harmonika

Harmonika is a term used in several languages to refer to wind instruments, and its meaning varies by region. In many languages, harmonika denotes the harmonica or mouth organ, a small free‑reed wind instrument played by blowing and drawing air with the mouth. In Polish and some other contexts, harmonika refers to the accordion, a larger keyboard- or button-driven instrument. This article concentrates on the harmonica, the mouth organ.

A harmonica consists of a small rectangular body called a comb, with individual air chambers covered by reed plates and usually enclosed by metal or plastic cover plates. Each chamber contains one or more free reeds tuned to specific pitches. When the player blows or draws air through the holes, reeds in the corresponding chambers vibrate to produce notes. The instrument is typically held in the hands and played directly in front of the mouth, sometimes with a microphone or amplification for performances.

There are several main types. The diatonic harmonica is the most common for folk and blues music, usually with ten holes and a limited diatonic scale, designed for playing in a single key. The chromatic harmonica adds a button-activated mechanism that redirects air to produce all twelve notes of the octave. Other varieties include tremolo and octave harmonicas, which differ in reed tuning and timbre, and chord harmonicas that produce multiple notes simultaneously.

Historically, the harmonica was developed in the early 19th century in Central Europe, with early mass production by companies such as Hohner in Germany. It gained prominence in blues, folk, jazz, and pop music around the world, celebrated for its portability, expressive bending techniques, and distinctive timbre.