harmonica

harmonica
/hahr mon"i keuh/, n.
1. Also called mouth organ. a musical wind instrument consisting of a small rectangular case containing a set of metal reeds connected to a row of holes, over which the player places the mouth and exhales and inhales to produce the tones.
2. any of various percussion instruments that use graduated bars of metal or other hard material as sounding elements.
[n. use of fem. of L harmonicus HARMONIC; in the form armonica ( < It < L) applied by Benjamin Franklin in 1762 to a set of musical glasses; later used of other instruments]

* * *

Small rectangular wind instrument consisting of free metal reeds set in slots in a small wooden frame and blown through two parallel rows of wind channels.

Successive notes of the diatonic (seven-note) scale are obtained by alternately blowing and sucking; the tongue covers channels not required. In chromatic (12-note scale) models, a finger-operated stop selects either of two sets of reeds tuned a semitone apart. The harmonica was invented in 1821 by Friedrich Buschmann (1805–64) of Berlin, who borrowed the basic principle from the Chinese sheng. It is widely used in blues as well as folk music and country music.

* * *

      either of two musical instruments, the friction-sounded glass harmonica (q.v.) and the mouth organ, a free-reed wind instrument produced by Friedrich Buschmann of Berlin in 1821 as the Mundäoline. It consists of free metal reeds set in slots in a small, metal-enclosed wooden frame and supplied with wind through two parallel rows of wind channels. The notes of the diatonic (seven-note) scale are obtained by alternately blowing and sucking, the reeds positioned to sound by alternate directions of wind flow. The tongue covers channels not required. In chromatic (12-note scale) models, a finger-operated stop selects either of two sets of reeds tuned a semitone apart. Compass ranges from two to four octaves, and harmonica bands include bass models. The virtuosity of some modern players has stimulated several eminent composers to write for the instrument.

      The harmonica is only one of several free-reed mouth organs. The oldest, the Chinese sheng, brought to Europe in the 18th century, provided the principle both for the harmonica and for the short-lived symphonium, in which buttons channelled air from a single mouth hole to the proper reeds.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • HARMONICA — Se présentant comme une petite boîte rectangulaire, de longueur variable, l’harmonica est formé de la juxtaposition d’un certain nombre de petits canaux contenant chacun deux languettes ou anches libres métalliques dont l’une vibre lorsque l’on… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Harmonica — Har*mon i*ca ( [i^]*k[.a]), n. [Fem. fr. L. harmonicus harmonic. See {Harmonic}, n. ] 1. A musical instrument, consisting of a series of hemispherical glasses which, by touching the edges with the dampened finger, give forth the tones; it is now… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • harmônica — s. f. 1. Pequeno instrumento de música em que o som é produzido por lâminas de metal que se põem em vibração ao soprar e ao aspirar; gaita de beiços. 2. Órgão portátil. 3. Marimba. 4. Acordeão. 5. O mesmo que harmônio. 6. O mesmo que filarmônica …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • harmónica — s. f. 1. Pequeno instrumento de música em que o som é produzido por lâminas de metal que se põem em vibração ao soprar e ao aspirar; gaita de beiços. 2. Órgão portátil. 3. Marimba. 4. Acordeão. 5. O mesmo que harmônio. 6. O mesmo que filarmônica …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • harmonica — 1762, coined by Ben Franklin as the name for a glass harmonica, from L. fem. of harmonicus (see HARMONIC (Cf. harmonic)); modern sense of mouth organ is 1873, Amer.Eng., earlier harmonicon (1825) …   Etymology dictionary

  • harmonica — ☆ harmonica [här män′i kə ] n. [L, fem. of harmonicus (see HARMONIC): name altered < earlier armonica (< It, fem. of armonico, of same orig.) by FRANKLIN2 Benjamin, who developed this instrument from an earlier form] 1. a small wind… …   English World dictionary

  • Harmonica — Harmonica, s. Harmonika …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Harmonica — Harmonica, ein aus gestimmten Glasglocken bestehendes Instrument, welche auf einer Spindel dicht an einander gereiht sind. Wenn diese Glocken angefeuchtet und in Umschwung gebracht, mit den Fingern sanft berührt werden, so geben sie einen… …   Damen Conversations Lexikon

  • Harmonica — Harmonica, ein 1761 von Benjam. Franklin erfundenes Instrument, bestehend aus einer Anzahl gläserner Halbkugeln, die vermittelst eines kleinen Loches in ihrer Mitte an einer eisernen Walze befestigt sind. Diese Glasglocken, regelmäßig an Größe… …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Harmonica —   [englisch, hɑː mɔnɪkə], Mundharmonika …   Universal-Lexikon

  • harmonica — ► NOUN ▪ a small rectangular wind instrument with a row of metal reeds capable of producing different notes …   English terms dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”