$59.00
The Lee Oskar Melody Maker™ is built for players who want to play melodies, not just riffs. Three altered notes put a complete Major scale under your hands in 2nd Position (Cross Harp), so the tune you hear in your head comes out cleanly — without fighting for bent notes a standard diatonic can’t deliver.
On a standard Major Diatonic, playing a Major scale melody in 2nd Position means bending and working around notes that simply aren’t in the layout. The Melody Maker retunes three of those notes so the Major scale sits naturally in the cross-harp position.
The practical result: you can follow a vocal line, play the melody of a song, or take a lead break without the scale falling out from under you mid-phrase. It’s a different instrument from the Major Diatonic rather than a replacement — the two are meant to share space in your case.
The Melody Maker is at home wherever the melody carries the part: R&B, Country, Reggae, Pop, Jazz, Latin, Afro, Clave, and Ska.
Not recommended for Blues. The same altered notes that make Major scale melodies easy also remove the classic bends and the raw, vocal cross-harp sound Blues playing depends on. For Blues, Rock, and traditional Cross Harp work, reach for the Lee Oskar Major Diatonic instead.
C, D, Eb, E, F, G, A, Bb, Hi C
The lower keys give a rounder, warmer melodic tone that sits well under a vocal, while High C cuts through a full band mix for lead lines and solos.
Which key you need depends on the song you’re playing. The Key Chart below matches song keys to harmonica keys.
Every Lee Oskar Melody Maker is designed around replaceable reed plates. When the reeds wear out, you fit a new set of Melody Maker Reed Plates and keep the comb and cover plates you already own — restoring the harp at about half the cost of a new one.
Because every reed plate in the Lee Oskar Harmonica System shares the same combs and covers, you can also fit Major Diatonic, Natural Minor, or Harmonic Minor plates to this body and change its tuning entirely.
Product Details: Lee Oskar Melody Maker™ Harmonica · Blue Label · Model #1910MM · Sold by key
| Weight | 3.36 oz |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 4.375 × 1.5 × 1.125 in |
| Select Key: | Key of Hi C, Key of Bb, Key of A, Key of G, Key of F, Key of E, Key of Eb, Key of D, Key of C |
The Lee Oskar Melody Maker is a diatonic harmonica with three altered notes that make it possible to play complete Major scale melodies in 2nd Position (Cross Harp), where a standard diatonic would require difficult bends.
Although it’s possible to play in many keys of music on any one harmonica by using various positions, most players use only the first two. 1st Position, also known as Straight Harp, starts from Blow. 2nd Position, also known as Cross Harp, starts from Draw, and 2nd Position is where the Melody Maker is designed to be played. For more information see Understanding 1st / 2nd Position.
The Major Diatonic is the standard Blues tuning, built around bends and 2nd Position Blues playing. The Melody Maker alters three notes so Major scale melodies fall naturally in 2nd Position, suiting R&B, Country, Reggae, Pop, Jazz, Latin, and Ska, and it is not recommended for Blues.
It isn’t recommended. The tuning trades the expressive bends that define Blues harmonica for melodic accuracy. Use a Major Diatonic for Blues.
No. The Melody Maker uses standard diatonic playing technique. What changes is the note layout, which makes melody lines easier rather than harder.