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The musical Phenomenon

Century!
By Judy Gonyeau, managing editor
P

w

Harmonica

hat do you East Asia to the Phillippines and Thailand, and then later to Korea and
think of Japan. It was not until the 18th century that free reed instruments finally
Wwhen you arrived in Europe thanks to the explorers and travelers who brought
see a harmonica? A them back from their adventures.
blues player with
hands wrapped FAST FORWARD TO THE 1820S
around this small
instrument while Once Asian free reed instru-
blowing a lot of air ments arrived in Europe and were
and generating a heard by a broader audience,
rusty, gutsy sound. manufacturers of similar devices
A cowboy playing were booming thanks to the First
a quiet tune while Industrial Revolution (1760-
sitting around the 1840) as they began to tinker
fire after a long day with the instrument and its
of ranching. An sound so they could make their
image of a Chinese own versions.
person from 2500 In 1822 Berlin, Germany,
B.C. playing a sheng. 16-year-old Christian Friedrich
Wait – What? Ludwig Bucschmann created an
experimental version of the sheng
that had 15 reeds which were
lined up and of the same length
ORIGINS OF THE HARMONICA reminiscent of today’s harmonica,
and named it the “aura.” This
One of the oldest Chinese “free reed” instruments is was meant to be used as a pitch Charles Friedrich Ludwig Buschmann
called the “sheng.” It consists of 17-21 reed pipes of vary- pipe for choruses and orchestras, (1805-1864) a German musical instrument maker,
ing lengths forming an incomplete circle around a “wind- The but the simplicity of it made it often credited with inventing the harmonica
chest” or chamber of either carved wood or metal. Its Sheng quite the curiosity for a local and the accordion.
shape is said to have been inspired by the phoenix at rest clockmaker named Christian Messner.
on its nest. Messner was on the lookout for another skill and product to
Once you hear the sheng you will also hear many boost his current clock repair business during the depression
other instruments, including the harmonica, a pipe taking place at that time. He started manufacturing an inex-
organ, and perhaps, as one player on YouTube played, pensive replica of the aura to sell at carnivals and local fairs as
the digital-sounding theme to Mario Brothers (Just something anyone could play by blowing out into the
Click Here). mouthpiece across
So how did this “mini pipe organ” become the the different reed
“mouth organ” we know today as the harmonica? Both chambers. Messner
are free reed instruments, which does not mean it is free kept his manufactur-
of reeds, but that reeds are fixed at one end and set over ing methods secret –
an opening or slot that is barely wider than the reed itself. only members of his
Sound is created when applying different pressures of air immediate family
through the slot to make the reed vibrate in its place and knew the construction
therefore create the sound. For some instruments, this only specification for the Messner
occurs when blowing into it (“blow notes”), but for the sheng and the aura. The aura was a huge
harmonica, sound also happens when inhaling through the holes on the success and had a good profit
instrument (“draw notes”). margin. Soon enough other
Over the course of 45+ centuries, the playing of free reed wind German craftsmen were making A promotional postcard from the Christian Messner
instruments in different shapes and forms spread throughout South their own versions of the aura. manufacturing company celetratomg its centennial

March 2021 17