Harmonica - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

10/27/14 4:12 PM Harmonica - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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A 16-hole chromatic (top) and 10-hole diatonic
harmonica
Other instrument
Classification
Wind
Free reed
Aerophone
HornbostelSachs
classification
412.132
(Free-reed
aerophone)
Developed Early 19th century
Playing range
For 64-reeds (16-holes) chromatic harmonica: C below
Middle C (C) to the D above C5; slightly over 4 octaves
Related instruments
melodeon, melodica, Yu
More articles
List of harmonicists
Harmonica
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The harmonica, also French harp, blues harp, and mouth
organ,
[1]
is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in
many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music,
jazz, country, and rock and roll. There are many types of
harmonica, including diatonic, chromatic, tremolo, octave,
orchestral, and bass versions. A harmonica is played by using
the mouth (lips and/or tongue) to direct air into and out of
one or more holes along a mouthpiece. Behind the holes are
chambers containing at least one reed. A harmonica reed is a
flat elongated spring typically made of brass, stainless steel,
or bronze, which is secured at one end over a slot that serves
as an airway. When the free end is made to vibrate by the
player's air, it alternately blocks and unblocks the airway to
produce sound.
Reeds are pre-tuned to individual pitches. Tuning may
involve changing a reed's length, the weight near its free end,
or the stiffness near its fixed end. Longer, heavier and
springier reeds produce deeper, lower sounds; shorter, lighter
and stiffer reeds make higher-pitched sounds. If, as on most
modern harmonicas, a reed is affixed above or below its slot
rather than in the plane of the slot, it responds more easily to
air flowing in the direction that initially would push it into the
slot, i.e., as a closing reed. This difference in response to air
direction makes it possible to include both a blow reed and a
draw reed in the same air chamber and to play them
separately without relying on flaps of plastic or leather
(valves, wind-savers) to block the nonplaying reed.
An important technique in performance is bending: causing a
drop in pitch by making embouchure adjustments.
[2]
It is
possible to bend isolated reeds, as on chromatic and other
harmonica models with wind-savers, but also to both lower,
and raise (overbend, overblow, overdraw) the pitch produced
by pairs of reeds in the same chamber, as on a diatonic or
other unvalved harmonica. Such two-reed pitch changes actually involve sound production by the normally
silent reed, the opening reed (for instance, the blow reed while the player is drawing).
Contents
1 Parts
1.1 Comb
1.2 Reed-plate
1.3 Cover plates
1.4 Windsavers
1.5 Mouthpiece
1.6 Accessories
1.6.1 Amplification devices
1.6.2 Rack or holder
2 Harmonica types
2.1 Chromatic harmonica
2.2 Diatonic harmonicas
2.3 Tremolo Tuned Harmonica
2.4 Orchestral harmonicas
2.4.1 Orchestral melody harmonica
2.4.2 Chord harmonica
2.5 ChengGong harmonica
2.6 Pitch pipe
2.7 Glass diatonic harmonica
3 Techniques
4 History
4.1 Early instruments
4.2 Europe and North America
4.2.1 Early use
4.2.2 1950s blues players
4.2.3 1960s and 1970s blues players
4.2.4 2000s blues players
4.2.5 Other styles and regions
4.3 East Asia
4.3.1 Spread of the Tremolo Tuned Harmonica array of Japanese style
4.3.2 Completion of the minor-key harmonica
4.3.3 Activity of the harmonica in Hong Kong China.
5 Medical use
6 Competitions
Comb and two reedplates.
Reed plate.
7 Related instruments
8 Notation
8.1 Tabulature
8.2 Regular notation
9 Notable performers
10 See also
11 References
12 External links
Parts
There are three types of harmonicas: the diatonic, the chromatic, and the
tremolo.
The basic parts of the harmonica are the comb, reed-plates and cover-
plates.
Comb
The comb is a term for the main body of the instrument, which contains the
air chambers that cover the reeds. The term comb originates from the
similarities between simple harmonicas and a hair comb. Harmonica combs
were traditionally made from wood, but now are usually made from plastic
(ABS) or metal (including titanium for very high-end instruments).
[3]
Some
modern and experimental comb designs are complex in the way that they
direct the air.
Comb material was assumed to have an effect on the tone of the harp.
While the comb material does have a slight influence over the sound of the
harmonica, the main advantage of a particular comb material over another
one is its durability.
[4]
In particular, a wooden comb can absorb moisture
from the player's breath and contact with the tongue. This causes the comb
to expand slightly, making the instrument uncomfortable to play. Various
types of wood and treatments have been devised to reduce the degree of this problem.
[3]
An even more serious problem with wood combs, especially in chromatic harmonicas (with their thin dividers
between chambers) is that the combs shrink over time. Comb shrinkage can lead to cracks in the combs due to
the combs being held immobile by nails, resulting in disabling leakage. Much effort is devoted by serious
players to restoring wood combs and sealing leaks. Some players used to soak wooden-combed harmonicas
(diatonics, without windsavers) in water to cause a slight expansion, which they intended to make the seal
Reedplate mounted on the comb
of a diatonic harmonica.
between the comb, reed plates and covers more airtight. Modern wooden-
combed harmonicas are less prone to swelling and contracting. Players still
dip harmonicas in water for the way it affects tone and ease of bending
notes.
Reed-plate
Reed-plate is the term for a grouping of several reeds in a single housing.
The reeds are usually made of brass, but steel, aluminium and plastic are
occasionally used. Individual reeds are usually riveted to the reed-plate, but
they may also be welded or screwed in place. Reeds fixed on the inside
(within the comb's air chamber) of the reed-plate respond to blowing, while those on the outside respond to
suction.
Most harmonicas are constructed with the reed-plates screwed or bolted to the comb or each other. A few
brands still use the traditional method of nailing the reed-plates to the comb. Some experimental and rare
harmonicas also have had the reed-plates held in place by tension, such as the WWII era all-American models.
If the plates are bolted to the comb, the reed plates can be replaced individually. This is useful because the reeds
eventually go out of tune through normal use, and certain notes of the scale can fail more quickly than others.
A notable exception to the traditional reed-plate design 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. The Magnus design had
the reeds, reed-plates and comb made of plastic and either molded or permanently glued together.
Cover plates
Cover plates cover the reed-plates and are usually made of metal, though wood and plastic have also been used.
The choice of these is personalbecause they project sound, they determine the tonal quality of the harmonica.
There are two types of cover plates: traditional open designs of stamped metal or plastic, which are simply there
to be heldand enclosed designs (such as the Hohner Meisterklasse and Super 64, Suzuki Promaster and SCX),
which offer a louder tonal quality. From these two basic types, a few modern designs have been created, such as
the Hohner CBH-2016 chromatic and the Suzuki Overdrive diatonic, which have complex covers that allow for
specific functions not usually available in the traditional design. 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.
Windsavers
Windsavers are one-way valves made from thin strips of plastic, knit paper, leather or teflon glued onto the
reed-plate. They are typically found in chromatic harmonicas, chord harmonicas and many octave-tuned
harmonicas. Windsavers are used when two reeds share a cell and leakage through the non-playing reed would
be significant. For example, when a draw note is played, the valve on the blow reed-slot is sucked shut,
preventing air from leaking through the inactive blow reed. An exception to this is the recent Hohner XB-40
where valves are placed not to isolate single reeds but rather to isolate entire chambers from being active.
Mark Wenner cups
his hands around a
"bullet mic" as he
plays amplified
harmonica.
Mouthpiece
The mouthpiece is placed between the air chambers of the instrument and the player's mouth. This can be
integral with the comb (the diatonic harmonicas, the Hohner Chrometta), part of the cover (as in Hohner's CX-
12), or may be a separate unit entirely, secured by screws, which is typical of chromatics. In many harmonicas,
the mouthpiece is purely an ergonomic aid designed to make playing more comfortable. However, in the
traditional slider-based chromatic harmonica it is essential to the functioning of the instrument because it
provides a groove for the slide.
Accessories
Amplification devices
Since the 1950s, many blues harmonica players have amplified their instrument with
microphones and tube amplifiers. One of the early innovators of this approach was
Marion "Little Walter" Jacobs, who played the harmonica near a "Bullet" microphone
marketed for use by radio taxi dispatchers. This gave his harmonica tone a "punchy"
mid-range sound that could be heard above an electric guitar. As well, tube amplifiers
produce a natural distortion when played at higher volumes, which adds body and
fullness to the sound. Little Walter also cupped his hands around the instrument,
tightening the air around the harp, giving it a powerful, distorted sound, somewhat
reminiscent of a saxophone, hence the term "Mississippi saxophone". As technology in
amplification has progressed, harmonica players have introduced other components to
their rigs as well, such as reverb, tremolo, delay, octave, overdrive, and chorus effect.
John Popper of Blues Traveler uses a customized microphone that encapsulates several
of these effects into one handheld unit, as opposed to several units in sequence. Many
harmonica players still prefer tube amplifiers to solid-state, owing to the perceived
difference in tone generated by the vacuum tubes. Many amplifiers designed for guitar
are also used by harmonica players, such as the Kalamazoo Model Two, Fender
Bassman, and the Danelectro Commando. Some boutique amplifiers, however, are built
from the ground up with characteristics that are optimal for amplified harmonica.
Rack or holder
Harmonica players who play the instrument while performing on another instrument
with their hands (e.g., an acoustic guitar) often use an accessory called a neck rack or
harmonica holder to position the instrument in front of their mouth. A harmonica
holder clamps the harmonica between two metal brackets, which are attached to a
curved loop of metal that rests on the shoulders. This device is used by folk musicians, "one man bands" and
singer/songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, John Lennon (mostly in The Beatles' songs), Bruce
Springsteen, Billy Joel, Tom Harmon, Eddie Vedder, Beck, Ryan Adams, Ray LaMontagne, Donovan, Benny
Gallagher of Scottish pop-folk duo Gallagher and Lyle, English folk singer Ralph McTell and blues singers
Jimmy Reed and John Hammond Jr..
Hohner Super Chromonica, a typical
12-hole chromatic.
A tremolo harmonica
Harmonica types
Chromatic harmonica
The chromatic harmonica uses a button-activated sliding bar to redirect
air from the hole in the mouthpiece to the selected reed-plate, though
one designthe "Machino-Tone"controlled airflow by means of a
lever-operated flap on the rear of the instrument. Also, a "hands-free"
modification to the Hohner 270 (12-hole) lets the player shift the tones
by moving the mouthpiece up and down with the lips, leaving the hands
free to play another instrument. While the Richter-tuned 10-hole
chromatic is intended to play in only one key, the 12-, 14-, and 16-hole models (which are tuned to equal
temperament) allow the musician to play in any key desired with only one harmonica. This harp can be used for
any style, including Celtic, classical, jazz, or blues (commonly in third position).
Diatonic harmonicas
Strictly speaking, "diatonic" denotes any harmonica designed to play in a single keythough the standard
"Richter-tuned" diatonic can play other keys by forcing its reeds to play tones that are not part of its basic scale.
(See Blues harp). Depending on the country, "diatonic harmonica" may mean either the tremolo harmonica (in
East Asia) or blues harp (In Europe and North America). Other diatonic harmonicas include octave harmonicas.
Here is the note layout for a standard diatonic in the key of G major:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
-----------------------------
blow: |G |B |D |G |B |D |G |B |D |G |
draw: |A |D |F#|A |C |E |F#|A |C |E |
-----------------------------
Each hole is the same interval (here, a perfect fifth) from its key of C counterpart; on the diatonic scale, a G is a
perfect fifth from C. The interval between keys can be used to find the note layout of any standard diatonic.
Tremolo Tuned Harmonica
The Tremolo Tuned Harmonica's distinguishing feature is that it has
two reeds per note, with one slightly sharp and the other slightly flat.
This provides a unique wavering or warbling sound created by the two
reeds being slightly out of tune with each other and the difference in
their subsequent waveforms interacting with each other (its beat). The
Asian version, which can produce all 12 semitones, is used often in
East-Asian rock and pop music.
Orchestral harmonicas
These harmonicas are primarily designed for use in ensemble playing.
Orchestral melody harmonica
There are eight kinds of orchestral melody harmonica: the most common are the Horn harmonicas often found
in East Asia. These consist of a single large comb with blow only reed-plates on the top and bottom. Each reed
sits inside a single cell in the comb. One version mimics the layout of a piano or mallet instrument, with the
natural notes of a C diatonic scale in the lower reed-plate and the sharps/flats in the upper reed-plate in groups
of two and three holes with gaps in between like the black keys of a piano (thus there is no E#/Fb hole nor a
B#/Cb hole on the upper reed-plate). Another version has one "sharp" reed directly above its "natural" on the
lower plate, with the same number of reeds on both plates.
"Horn harmonicas" are available in several pitch ranges, with the lowest pitched starting two octaves below
middle C and the highest beginning on middle C itself; they usually cover a two or three octave range. They are
chromatic instruments and are usually played in an East Asian harmonica orchestra instead of the "push-button"
chromatic harmonica that is more common in the European/American tradition. Their reeds are often larger, and
the enclosing "horn" gives them a different timbre, so that they often function in place of a brass section. In the
past, they were referred to as horn harmonicas.
The other type of orchestral melodic harmonica is the Polyphonia, (though some are marked "Chromatica").
These have all twelve chromatic notes laid out on the same row. In most cases, they have both blow and draw of
the same tone, though the No. 7 is blow only, and the No. 261, also blow only, has two reeds per hole, tuned an
octave apart (all these designations refer to products of M. Hohner).
Chord harmonica
The chord harmonica has up to 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. Typically
each hole has two reeds for each note, tuned to one octave of each other. However, less expensive models often
have only one reed per note. Quite a few orchestra harmonicas are also designed to serve as both bass and chord
harmonica, with bass notes next to chord groupings. There are also other chord harmonicas, such as the
Chordomonica (which operates similar to a chromatic harmonica), and the junior chord harmonicas (which
typically provides 6 chords).
The Suzuki SSCH-56 Compact Chord harmonica is a 48 chord harmonica built in a 14 hole chromatic
harmonica enclosure. The first three holes play a major chord on blow and draw, with and without the slide.
Holes 2, 3, and 4 play a diminished chord, holes 3, 4, and 5 play a minor chord, and holes 4, 5, and 6 play an
augmented, for a total of sixteen chords. This pattern is repeated starting on hole 5, a whole step higher, and
again starting on hole 9, for a total of 48 chords.
[5]
ChengGong harmonica
The ChengGong harmonica
[6]
has a main body, and a sliding mouthpiece. The body is a 24-hole diatonic
harmonica that starts from b2 to d6 (covering 3 octaves). Its 11-hole mouthpiece can slide along the front of the
harmonica, which gives numerous chord choices and voicings (seven triads, three 6th chords, seven 7th chords,
and seven 9th chords, for a total of 24 chords). As well, it is capable of playing single- note melodies and
double stops over a range of three diatonic octaves. Unlike conventional harmonicas, blowing and drawing
produce the same notes because its tuning is closer to the note layout of a typical Asian tremolo harmonica or
the Polyphonias.
[7]
Pitch pipe
The pitch pipe is a simple specialty harmonica that provides a reference pitch to singers and other instruments.
The only difference between some early pitch-pipes and harmonicas is the name of the instrument, which
reflected the maker's target audience. Chromatic pitch pipes, which are used by singers and choirs, give a full
chromatic (12-note) octave. Pitch pipes are also sold for string players, such as violinists and guitarists; these
pitch pipes usually provide the notes corresponding to the open strings.
Glass diatonic harmonica
The first glass diatonic harmonica (diatonic harmonica made of glass) was created by Geoff Stengel
[8]
in 2009.
It was constructed out of borosilicate glass, the reeds were interchangeable and the screws were brass. All of the
color was hand mixed using different oxides and borosilicate glass. Stengel has been specializing in making his
own color and tubing for many years.
Techniques
'Vibrato' is a technique commonly used while playing the harmonica and many other instruments, to give the
note a 'shaking' sound. This technique can be accomplished in a number of ways. The most common way is to
change how the harmonica is held. For example, the vibrato effect can be achieved by opening and closing the
hands around the harmonica very rapidly. Another way is to use a 'head shaking' technique, frequently used in
blues harmonica, in which the player moves the lips between two holes very quickly. This gives a quick shaking
technique that is slightly more than vibrato and achieves the same aural effect on sustained notes. The vibrato
might also be achieved via rapid glottal (vocal fold) opening and closing, especially on draws (inhalation)
simultaneous to bending, or without bending. This obviates the need for cupping and waving the hands around
the instrument during play.
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. This technique is called bending, a term
possibly borrowed from guitarists, who literally "bend" a string to subtly change the pitch. Bending also creates
the glissandos characteristic of much blues harp and country harmonica playing. Bends are essential for most
blues and rock harmonica due to the soulful sounds the instrument can bring out. The "wail" of the blues harp
typically requires bending. In the 1970s, Howard Levy developed the overbending technique (also known as
"overblowing" and "overdrawing".) Overbending, combined with bending, allowed players to play the entire
chromatic scale.
In addition to playing the diatonic harmonica in its original key, it is also possible to play it in other keys by
playing in other "positions" using different keynotes. Using just the basic notes on the instrument would mean
playing in a specific mode for each position. Harmonica players (especially blues players) have developed
terminology around different "positions," which can be confusing to other musicians.
Another technique, seldom used to its full potential, is altering the size of the mouth cavity to emphasize certain
natural overtones. When this technique is employed while playing chords, care must be taken in overtone
selection as the overtones stemming from the non-root pitch can cause extreme dissonance.
Harmonica players who amplify their instrument with microphones and tube amplifiers, such as blues harp
players, also have a range of techniques that exploit properties of the microphone and the amplifier, such as
changing the way the hands are cupped around the instrument and the microphone or rhythmically breathing or
chanting into the microphone while playing. Blues and folk players refer to the instrument with a range of less-
common names including: hand reed, Mississippi saxophone, licking stick, pocket sax, toe pickle, tin sandwich,
ten-holed tin-can tongue twister, and French Harp.
Harmonica Coupling or Coupled Harmonica
This is a new technique of harmonica playing developed by William Price
[9]
in which two ten-hole diatonic
harmonicas tuned a full step apart are coupled together by simply bolting one on top of the other using the bolt
holes the manufacturer uses to attach the covers.
As an example a Bb harmonica is coupled above a C harmonica. The advantage of this is that it fills out the
lower octave. It also provides interesting chord and scale possibilities otherwise not available on a standard
diatonic harmonica.
Some songs are difficult to play because they require accurate bending technique. Coupling provides the
missing scale notes without the need for bending notes. But it still allows the player to bend when he/she feels it
would add to the musicality of the song.
History
The harmonica was developed in Europe in the early part of the 19th century. Free reed instruments like the
sheng were fairly common throughout East Asia for centuries and were relatively well known in Europe for
some time. Around 1820, free reed designs began being created in Europe. While Christian Friedrich Ludwig
Buschmann is often cited as the inventor of the harmonica in 1821, other inventors developed similar
instruments at the same time.
[10]
Mouth-blown free reed instruments appeared in the United States, South
America, the United Kingdom and in Europe at roughly the same time. The reason it was made was so it could
be used for classical music.
Early instruments
The harmonica first appeared in Vienna, where harmonicas with chambers were sold before 1824 (see also
Anton Reinlein and Anton Haeckl). Richter tuning, invented by Joseph Richter (who also is credited with
inventing the blow and draw mechanism), was created in 1826 and was adopted nearly universally in the
subsequent years. In Germany, violin manufacturer Mr. Meisel from Klingenthal bought a harmonica with
chambers (Kanzellen) at the Exhibition in Braunschweig in 1824. He and the ironworker Langhammer in the 3-
mile-away Graslitz copied the instruments; by 1827 they had produced hundreds of harmonicas. Many others
followed in Germany and also nearby in what would later become Czechoslovakia. In 1829, Johann Wilhelm
Rudolph Glier also began making harmonicas.
In 1830, Christan Messner, a cloth maker and weaver from Trossingen, copied a harmonica his neighbour had
brought from Vienna. He had such success that eventually his brother and some relatives also started to make
harmonicas. From 1840 onwards, his nephew Christian Weiss was also involved in the business. By 1855, there
were at least three harmonica-making businesses: C. A. Seydel Shne, Christian Messner & Co., and Wrtt.
Harmonikafabrik Ch. WEISS. Currently, only C.A. Seydel is still in business. Owing to competition between
the harmonica factories in Trossingen and Klingenthal, machines were invented to punch the covers for the
reeds.
In 1857, Matthias Hohner, a clockmaker from Trossingen, started producing harmonicas. Eventually he became
the first to mass-produce them. He used a mass-produced wooden comb that he had made by machine-cutting
firms. By 1868, he began supplying the United States. By the 1920s, the diatonic harmonica had largely reached
its modern form. Other types followed soon thereafter, including the various tremolo and octave harmonicas.
By the late 19th century, harmonica production was a big business, having evolved into mass-production. New
designs were still developed in the 20th century, including the chromatic harmonica, first made by Hohner in
1924, the bass harmonica, and the chord harmonica. In the 21st century, radical new designs have been
developed, and are still being introduced into the market, such as the Suzuki Overdrive, Hohner XB-40, and the
ill-fated Harrison B-Radical.
Diatonic harmonicas were designed primarily for the playing of German and other European folk music and
have succeeded well in those styles. Over time the basic design and tuning proved adaptable to other types of
music such as the blues, country, old-time and more. 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. Major companies are now found in Germany (Seydel, Bushman,
Hohner the dominant manufacturer in the world), Japan (Suzuki, Tombo the manufacturer of the popular
Lee Oskar harmonica, and Yamaha also made harmonicas until the 1970s), China (Huang, Johnson, Leo Shi,
Suzuki, Hohner, Swan, AXL), and Brazil (Hering, Bends). The United States had two significant harmonica
manufacturers, and both were based in Union, New Jersey. One was Magnus Harmonica Corporation, whose
founder Finn Magnus is credited with the development of plastic harmonica reeds. The other was Wm. Kratt
Company, who originally started out making pitch pipes, and later secured the patent for combs made of plastic
in 1952. Both companies ceased harmonica production. The only recent American contender in the harmonica
market was Harrison Harmonicas, however the company folded in July 2011 due to production issues. It was
announced soon thereafter that the rights to the Harrison design were sold to another company to finish
production of orders already placed. In October 2012, it was revealed that a Beloit, Wisconsin investment
corporation known as R&R Opportunities, LLC had bought the assets of Harrison Harmonicas, and that a
feasibility study was underway to assess the possibilities of continued production of the Harrison B-Radical
harmonica. Recently, responding to increasingly demanding performance techniques, the market for high
quality instruments has grown.
Europe and North America
Early use
Awhile before Hohner began manufacturing harmonicas in 1857, he shipped some to relatives who had
emigrated to the United States. Its music rapidly became popular, and the country became an enormous market
for Hohner's goods. President Abraham Lincoln carried a harmonica in his pocket,
[11]
and harmonicas provided
solace to soldiers on both the Union and Confederate sides of the American Civil War. Frontiersmen Wyatt
Earp and Billy the Kid played the instrument, and it became a fixture of the American musical landscape.
Harmonicas were heard on a handful of recordings in the early 1900s, generally labeled as a "Mouth Organ".
The first jazz or traditional music recordings of harmonicas were made in the U.S. in the mid-1920s. These
recordings are 'race-records', intended for the black market of the southern states with solo recordings by
DeFord Bailey, duo recordings with a guitarist Hammie Nixon, Walter Horton, Sonny Terry, as well as hillbilly
styles recorded for white audiences, by Frank Hutchison, Gwen Foster and several other musicians. There are
also recordings featuring the harmonica in jug bands, 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's versatility brought it to the attention of classical music during the 1930s. American Larry
Adler was one of the first harmonica players to perform major works written for the instrument by the
composers Ralph Vaughan Williams, Malcolm Arnold, Darius Milhaud and Arthur Benjamin.
The United States experienced a shortage of harmonicas during World War II. Wood and metal materials for
harmonicas were in short supply due to military demand. Furthermore, primary harmonicas manufacturers were
based in Germany and Japanthe Axis powers opposed to the United States and the Allied forces in the war.
During this, Finn Harkon Magnus, a Dutch-American factory worker and entrepreneur, developed and perfected
the molded-plastic harmonica. The plastic harmonica used molded plastic combs and far fewer pieces than
traditional metal or wood harmonicas, which made the harmonica more economical to mass-produce and more
sanitary. Though the plastic reeds in these harmonicas produced a less distinctive (and, to many ears, inferior)
sound than their metallic counterparts, Magnus harmonicas and several imitators soon became commonplace,
particularly among children.
[12]
The patent for the plastic comb, however, was awarded to William Kratt of
Wm. Kratt Company in 1952. During World War II, the War Department allotted a rationed supply of brass to
Kratt's factory so they could continue to produce harmonicas that the Red Cross passed out to GI's overseas to
boost morale.
1950s blues players
The harmonica made its way with the blues and black migrants to the north, mainly to Chicago but also Detroit,
St. Louis, and New York. The music played by African Americans increasingly began to use electric
amplification for the guitar, harp, double bass, and a crude PA system for the vocals. Alec Rice Miller, better
known as Sonny Boy Williamson II, was one of the important harmonicists of this era. Using a full blues band,
he became a popular act in the South, with his daily broadcasts on the King Biscuit Time show originating live
from Helena, Arkansas. He also helped to popularize the cross-harp technique, which became an important
blues harmonica technique.
A young harmonicist named Marion "Little Walter" Jacobs revolutionized the instrument by playing the
harmonica with a microphone (typically a "Bullet" microphone marketed for use by radio taxi dispatchers
cupped in his hands with the harmonica into a tube amplifier, giving it a "punchy" mid-range sound that can be
heard above radio static, or an electric guitar). He cupped his hands around the instrument, tightening the air
around the harp, giving it a powerful, distorted sound, somewhat reminiscent of a saxophone.
Big Walter Horton was the favored harmonicist of many Chicago blues bandleaders, including Willie Dixon.
His colorful solos used the full register of his instrument and some chromatic harmonicas. Howlin' Wolf's early
recordings demonstrate great skill, particularly at blowing powerful riffs with the instrument. Sonny Boy
Williamson II used the possibilities of hand effects to give a talkative feel to his harp playing. Williamson
extended his influence on the young British blues rockers in the 1960s, recording with Eric Clapton and The
Yardbirds and appearing on live British television. Stevie Wonder learned harmonica at age 5 and plays the
instrument on many of his recordings. Jimmy Reed played harmonica on most of his blues shuffle recordings.
1960s and 1970s blues players
The 1960s and 1970s saw the harmonica become less prominent, as the overdriven electric lead guitar became
the dominant instrument for solos in blues rock. Paul Butterfield is a well-known harp player of the era in the
blues and blues-rock arena. Heavily influenced by Little Walter, he pushed further the virtuosity on the harp.
Chicago harmonica player James Cotton specialized in slow, magnificent note-bends.
Blues harmonica players who are primarily or mainly associated with the instrument include Norton Buffalo,
Jerry Portnoy, Lazy Lester, Bob Dylan, Sugar Blue, Billy Branch, Charlie Musselwhite, Corky Siegel, Junior
Wells, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Kim Wilson, Slim Harpo, Al "Blind Owl" Wilson of Canned Heat, Jack Bruce
of Cream and John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful.
Musicians who are primarily known as singers or performers on another instrument who also have recorded and
performed harmonica solos include Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Donovan, Taj Mahal, Mick Jagger
and Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones, Huey Lewis of Huey Lewis and the News, John Mayall, Paul Jones of
Manfred Mann and The Blues Band, Tom Petty and Scott Thurston of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Peter
Green of Fleetwood Mac, Ronnie Wood of Faces, Roger Daltrey of The Who, Ray Davies of The Kinks, Steven
Tyler of Aerosmith, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, Bono of U2, Rick Davies of Supertramp, and Richard
"Magic Dick" Salwitz of The J. Geils Band. Billy Joel famously plays the harmonica, in addition to his piano,
on his signature song, "Piano Man". includes the harmonica throughout the piece. John Lennon played
harmonica on early Beatles' hits as "Love Me Do", "Please Please Me", "I'll Get You" and "I Should Have
Known Better", in the later songs such as "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", "Rocky Raccoon" and his solo
career on songs such as "Oh Yoko!", Sly Stone played harmonica on Sly and the Family Stone's top 40 hit I
Want to Take You Higher.
2000s blues players
Contemporary harmonicists Howard Levy, Jason Ricci, Carlos del Junco and Chris "Buddha" Michalek have
pushed the envelope of the instrument. Levy explored and pioneered the over blow technique in the early
seventies, which enables the diatonic harmonica to play full chromatic scales across three octaves, while
retaining the particular sound of the harp. Overblowing is used by Howard Levy, Frdric Yonnet, Adam
Gussow, Chris Michalek, and Paul Nebenzahl. Jason Ricci and Carlos del Junco are starting to integrate it in a
more blues or rock oriented music. Richard "Magic Dick" Salwitz, Billy Branch, John Popper, Tom Ball,
"Dirty" Patrick Walsh, Big Dave Perea, Joe Filisko, Miles Ryan, Nuwki Nu and others are keeping the
harmonica tradition alive. Peter Doherty of The Libertines and Babyshambles has also been known to use a
harmonica especially during songs such as Albion and Killamangiro. Australian player Brian Cain otherwise
known as Indiana Phoenix mixes a range of playing techniques with modern equipment developed by playing
with traditional acoustic guitar players to heavy rock and metal bands.
Other styles and regions
European harmonica player Philip Achille, who performs Irish, Classical, Jazz, Qawali and Sufi music, has won
jazz competitions and his classical performances have led to appearances on the BBC as well as ITV and
Channel 4. Performers include French harmonicist Nikki Gadout, Germans Steve Baker and Johnny Mller
(who played the title melody of the Winnetou-movies) and German-Italian Willi Burger. The Brazilian Flvio
Guimares performs a variety of styles. From France Yvonnick Prene plays jazz on chromatic harmonica.
Belgian player Jean "Toots" Thielemans is a well-known master of jazz chromatic harmonica, as well as a
champion whistler, who has been recorded on many notable songs in film and television, such as the theme
from Sesame Street, and the score from the Academy Award winning film Midnight Cowboy.
In Nashville, P. T. Gazell has an influential style, as does Charlie McCoy, an American music harmonicist.
Irish traditional music stylists include John and Pip Murphy, Noel Battle, Austin Berry, James Conway, Andy
Irvine, Mick Kinsella, Brendan Power, Joel Bernstein, Don Meade, Paul Moran, Tom Byrne, Pat Casey and
Rick Epping.
Peter "Madcat" Ruth maintains a website (http://www.madcatmusic.net/links.html) that links to the sites of
contemporary players around the world. Wade Schuman, founder of the group Hazmat Modine, and Jason
Rosenblatt of Shtreiml have fused overblowing with older traditional styles and middle European harmonies.
East Asia
In 1898, the harmonica was brought to Japan, where the Tremolo harmonica was the most popular instrument.
After about 30 years, the Japanese developed scale tuning and semitone harmonicas that could play Japanese
folk songs.
Spread of the Tremolo Tuned Harmonica array of Japanese style
Tremolo Tuned Harmonica is one that has been developed in Germany, (Richter tuning) is in Europe was the
main array sound formula Europe and the United States, called the "Father of the harmonica" in Japan in the
year 1913 Mr. Sh!go Kawaguchi (!),) to improve the Horner's Double Reed Harmonica, he completed a
Tremolo Tuned Harmonica sound array formula devised Mr. Sh!go Kawaguchi, Japan. A popular Japanese-
style harmonica tremolo sound sequence devised Sh!go Kawaguchi in Japan will develop this later. In addition,
there is also a wide area of East Asia, was sound familiar to local music, the Tremolo Tuned Harmonica sound
array of array formula devised Sh!go Kawaguchi Japan, he had a great development in Asia.
Completion of the minor-key harmonica
It was the only (Major Key Harmonica) major key harmonica until then, years 1930 - 1930 has been completed
(Minor Key Harmonica) is in Japan for the first time in the world the minor-key harmonica around the Mr.
Hider! Sat! (!|[)). 1931 - 1931, with minor corridor Mr. Hider! Sat! (!|[)) announced the world's
first harmonica key, "(Fantastic Variations) K!j!notsuki song" net first unaccompanied solo format. As
described above, in recent years harmonica minor codes is indispensable for such chanson ballad and appeared
unexpectedly in recent years. There are currently two types of sequence ", Natural Minor Key" of the array
scale that is suitable, such as folklore chanson and contemporary music, and Latin America and the (Natural
Minor Key Harmonica) folk music of Japan to the minor-key harmonica (sequence "minor key" of the array
have (Minor Key Harmonica) handy when you play, etc.) Enka. Better sequence "Natural Minor Key" in
foreign countries has been used for the vast majority, it is essential sequence "minor key" and music of Japan, to
buy a harmonica in Japan case, refers to the "minor-key sequence" speaking mostly with minor-key harmonica
sequence ", Natural minor key" is or even a special order. If the individual is imported from overseas, you will
need to import the notes for this thing however.
Activity of the harmonica in Hong Kong China.
Harmonica music started to develop at the Hong Kong, in the 1930s. Individual tremolo harmonica players from
China moved to Hong Kong to set up different harmonica organizations such as The Chinese Y.M.C.A.
Harmonica Orchestra, the China Harmonica Society,
[13]
and the Heart String Harmonica Society. In the 1950s,
chromatic harmonica became popular in Hong Kong, and players such as Larry Adler and John Sebastian were
invited to perform.
Local players such as Lau Mok (3|) and Fung On ((/) promoted the chromatic harmonica. In the Chinese
Y.M.C.A. Harmonica Orchestra, the chromatic harmonica gradually became the main instrument. The Chinese
YMCA Harmonica Orchestra started in the 1960s, with 100 members, most of whom played harmonicas.
[14]
Non-harmonica instruments were also used, such as double bass, accordion, piano, and percussion such as
timpani and xylophone.
In the 1970s, the Haletone Harmonica Orchestra (|l!'|)
[15]
was set up at Wong Tai Sin Community
Centre. Fung On and others continued to teach harmonica and also set up harmonica orchestras. In the 1980s,
the number of harmonica learners decreased steadily. In the 1990s, harmonica players in Hong Kong began to
participate in international harmonica competitions, including the World Harmonica Festival in Germany and
the Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival. In the 2000s, the Hong Kong Harmonica Association (H.K.H.A.) ({!
'|)
[16]
was established.
The history of the harmonica in Taiwan began around 1945. By the 1980s, though, as living standards
increased, many instruments that were once too expensive to buy could be bought by the Taiwanese in
preference to the harmonica.
Medical use
Playing the harmonica requires inhaling and exhaling strongly against resistance. This action helps develop a
strong diaphragm and deep breathing using the entire lung volume. Pulmonary specialists have noted that
playing the harmonica resembles the kind of exercise used to rehabilitate COPD patients such as using a
PFLEX inspiratory muscle trainer or the inspiratory spirometer. Learning to play a musical instrument also
offers motivation in addition to the exercise component. Many pulmonary rehabilitation programs therefore
have begun to incorporate the harmonica.
[17][18][19][20]
Competitions
The World Harmonica Festival is held in the autumn every four years in Trossingen, Germany, home of the
Hohner harmonica company. The last World Harmonica Festival was in 2009, and a harmonica workshop is
held every year.
[21]
The Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival is held regularly; in 2008 it was hosted by China.
In Hong Kong, Schools Music Festival is held every year for school students to compete in different music
classes. Harmonica classes include band for primary and secondary schools, ensemble for secondary school,
duet for secondary school, solo (junior, intermediate, and senior), and concert work (open).
Every August there is a harmonica contest in Idaho. The contest has been running since 1989. The contest is
held in Yellow Pine about 150 miles outside of Boise, Idaho and is called the Yellow Pine Harmonica
Contest.
[22]
Also held in August each year is the Bean Blossom Harmonica Contest. Beginning in 1999 as an event at the
Bean Blossom Blues Fest, the contest has 3 divisions: Youth (ages 1 15), Adult (16 and above), and Group (2
or more players of any age). In addition to other attractive prizes awarded to the top 3 winners in each division,
the first place winner of the Adult Division is invited to perform on the main stage of the Bean Blossom Blues
Fest later that evening in front of a crowd of several thousand.
[23]
Related instruments
The concertina, diatonic and chromatic accordions and the melodica are all free-reed instruments that 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 latter
"Handharmonika," which translate as "mouth harmonica" and "hand harmonica." In Scandinavian languages, an
accordion is simply called "harmonika," whereas a harmonica is a "mundharmonika" (mouth harmonica). The
names for the two instruments in the Slavic languages are also either similar or identical. The harmonica shares
similarities to all other free-reed instruments by virtue of the method of sound production.
The glass harmonica has the word "harmonica" in its name, but it is not related to free-reed instruments. The
glass harmonica is a musical instrument formed from a nested set of graduated glass cups mounted sideways on
an axle. Each of the glass cups is tuned to a different note, and they are arranged in a scalar order. It is played
by touching the rotating cups with wetted fingers, causing them to vibrate and produce a sustained "singing"
tone.
Notation
Tabulature
Tabulature notation (often abbreviated as "tab") is a method of writing melodies by indicating where the notes
are played on the instrument, rather than by indicating the pitches with circles and note heads printed on a staff,
as with standard notation. One of the advantages of tab is that it can be easier for performers without formal
training to learn, because the notation directly indicates where to play the note.
While tab is most often associated with fretted stringed instruments such as the guitar, tab is also used with
other instruments such as the organ and harmonica.
There are many harmonica tab systems in use. A simple tab system appears as follows:
Diatonic Harmonica tab:
2 = blow the 2 hole < Also: +2 >
-2 = draw the 2 hole
-2' = draw the 2 hole with a half bend < Also -2b >
-2" = draw the 2 hole with a full bend < Also -2bb>
Chords are shown by grouping notes with parentheses
(2 3) = blow the 2 hole and the 3 hole at the same time
Chromatic Harmonica tab:
2 = blow the 2 hole
-2 = draw the 2 hole
<2 = blow the 2 hole with the button in
<-2 = draw the 2 hole with the button in
Irish harmonica tune
Recording from the Library of
Congress' California Gold: Northern
California Folk Music from the Thirties
Collection; performed by Aaron
Morgan (harmonica) on July 17, 1939
in Columbia, California
Problems playing this file? See media help.
Text Tab
[24]
is another common type of harmonica tablature. It indicates when a player should "blow" or
"draw" on a note by appending a letter suffix (B for blow or D for draw) to the appropriate harmonica hole
number. Text Tab is used by harmonica instructors such as Dave Gage and Jon Gindick. It can be found on their
websites and books and web forums.
Harmonica tab is usually aligned with lyrics to show the tune and the timing, and usually states the key of the
harmonica required for the song.
Complete example of harmonica tab:
Cockles And Mussels (Molly Malone):
6 7 7 7 7 8 7 -8 -8 -8 -8 -9
In Dublin's fair city, where girls are so pretty,
-8 9 9 9 9 9 7 -8 8 7 -8
I first set my sight on sweet Molly Malone.
6 7 7 7 7 8 7 -8 -8 -8 -9
She was a fishmonger, and she'd stroll along,
8 8 9 8 7 9 8 7 -8 8 -8 7
Singing "Cockles And Mussels, Alive, Alive, Oh."
6 7 7 7 -8 8 7 -8 -8 -8 -8 8
Alive alive oh-oh Alive alive oh-oh
7 7 9 8 7 9 8 7 -8 8 -8 7
Singing Cockles and Mussels alive alive oh
Regular notation
A number (sometimes inside a circle) appears below each note in otherwise conventional sheet music, and
indicates which number hole to play. An up or down arrow beneath the number indicates whether to blow or
draw. Up means blow and down means draw. A curved arrow indicates bend notesslightly to the left for a
half step flat, and longer to the left to indicate a whole step flat. Right-pointing arrows indicate a sharp bend.
Notable performers
See also
Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival
Harmonica concerto
List of harmonica solos
Richter tuned harmonica
The Society for the Preservation and Advancement of
the Harmonica
References
1. ^ Willy, B. "Harmonica 101" (http://www.davidpatrone.com/Literature/Harmonica101.htm).
2. ^ "Harmonica Bending Reference" (http://www.harmonica.com/bending). Harmonica.com.
3. ^
a

b
"Mark Lavoie Harmonica Player ... and more (http://middlebury.net/interesting/lavoie.html)," The Middlebury
Community Network
4. ^ Weinstein, Randy F. and William Melton. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing the Harmonica. ISBN 0-02-864241-
4.
5. ^ http://www.suzukimusic.com/harmonicas/CHORD56/
6. ^ (a pun on the inventor's surname and (), or "success," pronounced "chenggong" in Mandarin Chinese) harmonica,
invented by Cheng Xuexue | of China.
7. ^ Missin, P. "ChengGong harmonica" (http://www.patmissin.com/gallery/gallery03.html).
8. ^ "Eugene Glass Menagerie" (http://eugeneglassmenagerie.com/). Retrieved 29 July 2013.
9. ^ http://harmonicareinvented.com/
10. ^ Conny Restle: In aller Munde, S. 43, Staatl. Institut fr Musikforschung, Berlin 2003.
11. ^ [1] (http://www.hohnerusa.com/ahistory.htm)
12. ^ Popular Science Google Books (http://books.google.com/books?id=YyEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-
PA244&lpg=RA1-
PA244&dq=Finn+Haakon+Magnus&source=bl&ots=kYehT3zxkD&sig=FBKN1OxaVI_PhJEjOZGp0qbPJuc&hl=en&e
i=ELIXTIeKFsG88ga_5JytCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=F
inn%20Haakon%20Magnus&f=false). Books.google.com. Retrieved 2012-07-05.
13. ^ (}!')
14. ^ The violin and viola were replaced by 12-hole and 16-hole chromonicas; cello by chord harmonica, contra bass and
octave bass; double bass by octave bass; flute by pipe soprano; clarinet by pipe alto; trumpet by horn soprano; trombone
by horn alto; oboe by melodica soprano; English horn by melodica alto; French horn by melodica professional.
15. ^ [2] (http://www.haletone.com/introeng.html)
16. ^ "Hong Kong Harmonica Association" (http://www.hkharmonica.org/index.php). Hkharmonica.org. Retrieved 2012-
07-05.
17. ^ "Harmonica For Fun & Health Classes" (http://www.harmonicamasterclass.com/pulm.htm). Harmonica Masterclass.
18. ^ "When breathing needs a tune-up, harmonica class hits all the right notes"
(http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2005/hmharmonica.htm) (Press release). University of Michigan. September
28, 2005.
19. ^ "Pulmonologists Treat Breath Shortness with Harmonica Classes" (http://www.aip.org/dbis/stories/2006/15114.html).
American Institute of Physics. January 1, 2006.
20. ^ "Using the Harmonica in Physical Therapy. (This will be useful in cheerleading practice.)"
(http://www.kyw1060.com/content_page.php?contentType=4&contentId=151980). KYW Newsradio 1060.
21. ^ A report of the 2005 World Harmonica Festival by David Barrett
(http://www.harmonicasessions.com/feb06/festival.html).
22. ^ Yellow Pine Harmonica Contest website (http://www.harmonicacontest.com).
23. ^ Bean Blossom Harmonica Contest website (http://www.beanblossomblues.com/contest.html).
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to harmonica.
Wikibooks has a book on
the topic of: Harmonica
24. ^ "Harmonica Tabs / Blues Harp Songs and Harmonica Tab, Bluesharp Music, Blues Harp Notes, Internet Tablatur/ Free
& Members Tabs Areas" (http://www.harmonicalessons.com/tabs.html). Harmonicalessons.com. Retrieved 2012-07-05.
External links
Layout of 12 Keys of Richter-tuned Diatonic Harmonica
12 Keys of Pentatonic Scales on one Richter-tuned Diatonic
Harmonica in C
HarmoPoint (http://harmopoint.com/) Diatonic harmonica
initiation using a multi-media concept that allows you to visualize
the playing
Riccardo's Harmonica Tutorial (http://www.riccardos.net/harmonicas) Free lessons on harmonica theory,
positions, scales and chord structures.
SPAH (http://www.spah.org/) The Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica
"Free shared harmonica links" (http://harmonica-world.over-blog.com) International harmonica weblinks
grouped by theme
Frequently Asked Question about harmonica playing [3] (http://stagepass.com/faqharp.html) Questions
about how to play harmonica
"Mark Purintun's Harmonica Tutorial" (http://harpinanawhinin.com)
The Tremolo: Learning to Play (http://thetremolo.ponderworthy.com/learning.html)
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Categories: Harmonica
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