I listen to a lot of music. I was listening to the Mambo No. 5 I just posted in another topic. When I hear a riff or a line I like I figure out the notes with a Hohner melodica I keep next to the computer to do it with.

I really would like to have something more convenient (to figure out notes). Something I wouldn't have to blow into. I'm thinking a miniature piano that would sit on the desk. Or a miniature xylophone. Anything to make the process easier.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Mark

garageband on an iphone

Mark I have a small midi controller I bought years ago.
I plug it into the computer via the midi input.
The sounds is generated by the sound card in my computer.

Hope this helps, John C.

Thanks Donny........would you believe I'm looking at this from your freeware listing...... Electronic Piano 2.6

....and I had a "light bulb" moment. It looked familiar. Sure enough I remembered my Creative Labs sound card came with an on-screen keyboard. And I can play it either by clicking on a note or with the computer keyboard. Fantastic....now I can finally put away my melodica!

Yes, John, this also helps. Never thought about a small MIDI controller I can keep at the side of my desk and out of the way until I need it. I'm going to use my Creative Labs on-screen keyboard for now, and when I go to the music store, I'll check out some MIDI controller keyboards so I can spread my fingers out.

You guys helped a lot. I don't think I could take one more day of picking up and putting down the Melodica......and maybe taking 20 minutes to ID three notes!

Mark

You pay shipping and I'll send you a midi controller!

Virtual Piano

I bought an old Yamaha 3-octave, small-keys sample player keyboard years ago off Ebay. Has 2 little built-in speakers, runs on batteries. I keep it by my computer - and I pull it out often to figure something out, play along with a song of interest, check things when I'm working on a song, etc. etc. It's been very handy. It "eats" batteries, so I use rechargeables.

I suppose any little, cheap/old keyboard would suffice for this kind of need ... maybe even a "toy" keyboard - anything you can grab easily/quickly and as long as it's A440 tuned and you can plunk out a few notes ...

-Jim

https://www.roland.com/us/products/pc-80/


If you can find one of these..it is feature loaded like no other...Audio and usb midi interfaces ,, also comes with gm synth..

Bad news it (mine) is forced into retirement .. operates on windows 7 or earlier. I can not get it to work with windows 10..same with my Edirol audio interface, and Edirol / Roland Hyper Canvas, Super Quartet, Orchestral, and Native Instruments Bandstand....all favorites of mine..