![Omnichord - Au Revoir Simone, Paris (Pont des Arts), 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Omnichord_-_Au_Revoir_Simone%2C_Paris_%28Pont_des_Arts%29%2C_2012.jpg)
The Omnichord is an electronic
musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person who pl ...
introduced in 1981 by the
Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation
The is a Japanese company that produces a range of musical instruments.
History
Suzuki was founded in 1953 by Mr. Manji Suzuki. Initially the company manufactured Harmonicas and later developed the Melodion which in 1956 was officially adopted ...
. It typically features a touch plate known as "Sonic Strings", preset rhythms, auto-bass line functionality, and buttons for
major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
,
minor, and
7th chords. The most basic method of playing the instrument is to press the chord buttons and swipe the Sonic Strings with a finger in imitation of strumming a stringed instrument. The Sonic Strings may also be touched in one place to create a single note. Originally designed as an electronic
Autoharp, the Omnichord has become popular, due to its unique, chiming,
harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...
like
timbre
In music, timbre ( ), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound quality of a musical note, sound or musical tone, tone. Timbre distinguishes different types of sound production, such as choir voice ...
and its value as a
kitsch
Kitsch ( ; loanword from German) is a term applied to art and design that is perceived as naïve imitation, overly-eccentric, gratuitous, or of banal taste.
The avant-garde opposed kitsch as melodramatic and superficial affiliation with ...
object.
History
Suzuki introduced the Omnichord along with the
Tronichord The Tronichord, also known as the Portachord, is a rare electronic musical instrument manufactured by Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation of Japan in 1981-1985 , renamed the Portachord on some units, in 1981. The latter never reached full production, but both instrument share many technical and functional similarities. Omnichords feature preset rhythm patterns with
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
and
volume
Volume is a measure of occupied three-dimensional space. It is often quantified numerically using SI derived units (such as the cubic metre and litre) or by various imperial or US customary units (such as the gallon, quart, cubic inch). Th ...
control, as well as an auto-bass line feature, which the player can combine to use as a musical accompaniment. The Omnichord's most unique feature is the Sonic Strings strumplate, that allows the player to 'strum' arpeggios like a guitar.
Several later models of the Omnichord added
MIDI
MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and re ...
compatibility, a greater selection of sounds for the Sonic Strings,
vibrato
Vibrato (Italian language, Italian, from past participle of "wikt:vibrare, vibrare", to vibrate) is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch (music), pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. ...
, and chord memory, called Chord Computer.
The OM27 was the first Omnichord model, released in 1981. It was capable of playing 27 chords, and early models required a rubber plectrum to play, though later models featured an updated strum plate. The OM27 was a commercial failure, so Suzuki released the OM36 and OM84 in 1984, also called the System One and System Two, respectively. The naming convention was originally meant to convey the number of chord types the model can produce, with OM36 prototypes only being able to play 36 chords, however the OM36 and OM84 production models can both play 84 chord types. The OM84 was the first model to feature an onboard Chord Computer, a feature that allowed the user to record a sequence of chords which could be played back as accompaniment.
In 1989, Suzuki release the OM100 and OM200M, which replaced the OM36 and OM84, adding updated sounds, an angled strumplate for more comfortable playing, and an optional strap for standing performances.
The OM200M additionally introduced a
MIDI
MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and re ...
output port, allowing the user to control other MIDI-equipped devices using the Omnichord. The OM150 and OM250M offered refreshed sounds, and the OM300 released in 1995 offered the features of the OM250M but with more updated sounds.
Suzuki released the Qchord QC1 in 2005; it features more modern versions of the original Omnichord's features such as PCM sampled sounds, and more rhythms. The Qchord additionally features both MIDI input and MIDI output ports.
Sound and features
The Omnichord was primarily designed as an accompaniment instrument instead of a melody instrument,
an ideal way to accompany a singer with basic rhythms and the ability to easily play chords with little music theory knowledge.
The Omnichord has three main sound generators:
* A percussion section that plays
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
,
waltz
The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position.
History
There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...
,
slow rock,
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
, foxtrot and
swing rhythms, with adjustable tempo and volume.
* A chord generator providing different triad and seventh chords, either as organ-like chords or walking bass. The original OM27 was only capable of playing 27 different chords, but later models allow 84 different chords.
* A Sonic Strings section producing an arpeggio or isolated notes from a chosen chord over a 4-octave span, played using the touch strip. The notes played on the touch strip are always in tune with the chord button currently selected. Later models featured a selection of different voices for the Sonic Strings, including vibes, brass, organ, guitar and banjo.
Later models feature a chord sequencer in a Chord Memory section that would allow the user to record up to 51 chords in sequence and play them back automatically or via a footswitch.
Notable uses
*
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
played an Omnichord in his performance of
Simon & Garfunkel's "
America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
" for
The Concert for New York City
The Concert for New York City was a benefit concert, featuring many famous musicians, that took place on October 20, 2001 at Madison Square Garden in New York City in response to the September 11 attacks. Aside from performing for charity, the co ...
in 2001.
*
Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn (; born 23 March 1968) is an English-Icelandic musician, singer-songwriter and composer, best known as the frontman and primary lyricist of the rock band Blur and as the co-creator and primary musical contributor of the virtual ...
of
Gorillaz used an Omnichord for the beat of "
Clint Eastwood
Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...
".
*
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...
used an Omnichord on "
Deep Blue Day" as well as a live performance of "
Miss Sarajevo
"Miss Sarajevo" is a song by U2 and Brian Eno, credited to the pseudonym "Passengers". It was released on 20 November 1995 as the only single from their album ''Original Soundtracks 1''. Luciano Pavarotti makes a vocal appearance, singing the ...
" with
Luciano Pavarotti and
Bono
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2.
Born and raised in Dublin, he attended M ...
in 1995.
*
Daniel Lanois
Daniel Roland Lanois ( , ; born September 19, 1951) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter.
He has produced albums by artists including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson, Emmylou Harris, Willie ...
is an Omnichord user, having employed it on his own solo work (such as his debut album ''
Acadie'') and on U2's 1987 album ''
The Joshua Tree
''The Joshua Tree'' is the fifth studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 9 March 1987 on Island Records. In contrast to the ambient experimentation of their 1984 release, ' ...
''.
*
Joni Mitchell
Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...
played an Omnichord on "The Only Joy in Town" from the album "
Night Ride Home
''Night Ride Home'' is the 14th album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released in 1991. It was the last of four albums she recorded for Geffen Records.
Songs on the album include "Cherokee Louise" about a childhood friend who suffe ...
''".''
* "
Love Is a Stranger
"Love Is a Stranger" is a song by the British pop duo Eurythmics. Originally released in late 1982, the single was commercially unsuccessful, but it was re-released in 1983, reaching the UK top 10. The single was re-released again in 1991, to pro ...
" by
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop duo consisting of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. They were both previously in The Tourists, a band which broke up in 1980. The duo released their first studio album, '' In the Garden'', in 1981 to little succ ...
features chords and Sonic Strings from the Omnichord.
Omnichord models
References
External links
*
Q-chord users
{{Authority control
1981 musical instruments
Electronic musical instruments
1981 introductions