Harmonica

A harmonica is a very common free reed musical wind instrument (also

Related Topics:
Free reed - Wind instrument

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known, among other things, as a mouth organ, french harp, blues harp, simply harp, or

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"Mississippi saxophone"), having multiple, variably-tuned brass

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or bronze reeds, each secured at one end over an airway slot of like

Related Topics:
Bronze - Reed

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dimension into which it can freely vibrate, thus repeatedly

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interrupting an airstream to produce sound.

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Unlike most free-reed instruments (such as reed organs, accordions

Related Topics:
Reed organ - Accordion

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and melodicas), the mouth harmonica lacks a keyboard. Instead,

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lips and tongue are used to select one or a few of the several holes

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arranged usually linearly on a mouthpiece. Each hole communicates

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with one, two or a few reeds. Because a reed mounted above a slot

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is made to vibrate more easily by air from above, reeds accessed by a

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mouthpiece hole often may be selected further by choice of breath

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direction (blowing, drawing). Some harmonicas (known as chromatic harmonicas) also include a spring-loaded button-actuated slide that, when

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depressed, further redirects air blown or drawn through a single hole, from one reed to an adjacent reed, usually a semi-tone sharper.

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The harmonica is commonly used in blues and folk music, but

Related Topics:
Blues - Folk music

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also in jazz, classical music, country music, rock and roll and pop music.

Related Topics:
Jazz - Classical music - Country music - Rock and roll - Pop music

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