Definition of
harmonica
It is called harmonica still musical instrument of windalso mentioned as harmonica (although this writing is rare). In Peruvian territory, the harmonica is known as rondin.
The harmonica is a kind of small box, with an elongated format, which presents numerous holes with tab. to touch this instrumentit must be blown or vacuumed through these holes.
harmonica features
We said that the harmonica is a wind instrument: This implies that the sound is produced by the vibration of the air that is inside it, without resorting to membranes or strings. On the other hand, beyond its material, the harmonica integrates the set of wooden instruments due to the fact that this vibration of the air takes place in the instrument, unlike what happens in the so-called brass instrumentswhere the oscillation is performed with the interpreter’s lips.
The harmonicas, as we already indicated, have reeds. These metal strips make it possible to produce the sound when, with the blows and the aspirations of the musician, they vibrate. Since the strips do not bump into each other or hit a mouthpiece, the harmonica is a free reed instrument.
the tabs
To understand how the harmonica works, it is important to focus on the reeds, which are made with steel either brass. Each reed is associated with a note and a tone, in turn defined by the length of the strip: the shorter reeds generate high-pitched sounds, while the longer ones offer low-pitched sounds.
When the musician blows or inhales for a hole or by several at the same time, makes one or more reeds vibrate and produce sound. It is important to mention that each harmonica reed has one end fixed and the other loose, the latter being the one that moves with the air and makes it possible to create sounds.
The parts of the harmonica
We already made reference to the reeds of the harmonica. It remains to add that the rivets of each individual tab to the support give rise to the so-called reed gameswhich are covered with protective plates. Are pins they define the tone quality of the instrument as they establish how the sound is projected.
The main body of the harmonica, on the other hand, is called the comb. This piece houses the cells of the tongues. The mouthpiecemeanwhile, is located between the mouth of the musician and the cells; Depending on the model, it can be independent, form part of the protective plate or integrated into the comb.
Classification according to type
According to your design and your properties, harmonics are classified differently. The one that houses the entire chromatic scale, with sharps and flats, is called chromatic harmonica.
The diatonic harmonica, for its part, has an extension of three octaves. The octave harmonica and the tremolo harmonica are others classes of harmonicas.
It is interesting to note that the harmonica can be supported on a medium that holds it close to the musician’s mouth, without the latter having to take it with his hands. These supports are very useful when the subject simultaneously plays another instrument (such as a guitarto mention one possibility).