harmonisilla

Harmonisilla is a fictional portable musical instrument used in speculative musicology and world-building contexts. The name combines harmon- with the diminutive suffix -illa, signaling a small device intended to produce harmonious textures.

Description: The harmonisilla is a compact, roughly suitcase-sized instrument featuring two integrated playing surfaces: a melody keyboard and a separate harmonic-drones control. The melody keyboard offers a diatonic or microtonal range, while the drone surface activates sustained chords via internal resonators or electronic voices. Most reconstructions provide adjustable timbres (reed, string, organ), and a small bellows or electronic amplifier to shape dynamics. The instrument is designed to produce rich harmonic textures with a single performer, enabling immediate interplay between melody and accompaniment.

Playing technique: The performer plays a melody on the main keyboard and uses the drone control to select harmonies, drones, or chordal textures. Some models include speed- or pressure-sensitive registers, allowing microtonal tunings and expressive vibrato. The instrument is typically used in intimate ensembles or solo settings.

History and context: In speculative music literature and some fantasy worlds, harmonisilla appears as a portable device that fosters close, colorful harmonic motion. It is presented as a bridge between historical keyboard instruments (such as harmonium or zither) and modern electronic sound design. No real-world standard exists; the concept is used mainly for narrative or experimental study.

See also and references: See also harmonium, zither, microtonality, drone, electronic instrument. References: fictional sources vary; included in world-building anthologies and musicology essays.