Yamaha, 37-Key Melodica (P37D)

Bought this for my musical son. Not only has he loved it, but two of his friends were so taken by it that they went out and bought the very same one. It played loud enough to be heard with his brass band when they busked in downtown Charlottesville.

A few years ago I started playing my Horner 37 melodica, I had to buy a new one because I accidentally bent a reed while cleaning it (note to self and all: be careful cleaning!!). After doing some pretty significant research on which melodicas are the best for professional use — and having had no idea anyone else even made them — I debated between the Suzuki and Yamaha 37 professional models. Ultimately I landed on this, and WOW, the difference is extraordinary!The Hohner model requires significantly more air to create sound, especially in the lower tones, the sound is tinny, and it’s difficult to tune.The Yamaha, on the other hand, produces warm, vibrant, and deeply resonant sound with just a little air which makes it much easier to control and create dynamic sound. Not only that, the tuning is stellar (and can be modified In told, though I haven’t needed to yet).In short, I cannot speak to the quality of the Suzuki models, though Im sure they’re fantastic as well, given my research. But if you’re looking for a melodica for professional use, skip the ubiquitous Hohner models. You cannot go wrong with the Yamaha, especially at the same price point.

I purchased the Yamaha 37-Key Melodica (P37D) because I love the Yamaha brand, and the 37 keys are perfect for my playing. The carrying case is beautiful, and the melodica has a fantastic sound, great build quality, and is easy to play. It's so much fun! As a music enthusiast, I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to enjoy playing and have fun!

Oh my god I love this thing. It looks great, the carrying case is fantastic, and it sounds so darn cute. I've been playing along with French Jazz songs and it feels perfect for that. The keys are easy to play and because of how light they are you can dance around pretty quickly. The color is gorgeous, in person the burgundy body mixed with the gold written logo is top class.For cleaning: I haven't had to do extensive cleaning all that much, but it is good to clean the tube after every session, or every other session in my opinion. The button to let out all your spit (gross I know) is on the right side, and you tip the water out from the hole you insert the tube/mouthpiece into. It takes a while for this stuff to accumulate, but don't let it sit in there for too long. Do not clean the inside of the body with water. You can wash the tube and mouthpiece with water, and let it air dry. For the surface, I would recommend a damp cloth, nothing too wet.For learners, the lower keys require more air from your lungs! Same goes with chords. The more keys you hold down, the more air is demanded from you. Keep practicing!Also of note, the tuning will be slightly flat from a normal piano. This is on purpose, I assume, because as you blow more air through the reeds, the note naturally sharpens a bit. So, the notes are tuned slightly under their target to compensate for this.

I play piano and accordion. This is a great way to learn these instruments. Easy key action. The keys are small which could be a challenge for big or wide hands. Yamaha makes good quality instruments. Nice sturdy case. For advanced playing, you can't bend the notes like you could on a harmonica. For this higher price, a note bending feature would have been nice. It's tuned abit on the sharp side. Many of us prefer A=440. Playing chords sounds tinny - some off-beat resonances in the small housing. Would have prefered a color-matched hose - burgundy vs white to match the instrument. Has a fluid release valve. Overall, Yamaha can improve on this model since it is sold as a high-end melodica. But again, a great starter/learning instrument.

This is a great instrument, and definitely worth the price to me.I'd considered a Hohner (much cheaper), but the reviews were almost completely negative in terms of how long it stayed tuned (not long) and the overall sound quality (not that great). This was a suggestion from a reviewer there, and I am not disappointed at all.I'm not a professional musician, but I have been playing music all my life. I started with the piano, and I think anyone who likes and is good at the piano will enjoy this. The sound is really unusual but pleasant. It's a lot like a harmonica or an accordion, and with good breath control you can really add a lot of feeling to the music using volume changes.I've had it for a little over a month now and have played it pretty extensively. It has not lost any tune so far, and it's very sturdy.I highly recommend buying a second tube assembly, though. Not because the one it comes with isn't sturdy, but because a secondary tube comes with the more pipe-like mouthpiece which I really like. Also, having extra mouthpieces is handy when people want to try out the instrument.

Very nice sounding melodica. Totally pleased!!!

I bought this because I see Donald Fagen (Steely Dan) playing it on YouTube vids. But I was disappointed in the quality. It sounds very good. But it's all plastic and feels more like a toy than an adult instrument. I have a Suzuki Melodion (M-37C). I like it's quality way better than the Yamaha (P-37D). They sound nearly identical. The Yamaha might sound a bit richer on the low end. I bought the Suzuki because I saw Casey Abrams playing it on a YouTube vid (Postmodern Jukebox - Stacy's Mom). I'm returning the Yamaha.