Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article
Historic Treasure of the Week -
July 14, 2002
By Janice Lewis
Vigo County Historical Society
Harmonicas are music to our ears
In the Toy Store exhibit of the Vigo County Historical Museum one can view a tarnished and battered harmonica that was long ago likely a child’s first musical instrument.
The harmonica often is viewed as a humble plaything, its only purpose to drive adults crazy listening to its reedy wheeze as a child puffs and pants into its wind channels, attempting to produce music. In reality, its resonance has enhanced musical compositions from ethereal classical to thundering rock ‘n’ roll.
Invented in Germany in 1821 by Charles Friedrich Budchmann, the harmonica is based on the mouth organs of Asia, and a relative newcomer to the catalogue of musical instruments. Budchmann described his invention as “a new instrument that is truly remarkable. In its entirety it measures but 4 inches in diameter . . . but gives me 21 notes and all the pianissimos and crescendos one could want without a keyboard, harmonies of six tones, and the ability to hold a note as long as one would wish to.”
A rudimentary instrument, Budchmann’s original design was modified and improved upon by many individuals over the next several years. The most important advancement was made in 1826 by a Bohemian instrument maker named Joseph Richter, who designed a harmonica with a second row of reeds. The upper row produced musical notes with the player drew in breath, while the lower row produced sounds when air was forced into the instrument. These separate draw-and-blow reeds gave the instrument the ability to utilize a diatonic scale. In Europe, this model of the harmonica was referred to as the Mundharmonika, or mouth organ.
The name most associated with the harmonica is Hohner. Although Matthias Hohner didn’t make any structural changes to the instrument, he is credited with embellishing it was decorative metal plates and marketing and promoting it. He brought the harmonica to America in 1862 and persuaded John Philip Sousa to endorse it. On advertising posters and instrument boxes, Hohner printed Sousa’s validation, “This instrument is the foundation for a musical career, and many boys and girls who are now learning music on the harmonica will step into the great symphony orchestras and bands of our country some day.”
Although the number of great musicians who started with a harmonica is not known, the harmonica did indeed gain popularity. By 1887, Hohner was mass producing harmonicas, making them economical and readily available. During the Depression, 2000 harmonica bands were formed to provide young people with musical training. Sousa wrote “The Harmonica Waltz” as a tribute to these budding musicians.
Because of its compact size, its reedy timbre buoyed in the campfire lit skies of trailblazers, cowboys and homesteaders of the Old West. It was the favored instrument of soldiers of both the North and South, and many remnants of harmonicas have been found on Civil War battle fields.
This humble little instrument has been called “the characteristic instrument of the deepest blues,” and plays an integral part in any blues band.
Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Jimmy Reed are a few of today’s popular artists who incorporate harmonica music into their work. John Lennon played the harmonica for the Beatles and Bob Dylan’s fans never fail to cheer enthusiastically when he inserts a harmonica rift in the middle of a song.
No matter what your musical tastes: Classical, jazz, bluegrass, fold, country, soul or rock ‘n’ roll--listen carefully and you probably will be able to hear the timbre of the humble harmonica. To see an example of an antiquated harmonica, visit the Toy Store exhibit at the Vigo County Historical Museum and notice how little this simple instrument has changed over the years.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The Web site: http://web.indstate.edu/community/vchs.