The Harmonica

The Harmonica, also known as the  French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country music, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes (reed chambers) or multiple holes. Harmonicas are relatively inexpensive, extremely easy to store and transport!! and not impossible to learn, all of which makes them an attractive instrument. Another feature which makes the harmonica an attractive instrument is that they feature heavily in a wide range of contemprary music, from Rock ‘n Roll to Ska.

There are many types of harmonicas, including diatonic, chromatic, tremolo, orchestral, and bass versions. The sound which a harmonica makes can be altered by various different methods including vibrato, where you cup and un-cup your hands around the harmonica while playing a note, or by head shaking, where you alternate between 2 different notes in quick succession. Many artists use disorted microphones to alter the tone of the harmonica.