The harmonica, also called a French harp or mouth organ, is a musical instrument that uses reeds to create sound. It is used in many types of music, including blues, folk, classical, jazz, country, and rock. There are several kinds of harmonicas, such as diatonic, chromatic, tremolo, octave, orchestral, and bass. To play the harmonica, a person uses their lips and tongue to blow air into or pull air out of one or more holes along a mouthpiece. Each hole has a small space behind it that contains at least one reed. The most common type of harmonica is a diatonic model with ten air passages and twenty reeds, often called a blues harp. A harmonica reed is a flat, long spring made of materials like brass, stainless steel, or bronze. It is attached at one end over a slot that allows air to pass through. When the player blows or draws air, the free end of the reed vibrates, opening and closing the airway to create sound.
Each reed is tuned to a specific pitch. Tuning can be done by changing the reed's length, how heavy it is near its free end, or how stiff it is near its fixed end. Longer, heavier, or more flexible reeds make lower pitches, while shorter, lighter, or stiffer reeds make higher pitches. On most modern harmonicas, reeds are placed above or below their slots instead of lying flat in the slot. This allows the reed to respond more easily to air moving in the direction that pushes it into the slot, such as when blowing. This design lets a single air chamber hold both a blow reed and a draw reed, which can be played separately without needing plastic or leather flaps (called valves or wind-savers) to block the unused reed.
A key technique in playing the harmonica is bending, which changes the pitch by adjusting how the player shapes their mouth. Bending the pitch of a single reed is possible on chromatic harmonicas or other models with wind-savers. It is also possible to change the pitch of two reeds in the same chamber, as on a diatonic harmonica. These changes involve the reed that usually does not make sound starting to vibrate, such as the blow reed when the player is drawing air.
Parts
The basic parts of a harmonica are the comb, reed plates, and cover plates.
The comb is the main body of the instrument. When it is put together with the reed plates, it creates air chambers where the reeds vibrate. The word "comb" might come from how this part looks like a hair comb. In the past, combs were made from wood, but now they are also made from plastic (ABS) or metal, including titanium for high-quality instruments. Some modern combs have complex shapes that help direct air in special ways.
Some players disagree about whether the material of the comb affects the sound of the harmonica. Those who say it does not matter argue that, unlike parts of a piano or guitar, the comb is not large enough or flexible enough to change the sound much. Others believe the material does matter, based on what they hear. Most agree that how smooth the comb is and how tightly it fits with the reed plates can greatly influence the sound and how easy the instrument is to play. The main advantage of one comb material over another is how long it lasts. For example, wooden combs can absorb moisture from a player’s breath or from touching their tongue. This can cause the comb to swell slightly, making the instrument uncomfortable to play. Over time, the comb might shrink, which could cause air leaks. Different types of wood and treatments have been developed to reduce this problem.
A bigger issue with wooden combs, especially in chromatic harmonicas (which have thin walls between air chambers), is that as the wood expands and contracts over time, cracks can form. This happens because the comb is held in place by nails, which prevent it from moving. These cracks can cause air to escape, making the instrument harder to play. Serious players often work to fix these cracks and seal leaks. Some players used to soak wooden-combed harmonicas (diatonic models without wind-savers) in water to make the fit between the comb, reed plates, and covers tighter. Modern wooden combs are less likely to swell or shrink, but some players still use water to improve the sound and make bending notes easier.
The reed plate holds several reeds in one piece. Reeds are usually made of brass, but sometimes they are made of steel, aluminum, or plastic. Reeds are usually attached to the reed plate with rivets, but they can also be welded or screwed in place. Reeds that are attached on the inside of the reed plate (inside the air chamber) respond to blowing air, while those on the outside respond to sucking air.
Most harmonicas have reed plates that are screwed or bolted to the comb or to each other. A few older models still use nails to attach the reed plates. Some experimental models, like those from the WWII era, used tension to hold the reed plates in place. If the reed plates are bolted to the comb, they can be replaced individually. This is helpful because reeds can go out of tune over time, and some notes may wear out faster than others.
One unusual design is the all-plastic harmonicas created by Finn Magnus in the 1950s. These harmonicas have reeds, reed plates, and combs made from a single piece of plastic, which is either molded or glued together.
Cover plates are placed over the reed plates. They are usually made of metal, but sometimes wood or plastic is used. The choice of cover plate affects the sound of the harmonica. There are two main types: open designs (like stamped metal or plastic) that are simply held in place, and enclosed designs (like the Hohner Meisterklasse or Suzuki Promaster) that produce a louder sound. Some modern designs, such as the Hohner CBH-2016 or Suzuki Overdrive, have special cover features that allow for unique functions. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, some harmonicas had special cover features, like bells that could be rung by pressing a button.
Wind-savers are one-way valves made from thin strips of plastic, paper, leather, or Teflon. They are attached to the reed plate and are commonly found in chromatic harmonicas, chord harmonicas, and octave-tuned models. Wind-savers help prevent air from escaping through unused reeds. For example, when a draw note is played, the valve on the blow reed closes, stopping air from leaking through the inactive blow reed. One exception is the Hohner XB-40, where valves isolate entire chambers instead of individual reeds, allowing traditional blues bends to be played on all reeds.
The mouthpiece connects the air chambers of the harmonica to the player’s mouth. It can be part of the comb (as in diatonic harmonicas or the Hohner Chrometta), part of the cover (like in Hohner’s CX-12), or a separate piece attached with screws (common in chromatic models). In many harmonicas, the mouthpiece is designed to make playing more comfortable. In traditional slider-based chromatic harmonicas, the mouthpiece is essential because it holds the slide in place.
Since the 1950s, many blues harmonica players have used microphones and tube amplifiers to make their sound louder. Marion "Little Walter" Jacobs was one of the first to use a microphone called the "Bullet," which gave his harmonica a strong, clear sound that could be heard over an electric guitar. Tube amplifiers create a rich, distorted sound when turned up, adding depth and texture to the music. Little Walter also used his hands to cup the harmonica, creating a flexible chamber that made the sound more powerful and distorted, similar to a saxophone. Some folk players use regular vocal microphones, like the Shure SM 58, for a clean, natural sound.
As amplification technology improved, harmonica players added effects like reverb, tremolo, delay, octave, overdrive, and chorus to their setups. John Popper of Blues Traveler uses a special microphone that combines several effects into one unit. Many players still prefer tube amplifiers over solid-state ones because they believe vacuum tubes create a warmer, more natural sound. Amplifiers designed for electric guitars, like the Kalamazoo Model Two, Fender Bassman, and Danelectro Commando, are also used by harmonica players. Some high-end, handmade amplifiers are built specifically for amplified harmonicas.
Harmonica players who play another instrument, like a guitar, often use a neck rack or harmonica holder to keep the harmonica in place near their mouth. A holder clamps the harmonica between two metal brackets attached to a curved metal loop that rests on the shoulders. Early holders were made from wire or coat hangers.
Types
The chromatic harmonica is designed to play all notes of the chromatic scale, including flats and sharps, unlike the diatonic harmonica. It uses a button-activated sliding bar to redirect air from the mouthpiece hole to the selected reed-plate. One design, called the "Machino-Tone," controlled airflow using a lever-operated flap on the back of the instrument. A "hands-free" modification on the Hohner 270 (12-hole) allows the player to shift tones by moving the mouthpiece with their lips, freeing their hands to play another instrument. The Richter-tuned 10-hole chromatic harmonica is intended for one key, while 12-, 14-, and 16-hole models (tuned to equal temperament) allow musicians to play in any key with one harmonica. This instrument can be used for any style, including Celtic, classical, jazz, or blues (often in third position).
Strictly speaking, diatonic refers to any harmonica designed to play in a single key. However, the standard Richter-tuned diatonic harmonica can play other keys by forcing its reeds to produce tones outside its basic scale. In some countries, "diatonic harmonica" may refer to the tremolo harmonica (in East Asia) or the blues harp (in Europe and North America). Other diatonic harmonicas include octave harmonicas.
Here is the note layout for a standard diatonic harmonica in the key of G major:
Each hole is spaced the same interval (a perfect fifth) from its key of C counterpart. On the diatonic scale, a G is a perfect fifth above C. The interval between keys can help determine the note layout of any standard diatonic harmonica.
The distinguishing feature of the tremolo-tuned harmonica is that it has two reeds per note, one slightly sharp and the other slightly flat. This creates a wavering sound caused by the two reeds being slightly out of tune, and their waveforms interacting (called a beat). The East Asian version, which can produce all 12 semitones, is often used in East Asian rock and pop music.
Orchestral harmonicas are primarily designed for ensemble playing. There are eight types of orchestral melody harmonicas, with the most common being horn harmonicas found in East Asia. These consist of a single large comb with blow-only reed-plates on the top and bottom. Each reed is placed in a single cell of the comb. One version mimics a piano or mallet instrument, with natural notes of a C diatonic scale on the lower reed plate and sharps and flats on the upper reed plate, grouped in two and three-hole sections with gaps like piano black keys. Another version has a "sharp" reed directly above its "natural" on the lower plate, with the same number of reeds on both plates (including E♯ and B♯).
Horn harmonicas come in several pitch ranges, starting two octaves below middle C and reaching up to middle C itself. They usually cover two or three octaves. They are chromatic instruments and are typically played in East Asian harmonica orchestras, not the "push-button" chromatic harmonicas common in Europe and America. Their reeds are larger, and the "horn" enclosure gives them a different sound, allowing them to replace a brass section. In the past, they were called horn harmonicas.
The other type of orchestral melodic harmonica is the polyphonia (some are labeled "chromatica"). These have all 12 chromatic notes arranged on the same row. Most have both blow and draw for 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 (these numbers refer to products by M. Hohner).
The chord harmonica has up to 48 chords, including major, seventh, minor, augmented, and diminished, for ensemble playing. It is laid out in four-note clusters, with each hole producing a different chord on inhaling or exhaling. Typically, each hole has two reeds per note, tuned an octave apart. Less expensive models often have only one reed per note. Some orchestra harmonicas are designed to serve as both bass and chord harmonicas, with bass notes next to chord groupings. Other
Techniques
Vibrato is a musical technique used when playing the harmonica and other instruments to create a "shaking" sound. This can be done in several ways. One common method involves changing how the harmonica is held. For example, quickly opening and closing the hands around the harmonica can produce a vibrato effect. Another method involves rapidly opening and closing the vocal folds (glottis) while inhaling, especially when bending notes or without bending. This avoids the need to cup or wave the hands around the instrument. A similar technique is called a "trill" (also called a "roll," "warble," or "shake"). This involves quickly moving the lips between two holes on the harmonica, either by shaking the head or moving the harmonica side to side in the mouth. This creates a quick alternating pitch effect, which is slightly different from vibrato but produces a similar sound on sustained notes by using two tones instead of varying the volume of one.
The diatonic harmonica has 19 notes, but players can play additional notes by adjusting their embouchure (how the mouth is shaped) to make the reed vibrate at a different pitch. This technique is called bending, a term possibly borrowed from guitarists who change pitch by physically bending strings. Bending also creates glissandos, which are smooth sliding notes common in blues and country music. Bending is essential for blues and rock harmonica because it allows players to create expressive, soulful sounds. The "wail" of blues harmonica often requires bending. In the 1970s, Howard Levy developed a technique called overbending (also called "overblowing" or "overdrawing"). This technique, combined with bending, allows players to play all the notes in the chromatic scale.
The diatonic harmonica can be played in different keys by using different "positions" with varying keynote notes. Using only the basic notes on the instrument limits players to specific musical modes for each position. For example, the Mixolydian mode (root note is the second draw or third blow) creates a major dominant seventh key, which is often used in blues music because it includes a rich dominant seventh note. The Dorian mode (root note is the fourth draw) creates a minor dominant seventh key. Harmonica players, especially blues players, use specific terms to describe these positions, which may be confusing to other musicians. For example, the most common positions are called "straight," "cross," and "slant."
Another technique, rarely used fully, involves changing the size of the mouth cavity to emphasize certain natural overtones. When used while playing chords, care must be taken in selecting overtones, as those from non-root pitches can create very harsh or unpleasant sounds.
Harmonica players who use microphones and tube amplifiers, such as blues harp players, also use techniques that take advantage of the microphone and amplifier. These include changing how the hands are cupped around the instrument or microphone, or rhythmically breathing or chanting into the microphone while playing.
History
The harmonica was first created in Europe during the early 1800s. Instruments with free-reed designs, like the Chinese sheng, had been used in East Asia for many years. These instruments became known in Europe after a French Jesuit named Jean Joseph Marie Amiot, who lived in China during the Qing dynasty, introduced them. Around 1820, European inventors began making similar free-reed instruments. Christian Friedrich Ludwig Buschmann is often credited with inventing the harmonica in 1821, but others also created similar designs around the same time. In 1829, Charles Wheatstone made a mouth-organ called "Aeolina," inspired by the Aeolian harp. Mouth-blown free-reed instruments were made in the United States, South America, the United Kingdom, and Europe at about the same time. These instruments were used for classical music.
The harmonica first appeared in Vienna, where harmonicas with chambers were sold before 1824. Richter tuning, developed by Joseph Richter, was created in 1826 and later used worldwide. In Germany, a violin maker named Johann Georg Meisel bought a harmonica with chambers at an exhibition in 1824. He and an ironworker named Langhammer copied the instrument in Graslitz and produced hundreds of harmonicas by 1827. Other makers in Germany and Bohemia (later Czechoslovakia) also began making harmonicas. In 1829, Johann Wilhelm Rudolph Glier started manufacturing harmonicas as well.
In 1830, Christian Messner, a cloth maker from Trossingen, copied a harmonica brought from Vienna by a neighbor. His success led his brother and relatives to also make harmonicas. By 1840, his nephew Christian Weiss joined the business. By 1855, at least three companies made harmonicas: C. A. Seydel Söhne, Christian Messner & Co., and Württ. Harmonikafabrik Ch. Weiss. Today, only C.A. Seydel remains in business. Competition between factories in Trossingen and Klingenthal led to the invention of machines to punch reed covers.
In 1857, Matthias Hohner, a clockmaker from Trossingen, began making harmonicas. He later became the first to mass-produce them using wooden combs made by machine-cutting firms. By 1868, he started selling harmonicas in the United States. By the 1920s, the diatonic harmonica had reached its modern form. Other types, like tremolo and octave harmonicas, followed.
By the late 1800s, harmonica production became a major industry. New designs continued to be made 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, new designs like the Suzuki Overdrive, Hohner XB-40, and the Harrison B-Radical were introduced.
Diatonic harmonicas were originally made for German and European folk music but later adapted for blues, country, and other styles. The harmonica was very popular from the start, though production centers have shifted from Germany. Major companies today include Seydel and Hohner in Germany, Miwha and Dabell in South Korea, Suzuki and Tombo in Japan, and Huang and Johnson in China. In the United States, two companies once made harmonicas but later stopped. Harrison Harmonicas, which folded in 2011, had its design rights sold to another company.
Before Hohner started making harmonicas in 1857, he sent some to relatives in the United States. Harmonica music became popular there, and U.S. President Abraham Lincoln carried one in his pocket. Soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War used harmonicas for comfort. Frontiersmen like Wyatt Earp and Billy the Kid played the instrument, and it became part of American music.
Harmonicas appeared on recordings in the early 1900s, often called "mouth organs." The first jazz and traditional music recordings with harmonicas were made in the U.S. in the 1920s. These recordings, called "race records" and "hillbilly" styles, were popular among different audiences. Harmonicas were also used in jug bands, like the Memphis Jug Band. At the time, harmonicas were seen as toys for poor people, but musicians began experimenting with techniques like tongue-blocking and "cross-harp."
A radio program called the Hohner Harmony Hour helped spread harmonica playing in the 1920s. The program became popular after being linked to the 1925 White House Christmas tree, which had 50 harmonicas.
In the 1930s, classical musicians began using harmonicas. American player Larry Adler performed major works written for the instrument by composers like Ralph Vaughan Williams and Malcolm Arnold.
During World War II, harmonicas were scarce in the United States because materials like wood and metal were needed for the war. Most manufacturers were in Germany and Japan, which were enemies of the U.S. At this time, Finn Haakon Magnus, a Danish-American, developed the first molded plastic harmonica. This design used fewer parts and was easier to mass-produce and cleaner than traditional models.
Medical use
Playing the harmonica involves breathing in and out forcefully against resistance. This practice helps strengthen the diaphragm and teaches deep breathing that uses the full capacity of the lungs. Experts in lung health have observed that playing the harmonica is similar to exercises used to help people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), such as using tools like the PFLEX inspiratory muscle trainer or an inspiratory spirometer. Learning to play a musical instrument also provides motivation in addition to the physical exercise it offers. Because of this, many lung rehabilitation programs now include the harmonica in their activities.
In 1981, President Ronald Reagan experienced a punctured lung during an assassination attempt. His breathing therapist at the time was Howard McDonald, a member of the Cambridge Harmonica Orchestra. The orchestra’s director, Pierre Beauregard, hoped that Reagan’s experience with the harmonica might lead to an invitation for the orchestra to perform at the White House. However, this opportunity did not happen.
Related instruments
The concertina, diatonic and chromatic accordions, and the melodica are all free-reed instruments that developed at the same time as the harmonica. The harmonica and diatonic accordions, also called melodeons, are so similar that in German, the harmonica is called "Mundharmonika" (mouth harmonica) and the accordion is called "Handharmonika" (hand harmonica). In Scandinavian languages, an accordion is called "trekkspill" (pull play) or "trekkharmonika," while a harmonica is called "munnspill" (mouth play) or "mundharmonika" (mouth harmonica). In Slavic languages, the names for these instruments are either similar or the same. The harmonica shares similarities with all other free-reed instruments because they all make sound in the same way.
The glass harmonica, invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1761, has the word "harmonica" in its name but is not related to free-reed instruments. It is made of a set of stacked glass cups of different sizes, mounted sideways on a spinning axle. Each cup is tuned to a different musical note and arranged in order from low to high. To play it, a musician touches the spinning cups with wet fingers, causing them to vibrate and create a long, singing sound.