There has been one for sale in the paper under musical instuments for the past…forever, and I can’t find any info on it at all.
I don’t know anything of them myself, but a quick Google search turned up some info. Here are a couple of links to try:
http://www.suzukimusic.co.uk/suzuki_omnichord.htm
All the Best, Tom
I’ve seen those pages, but I was wondering what they are. ![]()
Oh, sorry. I guess I should have figured that you would have done the search. My apologies. ![]()
Can’t help you otherwise.
Tom
It looks like a musical toy, something like an electronic version of the autoharp, where someone could set up a rhythm and play chords by fingering the buttons. From the pictures, i imagine that there are major, minor and seventh chords (3 rows of buttons), but this is a guess.
… some time passes…
I did a Google on “how to play the omnichord”, and it looks like i guessed mostly right:
http://www.bransonconnection.com/shopping/chord/chord1.htm
They’re actually kinda fun! I’ve used mine to lead singing for the kids at the opening of Sunday School, and it’s… well… fun!
They also have some MIDI functionality, but I’ve not gotten into that end of it… yet.
If you think of an autoharp crossed with a General MIDI module and an arpeggiator (activated from the strumming area), that’s about the size of it. Interesting instrument… slightly above toy status, but not quite in the major leagues of must-have equipment.
I would have a much better idea of what these things are,
if I could actually see a picture of someone holding one.
What notes are generated when you strum that strum thing?
Are they just notes in a selected chord, or what?
Caj
Oh, I see.
There’s a movie clip at http://www.popsmusic.com/qchord.html. Just click on the “See Demo Movie” option on the right.
I wonder what it would be like to try to play something like that as a melody instrument.
Caj
Yes, they are a synthesizer that is played like an Autoharp. They have been popular for decades. I know a missionary lady who plays one.
I know a lady who plays in the missionary position ![]()
They actually have a melody mode, where the chord buttons are used as a piano keyboard. The strum field doesn’t work for melody, unlike an autoharp, but the melody mode does.