Harmonica: History, Anatomy and Playing

Peter R. Egbert MDProfessor of Ophthalmology, Emeritus

Department Chair, EmeritusStanford University

• I have no conflict of interest or financial disclosures for this presentation

History• Many instruments have been called “harmonica” or

“mouth organ”, before the advent of the modern harmonica.

• 3000 BC: Free-reed instruments were used in China and Asia (e.g. the sheng)

• 1800’s: Modern diatonic harmonicas appeared .– 1821 Christian Buschman pitchpipe converted to instrument.– 1825-26 Richter 20 reeds in 10 holes ”mundharmonika”.– 1857 Matthias Hohner, a clock maker in Trossingen,

Germany, began manufacturing harmonicas full time.

Hohner Harmonica Company Trossigen, Germany

• 1862-- first to export to North America• 1890-- 1,000,000/year• 1907-- 7,000,000 annually; 887,000

reeds from 15 tons of brass each day.–Many different models

• Today many competitors– Lee Oscar, Seydel, Huang, etc.

Most popular musical instrument?

• “The only thing rarer than a person who has never owned a harmonica is a person who does it justice.”

• “You cannot be everywhere unless you can go everywhere.”– Portable, sturdy

• “An accordion with soul.”– Draw and blow notes– Breathe and play

Soul

• Pocket Full of Soul• Grass Valley (CA) showing 2/28

https://www.tugg.com/go/36unaq

Two main classes of harmonicas

• 10 hole diatonic– Expressive– Not all notes available– Blues

• Chromatic– All notes available– Jazz, classical

Anatomy of a harmonica

Reed plate and reeds

Cross section of air chamber and reeds

Bahnson HT et al. J Am Soc Acoustics.1998:103(4) 2134 -2144

Standard tuning

The 10 hole diatonic harmonica is a transposing instrument with various keys.

Note that the chord degrees are the same on all the harmonicas.

Two main embouchures• Tongue block– The lips cover up to 4 holes.– The tongue blocks all but the right hole

(see MRI).

• Pucker or lip block. – The lips cover all but one hole.

TLOC

Tongue block embouchure

Playing your harmonica

1. Chords2. Single note

1. Tongue blocking2. Lip blocking or puckering

3. Slaps and pulls4. Octaves5. Vibrato6. Hand effects7. Pitch bending

Standard tuning

Cross section of air chamber and reeds

Bahnson HT et al. J Am Soc Acoustics.1998:103(4) 2134 -2144

2 hole draw bend

Bahnson HT et al. J Am Soc

Acoustics.1998:103(4) 2134 -2144

Blow reed displacem

ent

Start on G End on about F sharp

Draw reed displacement

Anatomy of the Vocal

Tract

MTongue

E

HP

SP

VF

CV

Tr

NC

OC

OPh

HPh

3 hole draw note, no bend

10cm

3 hole draw note, minor third bend

MRI Harmonica study group