloverus

twocats Entertaining but rather superficial and gimmicky IMO. I think Cateen Is light years ahead of her both in his musical skill and as a composer/improviser. But maybe if I saw more of Carling's videos I would be more impressed. Besides the type of music I posted earlier on this thread, Cateen is a good enough classical pianist to make it to the semi finals of the Chopin Competition, one of the three or four most important piano competitions. Here is Cateen's main youtube site for those who want to see more of his performances.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cateen+%E3%83%94%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8E

twocats

Sophia that makes sense, it didn't seem possible that he was making all those sounds on his own 🙂

Sophia

ShiroKuro is a vineta a kind of harmonica?

Yes, it is, made by Hohner. In fact the world of harmonicas is quite fascinating, few people realize it's an entire world on its own.

I'll put the rest in a spoiler tag to minimize thread pollution and not drive you guys crazy - open and read at your own risk. Don't say I didn't warn you ^_^

I grew up with harmonicas, because my dad lived and breathed them. It was his all time favourite instrument even though he was a professional clarinetist for a living. He specialized in playing them all (not simultaneously) by creating multitrack recordings. Just a few samples of his music:

With his trio

Arrangements

Own Compositions

Classical

Full Orchestra

Sorry if it seems I'm bragging - I'm not, I'm being nostalgic and this trip down memory lane brought back a lot of happy memories 🙂 He passed away a few years ago so this is my way to remember him - and, well... this IS a forum where music is discussed 🙂

twocats

ShiroKuro Gunhild Carling is amazing isn't she!!

I saw her live, touring with Postmodern Jukebox a couple of years ago! I just missed her solo show here a couple of weeks back but I'm sure she'll be back in town in the next year or two 🙂

ShiroKuro

OMG I need to not go through these threads backwards! I totally missed the videos @pianoloverus posted of Hayato Sumino. I love him but I had no idea he played the melodica like that!!!!! How cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That sounds amazing!!!!

Ok, maybe I should record my lesson with my teacher next week and see how it sounds with the melodica! (Although maybe he won't have it at the next lesson??)

ETA:

see how it sounds with the melodica

What I mean is, how it sounds objectively, when I'm not playing, and not thinking about a violin.

ShiroKuro

twocats I saw her live, touring with Postmodern Jukebox a couple of years ago!

How cool!

I saw PMJ perform live once, and was very disappointed that Scott Bradlee wasn't there! it was a while ago, so I don't remember if I knew that was a possibility before buying tickets or not, but either way, it was a bummer. Still a good show, but I really wanted to see him.

Does he no longer perform with them at all? I seem to remember he sort of... retired?? I don't recall now, I used to follow them more actively but no longer do.

twocats

ShiroKuro I saw PMJ perform live once, and was very disappointed that Scott Bradlee wasn't there!

They actually have multiple touring casts at any given time, including in Europe! I don't think he tours at all and is just involved in making the YouTube videos. Basically he's like the "original Broadway cast" and we just get to see the touring cast (which seldomly includes the big stars who were on Broadway) 🙂

ShiroKuro

twocats I don't think he tours at all

Did he ever? Because I thought he did, but who knows... I'm remember some big announcement he made... like when he left social media or something and switched to an email blog type thing?? My memory is rubbish, obviously, but I must been confusing that announcement with an announcement or retiring from playing.

twocats

ShiroKuro Did he ever? Because I thought he did

Apparently if you're lucky!

Also apparently he wrote a book!

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/scott-bradlee/outside-the-jukebox/9780316415729/?lens=hachette-books

ShiroKuro

twocats I figured he used to tour.

Also, about that book... I just clicked, thinking maybe I'd buy it.... Looks like I already did, in 2022. 😅

Maybe I should read it.... 😁

twocats

ShiroKuro Maybe I should read it.... 😁

🤣🤣🤣

The pile of books that I have acquired but not read is... quite big.

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