Melodic Instruments
Accordions
Gandharva Loka supplies several brands of piano accordion. For the beginner there is the Scarlatti accordions which are very economical and reliable instruments. Delicia (Czech Republic) accordions are reliably made, well priced and considered to be the best value for money in Europe. From Italy we source the prestigious Excelsior and Casagnari accordions – both makers with reputations for producing professional quality instruments. On request we can order whichever brand you wish.
Accordions for Children
This is a great piano accordion for children. It is simple enough to use and has a rich sound that projects well. With fourteen notes in a diatonic scale, this accordion has a nice timbre and produces a lovely sound – an encouraging instrument for children who are beginning their musical journey.
Balafon
The balafon is a West African xylophone which dates back to the 13th century. Played with two padded sticks, the balafon has sets of gourds beneath the tuned wooden keys which resonate with the earthy and festive sound of West African music. Gandharva Loka has single octave and the larger two octave models available.
Concertina
Gandharva Loka supplies Scarlatti concertinas and the Italian made Stagi concertina, in both the Anglo and the English systems. We also offer the English handmade Sherwood concertinas for the discerning player, but please note that there is a waiting list for these. We offer several types – 20, 30 or 48 key – from student/beginner models right through to the Sherwood. On request Gandharva Loka can order whichever brand you wish.
Dulcetina
The dulcetina is a member of the harmonium family – a simplified, slimmer and more portable version. It does not have any registers to vary the tone but the dulcitina's advantage is its simplicity and light weight. Generally the dulcetina offers a sound that is quite powerful but not as rich in modulation as its larger cousin, the harmonium.
Energy Chimes
A gentle stroke with the wooden striker is enough to produce from these energy chimes a pure, crystal clear tone which resonates for up to thirty seconds. The sound vibrations emitted by these energy chimes are rich in natural harmonics which are considered to be the healing elements of music. Gandharva Loka has energy chimes available with one, two, three and eight chime bars.
Glockenspiel
The Glockenspiel is a very easy instrument to learn which makes it popular with children. It offers the chance to quickly become familiar with notes and play simple melodies. Even very little children are enthusiastic about the bell-like melodious tones and they don’t hesitate to play as soon as they get a striker in their hands. Gandharva Loka stocks a wide range of glockenspiels including fun models for the kids.
Harmonium
Harmoniums have keys like the piano and a bellows that is pumped with one hand. The sound is created by the air streaming through tuned metal reeds. Depending on the type of harmonium, there are registers for lower and higher pitch, for doubling the octaves, regulation of the volume, vibrato and various bordunes. Indian harmoniums have a practical size and a soft voluminous sound. Gandharva Loka has Bina and Monoj Kumar harmoniums from beginner models to top end and also fold down models available.
Kalimba
The kalimba family of instruments is uniquely African and appears to have been invented twice! A wood or bamboo-tined kalimba appeared on the west coast of Africa some 3,000 years ago, and metal-tined lamellophones appeared in the Zambezi River valley around 1,000 years ago. Also known as the thumb piano, the kalimba is held with both hands and metal tines are plucked using the thumbs. The kalimba offers mellow tones and the opportunity for interesting rhythms. Although they are a very simple instrument, kalimba differ greatly in shape and sound and can be tuned precisely by adjusting the sound bars.
Gandharva Loka stocks several models of the highly developed Kalimbas created by two inspired instrument makers, Hugh Tracy and Peter Hokema. (Peter lives in Germany and has created a highly refined version of the kalimba called the sansula.) Hugh Tracey started making and exporting Kalimbas in the early 1960s and from there the popularity of the kalimba grew. His kalimbas are made from African hardwood and the tines are made of European spring steel. We carry several models of the Hugh Tracy kalimbas from the flat kalimba to the box kalimba (with or without the little beads that give the authentic fuzzy sound found in African music) and in different tunings; the treble and celeste treble (17 notes, 2+ octaves), the alto and TM alto (15 notes, 2 octaves), 11 note pentatonic kalimba, the African-tuned karimba, and an 8-note beginners kalimba.
Melodica
The melodica presents itself as an easy-to-play instrument for kids and for adult beginners. It is a combination keyboard and wind instrument as the sound is produced by blowing into it while playing the keyboard. Melodica are made with either thirty-two or thirty-seven keys. They can be played by blowing directly into the mouthpiece, giving it a saxophone feel, or a tube can be fixed to the mouthpiece so that the instrument can be played from a table or stand. A case is provided with the instrument.
Sansula
Peter Hokema's sansulas have a richer, more mellow and resonant sound than that of the kalimba. The metal bars are produced precisely and are tuned to A minor with additional tunings in B and F. If you hold the sansula on your lap or over an even surface you can create intense effects like vibrato or wah-wah effect by lifting and lowering the instrument. The Sansula Renaissance model is covered with a natural looking synthetic skin, and is thus resistant to climatic changes and is quite durable. The Sansula Deluxe is the most solid model, perfect for heavy use and the playful hands of children. It has a natural skin that can be tuned with a small key. For all models the tuning is the same – A minor with additional notes. There are also three models available without the drum attached, the Kalimba B7, the Kalimba B9 and a boxed kalimba called the Kalimba Classic.
Sen Plates
This is a new instrument from Germany consisting of six metal plates. The inherent sound of the metal can be expressed perfectly with the special tuning technique of sen-plates. Each tone can sound soft or powerful according to the intensity and the way the plate is struck. A special timbre is created by the corresponding pairs of sound fields creating a subtle vibration of overtones. Available from Gandharva Loka in pentatonic tuning in C.
Shruti Box
Shruti box is used to produce sustained sounds. The construction style is the same as with the harmonium, but the inner space is smaller and thus much more practical. The range of notes is one octave. In India the shruti box is an accompaniment in the traditional music; in the West it is mainly used as a drone for overtone singing or to accompany instruments and singers.
Steel Drums
Steel drums (also known as steel pans or pans) is a musical instrument and a form of music originating from Trinidad in the West Indies. The steel drum is a pitched percussion instrument, toned chromatically (although some toy or novelty steel drums are tuned diatonically), and were originally made from fifty-five gallon oil drums. Gandharva Loka supplies ECS steel drums. A German company with over 30 years experience, ECS offers the best quality and variety of Steel Drums that we have come across. We stock the cheaper student models through to the professional models in a wide range of tunings — the sounds are amazing!
Pipedream: Tube Glockenspiel
The pipedream tube glockenspiel is a beautiful sounding instrument that is perfect for improvisation and self-discovery. Made with the same precisely tuned tubes that are used for the famous Woodstock chimes, the pipedream tube glockenspiel is tuned to a pentatonic scale based on the music of ancient civilizations. Also available is a pipedream tube glockenspiel which uses the tuning of the Gamelan orchestras of Bali and Java.
Wooden Xylophone
Like the glockenspiel, the wooden xylophone is a very easy instrument to learn which makes it popular with children. It offers the chance to quickly become familiar with notes and play simple melodies. Even very little children are enthusiastic about the melodious tones and they don’t hesitate to play as soon as they get a striker in their hands. We have a wide range of glockenspiels including fun models for the kids. Some have wheels and a pulley rope and we have a wonderful mini Thai xylophone which will keep a child amused for hours.
Index
| Melodic Instruments |
| Accordions |
| Accordions for Children |
| Balafon |
| Concertina |
| Dulcetina |
| Energy Chimes |
| Glockenspiel |
| Harmonium |
| Kalimba |
| Melodica |
| Sansula |
| Sen Plates |
| Shruti Box |
| Steel Drums |
| Tube Glockenspiel |
| Wooden Xylophone |
| Wind Instruments |
| Stringed Instruments |
| Drums and Percussion |
| Gongs and Singing Bowls |
| Main Instruments Page |
Can't find what you are looking for?
At Gandharva Loka we keep many more instruments in our store than we list on this web site – and we have new instruments arriving regularly. If you cannot find the instrument you are looking for on these pages, kindly contact us as it may well be on our shelves. If not, we will be happy to assist you in tracking down the instrument you need.
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