Back
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonica
Harmonica
Classification
Wind
Free reed aerophone
Aerophone
Playing range
For 64-reeds (16-holes) chromatic harmonica: c below Middle C (C) to C5; 4
octaves
Related instruments
accordion, melodica, harmonium, concertina, sheng, reed organ
More articles
A harmonica is a very common free reed musical wind instrument (also known,
among other things, as a mouth organ, French harp, tin sandwhich, blues harp,
simply harp, or "Mississippi saxophone"), having multiple, variably-tuned brass
or bronze reeds, each secured at one end over an airway slot of like dimension
into which it can freely vibrate, thus repeatedly interrupting an airstream to
produce sound.
Unlike most free-reed instruments (such as reed organs, accordions and melodicas,
the mouth harmonica lacks a keyboard. Instead, lips and tongue are used to
select one or a few of the several holes arranged usually linearly on a
mouthpiece. Each hole communicates with one, two or a few reeds. Because a reed
mounted above a slot is made to vibrate more easily by air from above, reeds
accessed by a mouthpiece hole often may be selected further by choice of breath
direction (blowing, drawing). Some harmonicas (primarily chromatic harmonicas)
also include a spring-loaded button-actuated slide that, when depressed, further
redirects air blown or drawn through a single hole, from one reed to an adjacent
reed, usually a semi-tone sharper.
The harmonica is commonly used in blues and folk music, but also in jazz,
classical music, country music, rock and roll and pop music.
Contents [hide]
1 Parts of the harmonica
2 Harmonica types
2.1 The diatonic harmonica
2.1.1 Special tuned harmonicas
2.1.2 The 12-Hole and 14-Hole Diatonic
2.1.3 ChengGong Harmonica
2.2 The chromatic harmonica
2.3 Orchestral Harmonica
2.3.1 Glissando Harmonica
2.3.2 Horn Harmonica
2.3.3 The bass harmonica
2.3.4 The chord harmonica
2.4 The Tremolo Harmonica
2.5 The Octave Harmonica
2.6 Toy harmonicas
3 Harmonica Techniques
3.1 The First Harmonica
3.2 Breaking in Harmonicas
3.3 Bending and other techniques
3.3.1 Overblowing
3.3.2 Positions
4 History
5 Related instruments
6 Harmonica community
7 Harmonica manufacturer
8 Some famous harmonicists
9 External links
Parts of the harmonica
Comb and two reedplates.
Reedplate mounted on the comb of a diatonic harmonica.
Reed plate. The basic parts of the harmonica are the comb, reed-plates and
cover-plates. The comb is the term for the main body of the instrument. These
are traditionally made of wood, but plastic (ABS) and metal combs are perhaps
more common today. The comb contains the air chambers which house the reeds -
the name comb comes from the fact that in simple harmonicas it does indeed
resemble a hair-comb. In some designs, however, the comb is in fact very complex
in arranging how the air is directed, particularly more modern custom and
experimental designs. There is much debate about whether comb-material has an
effect on the tone of the harmonica. While this has traditionally been the
assumption, several recent attempts at blind testing have not been able to show
that people can hear a difference when comb material is the only variable.
Reed-plate is the term for a grouping of several free-reeds in a single housing
(usually brass, but occasionally steel and aluminium have been used, as well as
plastics). These individual reeds are usually riveted to the reed-plate but they
may also be welded or screwed in place (a notable exception is the all-plastic
harmonicas designed by Finn Magnus in the 1950s, where the reed and reed-plate
were molded out of a single piece of plastic). Depending upon whether the reeds
are fixed on the inside (within the comb's air chamber) or the outside (in the
open air)of the reed-plate determines whether the reed responds to pressure
(blowing) or suction (drawing). In simple terms (see bending and overblowing
below) reeds on the inside of the air chamber will respond to pressure while
those on the outside will respond to suction. Most harmonicas are constructed
with the reed-plates screwed to the comb or each other, however a few brands
still use the traditional method of nailing the reed-plates to the comb. Again,
the Magnus design had the reeds, reed-plates and comb all out of plastic and
either molded together or permanently glued together. Some experimental and rare
harmonicas also have the reed-plates held in place by tension, such as the WWII
era All-American models.
The cover or cover-plates are usually made of metal, however wood and plastics
have also been used. These go on the outside of the harmonica protecting the
reed-plates and projecting the sound. Usually covers are open designs of stamped
metal or plastic and are simply there to be held, however a few modern designs
such as the Hohner CBH-2016 chromatic and the Suzuki Overdrive diatonic have
complex covers which allow for specific functions not usually available in the
traditional design. Similarly, it was not unusual in the late 19th and early
20th centuries to see harmonicas with special features on the covers such as
bells which could be rung by pushing a button and the like.
The windsavers, also known as valves, are typical in Chromatic harmonicas, and
sometimes appear in diatonic for allowing bending notes during blowing. They
tend to be very thin strips of plastic, sometimes paper, and are set up on the
blow reeds. Windsavers appear most often on harmonicas where two reeds share a
cell and leakage through the non-playing reed would be significant (primarily
chromatic, octave and chord models).
Some harmonicas have other parts as well. The mouthpiece is an object which is
placed between the air chambers of the instrument and the player's mouth. This
can be made integral with the comb, as part of the cover (as in Hohner's CX-12
chromatic) or as a separate unit entirely, secured by screws. It serves
primarily as an ergonomic aid to make the playing experience more comfortable,
however in some designs (particularly chromatic harmonicas) it is essential to
the functioning of the instrument, housing the slider which allows the selection
of major or sharp scales.
Harmonica types
The diatonic harmonica
Diatonic harmonicasThe diatonic harmonica is the most widely known type of
harmonica. It has ten holes which offer the player 19 notes (10 holes times a
draw and a blow for each hole minus one repeated note) in a three octave range.
The standard diatonic harmonica is designed to allow a player to play chords and
melody in a single key. Because they are only designed to be played in a single
key at a time, diatonic harmonicas are available in all keys. Here is a standard
diatonic harmonica's layout in the key of C (1 blow is middle C):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
-----------------------------
blow: |C |E |G |C |E |G |C |E |G |C |
draw: |D |G |B |D |F |A |B |D |F |A |
-----------------------------
See also: image of the above diagram
Note that although there are 3 octaves between 1 and 10 blow, there is only one
full major scale available on the harmonica, between holes 4 and 7. The lower
holes are designed around the tonic (C major) and dominant (G major) chords,
allowing a player to play these chords underneath a melody by blocking or
unblocking the lower holes with the tongue. The most important notes (the tonic
triad C-E-G) are given the blow, and the secondary notes (D-B-F-A), the draw.
Special tuned harmonicas
A number of people have made specially tuned variants of the diatonic harmonica.
For example, Lee Oskar Harmonicas makes a variety of harmonicas to help players
used to a "Cross-harp" style to play in other styles. Cross-harp players usually
base their play around a mixolydian scale starting on 2 draw and ending a 6 blow
(with a bend needed to get the second tone of the scale; a full scale can be
played from 6 blow to 9 blow). Lee-Oskar special tunes harmonicas to allow
players to play a natural minor, harmonic minor, and major scale from 2 draw to
6 blow. Below are some sample layouts (notice that the key labels describe the
scale from 2 draw to 6 blow, whereas traditional harmonicas are labelled
according to the scale between 4 and 8 blow).
Country tune: Identical to standard Richter Tuning, except hole 5 draw is raised
a semitone
Natural Minor (cross harp, 6 blow to 9 blow) / Dorian (straight harp, 4 blow to
7 blow):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
-----------------------------
blow: |C |Eb|G |C |Eb|G |C |Eb|G |C |
draw: |D |G |Bb|D |F |A |Bb|D |F |A |
-----------------------------
Harmonic Minor (straight harp, 4 blow to 7 blow)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
-----------------------------
blow: |C |Eb|G |C |Eb|G |C |Eb|G |C |
draw: |D |G |B |D |F |Ab|B |D |F |Ab|
-----------------------------
Major (cross harp, 6 blow to 9 blow), Lee Oskar "Melody Maker" (Note that this
will be labeled as "G": Melody Major's key indicate cross harp's key)
-----------------------------
blow: |C |E |A |C |E |G |C |E |G |C |
draw: |D |G |B |D |F#|A |B |D |F#|A |
-----------------------------
The "Melody Maker" designed and marketed by Lee Oskar is a particularly
interesting evolution of the harmonica, since it allows a player accustomed to
playing "cross harp" (in mixolydian) to play in a major key (which is what the
standard layout is designed for in the first place). Rather than providing the
standard C major and G dominant chords, the Melody Maker provides a G Major 7
(2-5 draw), a C Major 6th chord (1-4 blow), an Am or Am7 chord (3-5 or 3-6
blow), a D major chord (4-6 draw) and a C Major chord (6-10 blow). If we are in
the key of G, then, the melody maker provides the I chord, the IV chord, the V
chord and the II chord, allowing II-V-I progressions as well as I-IV-V
progressions.
It is also possible for a harp player to tune the harmonica himself. By making
small scratches in a reed, the note played can be changed. It is possible to
either get a higher or a lower note. Some harp players make extensive use of
these modifications. One of the most famous examples is the harp solo on 'On the
road again' by Canned Heat, on which the harmonicist gets the minor 3rd
crossharp on the sixth drawn reed, which is normally the major 2nd crossharp.
The 12-Hole and 14-Hole Diatonic
Hohner had made a few non-standard harmonica, all of them have more than 10
holes and are labeled "grosse richter". For 12 holes, Hohner had made 364/24
Marine Band, as well as the 364S/24 Marine Band Solo Tuned. The Marine Band Solo
Tuned, with 3 full diatonic octave, can play all notes of the key, and since it
can easily bend notes, some players use this for Blues (and even jazz) instead
of the more well known solo-tuned harmonicas, the chromatic harmonica, since the
bended notes sounded a lot different then true semi-tones. (for layout, see
below at Chromatic harmonica, key out)
The Hohner Marine Band 365/28 14 hole harmonica is not a standard diatonic
harmonica. It has 14 holes and its general dimensions are a bit bigger, so its
structure is different from the normal diatonic harmonica and, in the key of C,
is pitched one octave lower than the standard 10 hole C diatonic. Thus, hole 4
blow is one octave below middle C. Hole 7 blow is middle C. The Marine Band
365/28 in G is similar to a usual G diatonic, having its higher register
expanded.
Holes 1 through 4 and 6 are draw bendable, and holes 8 through 14 are blow
bendable. Special attention to the extra holes 11 - 14 where the bending
capabilities are, in theory, extended a lot (from A down to E in whole 14, for
example).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
------------------------------------------
blow: |C |E |G |C |E |G |C |E |G |C |E |G |C |E |
draw: |D |G |B |D |F |A |B |D |F |A |B |D |F |A |
------------------------------------------
There is also the "Steve Baker Special" manufactured by Hohner, a special tuned
14 holes diatonic:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
------------------------------------------
blow: |C |E |G |C |E |G |C |E |G |C |E |G |C |E |
draw: |D |G |B |D |G |B |D |F |A |B |D |F |A |B |
------------------------------------------
ChengGong Harmonica
Another recent innovation in the harmonica is the ChengGong (a pun on the
inventor's name and Xin Gong, "Success") Harmonica, invented by XueXue Cheng of
China. It has two parts: the main body, and a sliding mouth piece. The body is a
24 hole diatonic harmonica that start from b2 to d6 (covering 3 octaves). Its
11-hole mouthpiece can slide along the front of the harmonica, which allow
numerous chord constructions (seven triads, three 6th chords, seven 7th chords,
and seven 9th chord, total 24 chords available), while still capable of playing
melody and double stops at the range of 3 diatonic octaves (starting from the C
below middle C), and maintain a small profile. Also, unlike conventional
harmonicas, blowing and drawing produce the same notes. In this way, its tuning
is closer to the note layout of a typical asian tremelo harmonica.
The Chromatic Harmonica
Hohner Super-Chromatic harmonica, a typical 12-hole chromaticWhile many
harmonicas have been promoted to have chromatic capability (such as valved
diatonics, Suzuki's Overdrive, Hohner's Koch Harp, Hohner's Slide Harp), an
actual chromatic harmonica has two properties: the first being a button-operated
slide that allows the player to change the pitch of any given hole. This means
that each hole has 4 pitches rather than 2. The slide typically shifts the pitch
of any given note upward by a half step. Secondly, the note layout of a
chromatic is traditionally one octave (the same as the note layout on holes 4-7
of the diatonic harmonica) repeated over its length. This is known as "Solo
tuning." Thus, while some may resemble and operate similarly to a true chromatic
harmonica, they are not to be consider chromatics. For example, Hohner's Koch or
Hohner's Slide harp is merely standard diatonic stacked with a diatonic tuned a
half step higher, and alternated between by pressing a side button.
Chromatic harmonicas are usually 12, 14 or 16 holes long. Numerous keys exist,
just like the diatonics, but due to the fact that Chromatics can play melodies
in all keys, most professionals stick with the key of C—which is perhaps easier
to remember, since slide in will automatically be the sharps of the associated
note. In fact, for many 16-holes (4 octaves) variant, the only key available
stock is in the key of C. In 12-hole variants, the first hole is usually middle
C, while 16-hole variants start one octave lower. There may be exceptions, such
as the Tenor C (which starts one octave below middle C; in essence hole 1-12 of
a 16-hole variant).
For the 16-hole variant, the layout is as follows:
`1 `2 `3 `4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
-----------------------------------------------
blow: |C |E |G |C |C |E |G |C |C |E |G |C |C |E |G |C | key out
draw: |d |f |a |b |d |f |a |b |d |f |a |b |d |f |a |b |
-----------------------------------------------
`1 `2 `3 `4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
-----------------------------------------------
blow: |C#|F |G#|C#|C#|F |G#|C#|C#|F |G#|C#|C#|F |G#|C#| key in
draw: |d#|f#|a#|c |d#|f#|a#|c |d#|f#|a#|c |d#|f#|a#|c |
-----------------------------------------------
Note 1: b# is the same as c, and e# is the same as f.
Note 2: Some chromatics had the holes labeled from 1-16. The labeling system
represnted by
above diagram is what Hohner currently use for labeling its 16-hole chromatics.
For 12-hole harmonica in key of C, the range goes from hole 1 to hole 12.
For 12-hole harmonica in key of Tenor C, the range goes from hole `1 to hole 8.
Because it is a fully chromatic instrument, the chromatic harmonica is the
instrument of choice in jazz and classical music. In traditional harmonica
bands, the chromatic harmonica plays the lead part.
However, while the chromatic harmonica is capable of playing all melodies in all
keys, it is not without its limitations. For example, while chromatic harmonicas
can "bend" notes down in pitch, as this is a single-reed bend it sounds quite
different than the typical dual-reed bends of a diatonic. Further, unless the
windsavers are removed chromatic harmonicas cannot "overblow" at all.
Additionally, solo tuning also makes true chording difficult or even impossible:
for example, in a C-key diatonic, musicians can easily make the tonic C chord (CEG)
for obvious reasons; however, it is also easy to construct G chord (GBD) or G7 (GBDF)
chord on a diatonic, which would allow a C-key harmonica to play blues harp in
G. However, in Solo tuning, one must use a simplified (jazz style) chord: for
example, for a G chord, musicians can only draw on hole 4-5 (BD), and G7 on hole
5-6 (DF). Alternatively, musician may play an aggrepio chord by playing one note
immediately after another. Thus, while it can play in any key, the chromatic
harmonica usually sounds much better when playing with other instruments, since
by itself chord constructions are difficult.
Aside from the aforementioned standard chromatic tuning, there are also many
alternative tunings: a famous example, Irish tuning, decreases the notes by a
semitone (as oppose to raise) when the slide is in. Another famous alternative
tuning for chromatic harmonica is Hohner's Chordomonica. It has two sets of
slides, allowing chord construction for the following:
C major, G7 with both slide out:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
------------------------------------
blow: |C |E |G |C |C |E |G |C |C |E |G |C | key out
draw: |d |f |g |b |d |f |g |b |d |f |g |b |
------------------------------------
F major and F# diminished 7th chord with primary slide in:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
------------------------------------
blow: |C |F |A |C |C |F |A |C |C |F |A |C | primary key in
draw: |eb|f#|a |c |eb|f#|a |c |eb|f#|a |c |
------------------------------------
A minor and D minor 7th chord with secondary slide in
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
------------------------------------
blow: |C |E |A |C |C |E |A |C |C |E |A |C | secondary key in
draw: |d |f |a |c |d |f |a |c |d |f |a |c |
------------------------------------
Chromatic harmonicas are often described as either "straight tuned" or "cross
tuned". What this refers to is how the slider is shaped to isolate the reed set
being played at a given position (button "in" or button "out"). Traditionally
the chromatic was "straight tuned" and the slider selected either the upper
reed-plate (button out) or the lower reed-plate (button in). In the later half
of the 20th century a new system came into use in which the slider played the
upper and lower reed-plates at the same time, staggered by which hole (thus with
the button out the player might play the upper reed-plate in hole 1, the lower
reed-plate in hole 2, and then the upper again in hole 3 and so forth; pressing
the button reversed this). This allows for a larger hole in the slider, and thus
presumably more air gets through, and thus having a louder volume. This is
especially helpful to play the lowest octave of a 16-hole harmonica, as the
reeds require less pressure but more air volume. However, the slider also has to
move farther than in the traditional design. Thus, the two methods co-exist with
some companies and players prefering one style and others another. Usually, a
stock 16-holes will come with cross-tuned slide, while most stock 12-holes comes
with straight tune slide.
There are at least two other types of chromatic and slider designs as well. The
first one has holes side-by-side with each other in the slider, thus opening
only the left side of the chamber or the right side depending on button
position. The Renaissance chromatic uses this design, which is claimed to mix
the larger hole of a cross-tuned design with an even shorter movement than in
straight tuned sliders. The simple way of doing this is to construct the
harmonica more like a traditional Richter diatonic whereas the standard
chromatic design shares more in common with the Knittlinger octave harmonicas.
Note, however, the Renaissance uses a complex comb design to achieve their
slider design. The second type of alternative design is found mostly in East
Asia and is based more along the traditional Weiner tremolo construction. Here
each reed is isolated in its own cell within the comb and the slider selects a
single reed at a time rather than a cell containing both blow and draw reeds.
The Tombo Ultimo is an example of this type of chromatic.
Finally, there are also several types of non-slide chromatic instruments
available, particularly in Asia, such as the Horn Harmonica (see below), as well
as Tombo's S-50, Tombo's Chromatic Violin Range, and others. Tombo Chromatic
Violin Range (three and a half octaves) is a intricate design: in essence it was
a C# tremelo harmonica sitting on top of a C tremelo harmonica, with blow and
draw reeds each sitting in a single cell. Player switches between a top row
tuned to C# and a bottom tuned to C by changing the angle of the harmonica. S-50
is designed similarly with the same tremelo harmonica-based layout, except it
had three octaves only and have one reed per note.
Orchestral Harmonica
While there are plenty "general purpose" harmonicas being used in ensemble
playing (in North America and Europe, chromatic harmonicas will be a good
example), in Asia there are quite a lot of harmonicas specifically designed for
ensemble playing. Also, there are quite a few tremelo harmonicas, such as Suzuki
Baritone, that was designed specifically for ensemble playing.
Glissando Harmonica
This is a special variation of chromatic harmonica that have all the chromatic
notes laying out one after another in a single row, with blow and draw producing
the same note. Its main purpose is to provide accompaniment and special effect,
though sometimes it can be used to play melody. An example of this would be
Hohner's Chromatica.
Horn Harmonica
Both Tombo and Suzuki had created harmonicas that was designed to play melody in
Ensemble settings, such as Suzuki Alto and Soprano Singles. They are all-blow
instruments which have a single comb with an upper and lower reed-plate, and are
layed out like the white and black keys of a piano, with the sharps available on
the upper reed-plate and the naturals on the lower. Also, their cover plate are
one-piece, and slid over the comb (similar to Hohner's Puck); the large arc the
cover piece form created a large resonance space, thus increase the volume of
the harmonica, which is needed in an essemble setting. These 3 octaves
instruments are very common in Asian Harmonica Orchestra.
The bass harmonica
The bass harmonica is a special harmonica mostly used in ensemble playing. In
North America, it usually consists of two harmonicas held together, one above
the other, by an adjustable bracket. the lower harmonica has the natural notes
of the chromatic scale, while the upper harmonica has the accidental notes. In
Asia, single reed bass harmonica, such as Tombo Contrabass, are more common,
since it's cheaper and smaller profile: they are designed similarly like Horn
Harmonica, with a single comb with an upper and lower reed-plate, and are layed
out like the white and black keys of a piano, with the sharps available on the
upper reed-plate and the naturals on the lower. It covers 2 octaves.
Both types of bass harmonicas have only blow notes.
See the fuller description at: www.bassharp.com.
The chord harmonica
The chord harmonica has 48 chords: major, seventh, minor, augmented and
diminished for ensemble playing. It is laid out in four-note clusters, each
sounding a different chord on inhaling or exhaling. Each hole has two reeds for
each note, tuned to one octave of each other. This gives the harmonica a more
powerful and rich sound.
Quite a few orchestra harmonicas are also designed to serve both as a bass and
chord harmonica. Hohner's Vineta (junior chord) harmonica provide the six bass
note, three tonic chords, and three dominant seventh chords, of C, F and G.
Huang's Chordette-20 also function similarly, except it has 20 chords(5 major
chords, 5 dominant 7th chords, 5 minor chords, 4 diminish 7th chords, and one E
augmented chord), with 20 bass notes preceding each chord.
The Tremolo Harmonica
A tremolo harmonicaTremolo harmonicas have two reeds per note. In a tremolo
harmonica the two reeds are tuned slightly off a reference pitch, one a bit
sharp and the other a bit flat. This gives a unique wavering or warbling sound
created by the two reeds being not exactly in tune with each other and
difference in their subsequent waveforms acting against one another. The degree
of beating can be varied depending on the desired effect. Instruments where the
beating is faster due to the reeds being farther apart from the reference pitch
are called "wet", whereas those where the beating is slower and less noticeable
due to the reeds being more closely in tune are called "dry".
The tonal variation of the tremolo harmonica is not truly "tremolo". "Tremolo"
is most often defined as a periodic change of volume (or, less often, pitch),
and the tremolo harmonica really exhibits something entirely different: a
frequency interference pattern. This effect is fairly common amongst Western
free-reed instruments and is found in accordions, harmoniums and reed organs
under various names (celeste, vox jubilante, etc...). The article Beat
(acoustics) contains more information on acoustical frequency interference
patterns.
Tremolo harmonicas are perhaps the most common form of harmonica in the world,
being very popular in folk music as well as in much of East Asia. In the West,
the tremolo harmonica is usually encountered in traditional folk music, being
found throughout Europe and South America in this role. In China, Japan, Korea,
Taiwan and other parts of Asia, however, tremolo harmonicas are found in nearly
every area of music from folk to classical — in fact, there are specially
manufactured tremelo harmonicas for ensemble playing. Players often use several
different harmonicas at a time, holding them one atop the other, in order to
play notes and chords not available on any single instrument.
Most tremolo harmonicas are built upon what is termed the "Wiener system", named
after the city of Vienna (Wien in German) where they first emerged. In this
design the two beating reeds are distributed one on each reed-plate (top and
bottom) and then these share a common chamber. In practice, however, it is
common for each individual reed to have its own air chamber. Unlike the diatonic
harmonica described above (built on the "Richter system") the blow and draw
reeds do not share a common chamber, but are separated off from one another.
This allows the player to isolate each reed. While normally the player simply
plays both the tremolo reeds at once, it is possible to achieve a wide variety
of bends and other effects through selecting certain reeds and chambers and not
others. Similarly, it is possible to play without the tremolo effect by only
choosing the top or bottom chambers and blocking off the others with the lips.
In practice, though, these are primarily used for effects and mostly the
instrument is played as if the two beating reeds shared a single chamber.
There are two commonly encountered tunings or note layouts used for tremolo
harmonicas. The older layout is very similar to that used in the standard
diatonic harmonica and also found in diatonic accordions and concertinas. This
tuning has the major diatonic scale in the middle and top octaves of the
harmonica with two chords in the lowest octave: the tonic in the blow and the
dominant or fifth chord in the draw. This is very effective for chordal playing
behind relatively simple folk melodies in either the tonic or the fifth of the
key of the harmonica.
(capital letters indicate blow, non-capital letters denote draw)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
-----------------------------------------------------------
|C |d |E |g |G |b |C |d |E |f |G |a |C |b |E |d |G |f |C |a |
|C |d |E |g |G |b |C |d |E |f |G |a |C |b |E |d |G |f |C |a |
-----------------------------------------------------------
A more recently developed tuning is commonly found on tremolos manufactured in
or designed for Asia. This layout is derived from the "solo" tuning found in
chromatic harmonicas and is sometimes called "scale" tuning. Here the notes of
the major scale are found throughout the range of the harmonica without a
separate chord section in the bass octave. This helps to facilitate a common
practice in Asia of playing both a C and C# harmonica stacked in order to
achieve full chromaticity by having essentially the same notes available in each
octave of the harmonica.
(capital letters indicate blow, non-capital letters denote draw)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|d |C |f |E |a |G |b |C |d |E |f |G |a |C |b |E |d |G |f |C |a |E |b |
|d |C |f |E |a |G |b |C |d |E |f |G |a |C |b |E |d |G |f |C |a |E |b |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
An interesting recent development has been that of the chromatic tremolo
harmonica. This combines the slider design of the chromatic harmonica with the
dual reed beating sound of the tremolo harmonica. Harmonica technician John
Infande has been manufacturing his own design in limited numbers for several
years [1] while the Japanese harmonica company Suzuki has recently released its
design [2].
For more info on tremolo and other double-reed tunings, see: http://www.patmissin.com/ffaq/q15.html
The Octave Harmonica
Octave harmonicas have two reeds per hole. The two reeds are tuned to the same
note a perfect octave apart. Many share their basic design with the tremolo
harmonica explained above and are built upon this "Weiner system" of
construction. Octave harmonicas also come in what is called the "Knittlinger
system". In this design the top and bottom reed-plates contain all of the blow
and draw notes for either to lower or higher pitched set of reeds. The comb is
constructed so that the blow and draw reeds on each reed-plate are paired
side-by-side in a single chamber in the same manner as on a standard diatonic
but that the top and bottom pairs each have their own chamber. Thus, in a C
harmonica the higher pitched C blow and D draw found in the first "hole" would
be placed side-by-side on the upper reed-plate and share a single chamber in the
comb and the lower pitched C blow and D draw would be placed side-by-side on the
bottom reed-plate and share a single chamber directly below the higher pitched
pair of reeds' chamber. Knittlinger octave harmonicas are also called "concert"
harmonicas and are almost always tuned in a variation of the traditional major
diatonic with chords tuning found in diatonic harmonicas. Octave harmonicas
built in the "Wiener system" may be tuned either in this traditional method or
in the same manner as the Asian tremolos mentioned above.
An interesting variation upon the Knittlinger octave harmonica is the so-called
"half-concert" harmonica. This is not an octave harmonica at all, but rather a
single-note diatonic harmonica which is built with a single reed-plate rather
than the standard two--essentially it is one half of the standard octave
harmonica.
Toy harmonicas
Because of its simplicity, the harmonica is often the first real musical
instrument children encounter. Toy harmonicas include tiny four-hole instruments
and simple plastic models of a conventional size.
Harmonica Techniques
The First Harmonica
Typically, in Europe and America, the diatonic harmonica is the first harmonica
of most players and say tremelo will be a bad type to learn. On the other hand,
in Asia, tremelo is the first harmonica, and players in there often state
diatonic harmonica is a bad choice for first time players.
A player's first harmonica actually depend upon the material available in the
respective place: since there are more material and songs that are suited for
tremelo harmonica in Asia, tremelo will definitely be a good first choice, while
in Europe and America, there are more materials and songs that are suited for
diatonic harmonica. Additionally, if one decides upon price, diatonic will
always be cheaper then tremelo, since the material used to produce them is much
less.
However, if one does want to advance to play a chromatic harmonica, one should
learn how to play diatonic harmonica as well, since its techniques are more or
less identical to diatonic harmonica. On the other hand, if players are
interested to try the slideless harmonica from Tombo, then tremolo harmonica will
be a good start—again, their layout and playing methodology are more or less
identical.
Breaking in Harmonicas
The brass reeds of a harmonica are subject to stress from note bending, which
causes reed distortion and hairline cracks. This results in an off tune note. To
extend the life of a harmonica and temper the reeds, it is recommended that the
harmonica be played for several hours with no note bending.
One method was devised by Florida harmonica player Lance Monlux using a 12 volt
car vacuum to easily break in a harmonica (120 volt vacuums draw too much air
and can damage reeds). A strip of aluminum foil is folded 4 times to strengthen
it. The folds should be about three times as wide as the harmonica and about one
foot long. Set the harmonica on top of the car vacuum, and use the aluminum foil
to hold it in place and make an air tight seal. Run the car vac for one half
hour to temper draw reeds, and reverse the harmonica with the bottom to the vac
to temper the blow reeds. Mr Monlux claims this procedure greatly increases the
playing life of his harmonicas by decreasing reed failure caused by extreme
bending.
However, if done poorly with a high volume vacuum, this technique may actually
damage the harmonica. Also, some technicians (such as Douglas Tate, who tuned
many of Larry Adler's harmonicas) recommend multiple periods of playing with
reasonable gaps, instead of long hours of playing. During these break-in periods
note bending should be avoided. Some further stated that there was no such thing
as breaking-in, since once a reed is bent, the damage is done.
Bending and other techniques
In addition to the 19 notes readily available on the diatonic harmonica, players
can play other notes by adjusting their embouchure and forcing the reed to
resonate at a different pitch. One does this by relaxing and coordinating
muscles in the throat, mouth, and lips. This technique is called "bending", a
term borrowed from guitarists, who literally "bend" a string in order to create
subtle changes in pitch. Using bending, a player can reach all the notes on the
major scale. "Bending" also creates the glissandos characteristic of much blues
harp and country harmonica playing. Bending on a guitar bends the pitch upward.
However, typically 'bending' on a harmonica means the pitch falls downward.
Bends are essential for most blues and rock harmonica due to the soulful sounds
the instrument can bring out. The famous 'wail' of the blues harp typically
required bending.
|D |F |A# |
|B |D# |F# |B |
hole: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
---------------------------------------
blow: |C |E |G |C |E |G |C |E |G |C |
draw: |D |G |B |D |F |A |B |D |F |A |
---------------------------------------
|C# |F# |A# |C# |E |G# |
|F |A |
|G# |
The physics of bending are quite complex, but amount to this: a player can bend
the pitch of the higher-tuned reed down toward the pitch of the lower-tuned reed
in any given hole. In other words, on holes 1 through 6, the draw notes can be
bent and on holes 7 through 10 the blow notes can be bent. Hole 3 allows for the
most dramatic bending: in C, it is possible to bend 3 draw from a B down to a
G#, or anywhere in between.
Overblowing
In the 1970s, Howard Levy developed the "overblow" technique, which, combined
with bending, allowed players to play the entire chromatic scale. When bending,
the player forces the lower of the two reeds in a chamber to vibrate faster.
When overblowing, the player isolates the higher of the two reeds and by so
doing can play higher pitched notes. By using both bending and overblowing
techniques a player can play the entire chromatic scale using a diatonic
harmonica. This has allowed diatonic harmonica players to expand into areas
traditionally viewed as inhospitable to the instrument such as Jazz.
The overblow is a difficult technique to master. To facilitate overblowing, many
players use specially modified or customised harmonicas. Any harmonica can be
set-up for better overblowing. The primary needs are tight tolerances between
the reed and reed-plate and a general level of air-tightness between the
reed-plate and comb. The former often necessitates lowering the "gap", the space
between the tip of the reed and the reed-plate. Another often used technique is
to make the space between the sides of the holes in the reed-plate and the reed
itself as small as possible by drawing in the metal on the sides of the
reed-plate opening towards the reed. While these modifications make the
harmonica overblow more easily, overblowing is possible on any diatonic
harmonica.
Suzuki has also released the Overdrive diatonic, for ease of overblow. On both
its cover a set of holes, which, when covered by fingers, will stop the reed
from vibrating, forcing the air to be direct to the other set of reed. Not only
it can play chromatic scales with proper training, one can even procure most
chords, a feat that is virtually impossible to standard chromatic harmonicas.
Although there are players who use precise overblows and bends to play the
diatonic harmonica as a fully chromatic instrument, this is still very rare, not
simply because the technique is difficult, but also because the sound of an
overblow is different from the sound of other notes. Thus, even though a player
could play any melody in any key (within a three octave range) on a C diatonic
harmonica, most diatonic players prefer to use different keys of harmonicas for
different songs, matching the possibilities of glissandos, register and dynamics
of a given harmonica to a melody.
Positions
In addition to playing the diatonic harmonica in its original key, it is also
possible to play the harmonica in other keys by playing in other "positions",
either by playing in another mode (playing in D Dorian or G mixolydian on a C
Major harmonica) or by bending notes to achieve a scale not otherwise available
on the harmonica (playing in E mixolydian on a C Major harmonica). Harmonica
players (especially blues players) have developed a set of terminology around
different "positions" which can be somewhat confusing to other musicians.
The following are the "natural positions" of the harmonica: that is, they can be
achieved without bending.
1st position (or "straight harp"): Ionian mode. Playing the harmonica as it was
intended, in its main major key. On a diatonic, starting note is hole 1 blow. On
a C-chromatic, starting hole is the same, resulting in C major scale
2nd position (or "cross harp"): Mixolydian mode. playing the harmonica in a key
a fifth above its intended key. Playing just the unbended notes, this position
gives the mixolydian scale between 2 draw and 6 blow. However, bending the 3
draw allows the player to play a minor third (or a blue third), allowing a
player to use a C harmonica to play in G mixolydian or G minor. Blues players
can also play a tritone in this position by bending the 4 draw. See a more
extensive discussion of this position at the article on blues harp. On a
diatonic, starting note is hole 2 draw or hole 3 blow. On a C-chromatic,
starting hole is hole 3 blow, resulting in G major with a flatted 7th.
3rd position (or "slant harp"): Dorian mode. Playing the harmonica a full tone
above its intended key. This gives a dorian scale between 4 draw and 8 draw,
though once again bends and overblows give players a variety of options. Blues
players can achieve a tritone by bending the 6 draw. On a diatonic, starting
hole is hole 1 draw. On a C-chromatic, starting hole is hole 1 draw, resulting
in D-minor
4th position: Aeolian mode. On a C-chromatic, starting hole is hole 3 draw,
resulting in A-minor
5th position: Phrygian mode. On a diatonic, starting hole is hole 2 blow. On a
C-chromatic, starting hole is hole 2 blow, resulting in E-minor
6th position: Locrian mode. On a C-chromatic, starting hole is hole 4 draw,
resulting in a very close approximation of B-major
12th position: Lydian mode, also known as first flat. On a C-chromatic, starting
hole is hole 2 draw, resulting in a very close approximation of F-major
The terminology for other positions is slightly more varied, though it is
possible of course to play in any of the modes and, using overblows and bends,
it is possible to play in all 12 keys on a single harmonica — though this is
very rarely done on a diatonic, while chromatic harmonica players may prefer
having numerous chromatics in different keys, due to difficulties in chord
construction.
History
The harmonica developed from the intense interests in free-reeds which arose in
Europe in the early 19th century. While free-reeds had been fairly common
throughout East Asia for centuries and known in Europe for some time before this
period, around 1820 there was a virtual eruption of new free-reed designs in
Europe and North America. While a young Friederich Ludwig Buschmann is often
cited as the inventor of the harmonica in 1821, it was almost certainly a case
of simultaneous development amongst several inventors working independently with
mouth-blown free-reed instruments appearing in the US, Britain and on the
continent at roughly the same time. Sometime by the 1850s, the diatonic
harmonica had more or less found its modern form and the other diatonic types
followed soon thereafter (the various tremolo and octave harmonicas). By the
late 19th century, harmonica production was big business and had evolved from a
handcraft into mass-production with figures well into the millions, a status
which continues to this day. New designs continued to be developed in the 20th
century including the chromatic harmonica, the bass harmonica, the chord
harmonica and others. Even in the 21st century radical new designs such as the
Suzuki Overdrive and Hohner XB-40 continue to be brought to market.
The harmonicas massive success is attributable to many factors. First, it is a
fairly easy instrument to play. The diatonic harmonicas were designed primarily
for the playing of German and other European folk musics and are extremely
successful for that. However, probably unintentionally the basic design and
tuning was extremely adaptable to other types of music such as the blues,
country, old-time and similar. Second, the majority of harmonicas are quite
small--often small enough to unobtrusively fit in a pocket. Third, harmonicas
are cheap - amongst the most inexpensive of musical instruments available while
not being intended as a toy. Fourth, harmonicas are fairly easy to manufacture
and their simple construction allowed for industrial level production without
sacrificing the quality of a hand-crafted instrument, unlike most string
instruments or other wind instruments. For these reasons the harmonica was a
success almost from the very start of production, and while the center of the
harmonica business has shifted from Germany the output of the various harmonica
manufacturers is still very high indeed. Major companies are now found in
Germany (Seydel, Hohner - once the dominant manufacturer in the world, producing
some 20 million harmonicas alone in 1920 when German manufacturing totaled over
50 million harmonicas), Japan (Suzuki, Tombo, Yamaha), China (Huang, Leo Shi,
Suzuki, Hohner) and Brasil (Hering). Ironically, as the demand for higher
quality instruments which respond to more demanding performance techniques has
increased, there has been a resurgence in the world of hand-crafted harmonicas
which cater to those wanting the absolute best without the compromises inherent
in mass manufacturing.
The first recordings of harmonica were made in the US in the 1920s. These
recordings are mainly 'race-records', intended for the black market of the
southern states. They consist mainly of solo recordings (DeFord Bailey), duo
recordings with a guitarist (Hammie Nixon, Walter Horton, Sonny Terry) or
recordings featuring the harmonica in some kind of novelty act called the 'Jug
Band', of which the Memphis Jug Band is the most famous. But the harmonica still
represented a toy instrument in those years and was associated with the poor. It
is also during those years that musicians started experimenting with new
techniques such as tongue-blocking, hand effects and the most important
innovation of all, the 2nd position, or cross-harp.
The harmonica then made its way with the blues and the black migrants to the
north, mainly to Chicago but also to Detroit, St. Louis and New York. The music
played by the Afro-Americans started to become increasingly different there. The
main difference is the electric amplification of the instrument: first the
guitar and then the harp, double bass, vocals, etc. The original Sonny Boy
Williamson is the most important harmonicist of this era. Using a full blues
band, he became one of the most popular acts of Chicago. He also installed for
good the cross-harp technique, opening the possibilities of harp playing to new
sky. It is hard to imagine how much influence he would have had on the blues, if
he had lived longer. Unfortunately, Sonny Boy liked to bring women from the
audience on stage and dance with them as he played, and he eventually was
stabbed by a jealous husband.
But the harmonica didn't die with him. A young harmonicist by the name of Marion
"Little Walter" Jacobs would completely revolutionize the instrument. He had the
idea to play the harmonica near a microphone (typically a "Brown Bullet"
microphone marketed for use by radio taxi dispatchers, giving it a "punchy"
midrange sound that can be heard above radio static, or an electric guitar) and
cup his hands around it, thus tightening the air around the harp, giving it a
powerful, distorted sound, sometimes reminiscent of a saxophone. This technique,
combined with a great virtuosity on the instrument made him arguably the most
influential harmonicist in history. It is almost impossible nowadays to find a
harp player who wasn't influenced by Walter. Unfortunately, Little Walter also
died young, from injuries suffered in a fight.
Little Walter's only contender was perhaps Big Walter Horton. Relying less on
the possibilities of amplification (although he made great use of it) than on
sheer skill, Big Walter was the favored harmonicist of many Chicago leaders,
including Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon. He graced many sides of Waters in the
mid-fifties with extremely colorful solos, using the full register of his
instrument as well as some chromatic harmonica. The only reason he is less known
than Little Walter is because of his taciturn personality and his inconsistency,
and his incapacity of holding a band as a leader.
Other great harmonicists have graced the Chicago blues records of the 1950s.
Howling Wolf is often overlooked as a harp player, but his early recordings
demonstrate great skill, particularly at blowing powerful riffs with the
instrument. James Cotton is also a household name of the Chicago Blues scene. He
used a less amplified tone, relying on hand effects, giving his playing a
country blues feeling to it. Sonny Boy Williamson II also used the possibilities
of hand effects to give a very talkative feel to his harp playing. A number of
his compositions have also become standards in the blues world.
The 1960s and 1970s saw the harmonica become less prominent as the electric
guitar became the favorite instrument for solos. Paul Butterfield is perhaps the
most well known harp player of the era in the blues arena. Heavily influenced by
Little Walter, he pushed further the virtuosity on the harp. Sadly he rapidly
fell into drugs and alcohol, and after his first two albums, his career became
stagnant. Keith Relf, the singer of the Yardbirds, was a harp player who could
hold up to the guitar playing of his bandmates Eric Clapton and, later, Jeff
Beck. Bob Dylan also famously played his harmonica to add a touch of blues to
his folk and rock sound during this era.
Recently, two harp players have had major influence on the sound of the
harmonica. Heavily influenced by the electric guitar sound, John Popper of Blues
Traveler has developed an incredible virtuosity on the instrument. His electric
and highly distorted solos are played at a breakneck speed. His influence is
heavy on modern rock and blues harp players trying to reach new heights with the
instrument.
Jazz harmonicist Howard Levy (who has often recorded with Béla Fleck and Rabih
Abou-Khalil) is perhaps the most innovative player since Little Walter. He has
perfected the bending technique, using the notes it produces with more
precision. He has also further advanced the technique called overblowing, which
enables the diatonic harmonica to play fully chromatic scales, while retaining
the particular sound of the harp. Although he has been performing this technique
for quite a while, it has been displayed more and more in the 1990s, and players
are starting to integrate it in a more blues or rock oriented music.
Related instruments
The unrelated glass harmonica is a musical instrument formed of a nested set of
graduated glass cups mounted sideways on an axle and partially immersed in
water, and played by touching the rotating cups with wetted fingers, causing
them to vibrate.
The pitch pipe that used free reeds for pitch is the ancestor of harmonica. In
fact, the first harmonica consisted of pitch pipes that were bound together.
The concertina, diatonic and chromatic accordions and the melodica are all
free-reed instruments which were developed alongside the harmonica. Indeed, the
similarities between harmonicas and so-called "diatonic" accordions or melodeons
is such that in German the name for the former is "Mundharmonika" and the later
"Handharmonika", translated simply as "mouth harmonica" and "hand harmonica".
The harmonica shares similarities to all other free-reed instruments by virtue
of the method of sound production.
Harmonica community
There is an active harmonica community on the Internet and in real life, with
conferences, cruises and everything. SPAH (Society for the Preservation and
Advancement of the Harmonica) is one society with a particularly amusing
acronym. A Harmonica Mailing List is available with searchable archives.
Harmonica manufacturer
Hohner USA
Suzuki Harmonica
Lee Oskar
Tombo
Seydel
Hering USA
Some famous harmonicists
See List of harmonicists.
External links
Pat Missin's web site
Jack's Harmonica page, containing "tabs" and free lessons
Harry's Harmonica page, containing all models with pictures and information
Grotch Harmonica Software, Also containing "tabs", and a program to transpose
tabs (from different tunings, keys or positions)
Chromatic harmonica reference
Diatonic harmonica reference
harmonica simulator for Mac os X
Illuminate Harmonica Tabber, Open Source Harmonica Tabbing software, currently
at Beta