Definitions for harmonica
hɑrˈmɒn ɪ kəhar·mon·i·ca

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. harmonica, mouth organ, harp, mouth harpnoun

   a small rectangular free-reed instrument having a row of free reeds set back in air holes and played by blowing into the desired hole

GCIDERate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Harmonicanoun

   A small wind musical instrument shaped like a flat bar with holes along the thin edges, held in the hand and producing notes from multiple vibrating reeds arranged inside along its length; it was formerly called the harmonicon. See harmonicon.

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. harmonicanoun

   a musical wind instrument with a series of holes for the player to blow into, each hole producing a different note

2. harmonicanoun

   a musical instrument, consisting of a series of hemispherical glasses which, by touching the edges with the dampened finger, give forth the tones.

3. harmonicanoun

   a toy instrument of strips of glass or metal hung on two tapes, and struck with hammers.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Harmonica

   The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica include diatonic, chromatic, tremolo, octave, orchestral, and bass versions. A harmonica is played by using the mouth (lips and tongue) to direct air into or out of one (or more) holes along a mouthpiece. Behind each hole is a chamber containing at least one reed. The most common is the diatonic Richter-tuned with ten air passages and twenty reeds, often called the blues harp. A harmonica reed is a flat, elongated spring typically made of brass, stainless steel, or bronze, which is secured at one end over a slot that serves as an airway. When the free end is made to vibrate by the player's air, it alternately blocks and unblocks the airway to produce sound. Reeds are tuned to individual pitches. Tuning may involve changing a reed’s length, the weight near its free end, or the stiffness near its fixed end. Longer, heavier, and springier reeds produce deeper, lower sounds; shorter, lighter, and stiffer reeds make higher-pitched sounds. If, as on most modern harmonicas, a reed is affixed above or below its slot rather than in the plane of the slot, it responds more easily to air flowing in the direction that initially would push it into the slot, i.e., as a closing reed. This difference in response to air direction makes it possible to include both a blow reed and a draw reed in the same air chamber and to play them separately without relying on flaps of plastic or leather (valves, wind-savers) to block the nonplaying reed. An important technique in performance is bending, causing a drop in pitch by making embouchure adjustments. Bending isolated reeds is possible, as on chromatic and other harmonica models with wind-savers, but also to both lower, and raise (overbend, overblow, overdraw) the pitch produced by pairs of reeds in the same chamber, as on a diatonic or other unvalved harmonica. Such two-reed pitch changes actually involve sound production by the normally silent reed, the opening reed (for instance, the blow reed while the player is drawing).

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Harmonicanoun

   a musical instrument, consisting of a series of hemispherical glasses which, by touching the edges with the dampened finger, give forth the tones

2. Harmonicanoun

   a toy instrument of strips of glass or metal hung on two tapes, and struck with hammers

3. Etymology: [Fem. fr. L. harmonicus harmonic. See Harmonic, n. ]

FreebaseRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. harmonica

   The harmonica, also French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in nearly every musical genre, notably in blues, American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. There are many types of harmonica, including diatonic, chromatic, tremolo, octave, orchestral, and bass versions. A harmonica is played by using the mouth to direct air into and out of one or more holes along a mouthpiece. Behind the holes are chambers containing at least one reed. A harmonica reed is a flat elongated spring typically made of brass or bronze, which is secured at one end over a slot that serves as an airway. When the free end is made to vibrate by the player's air, it alternately blocks and unblocks the airway to produce sound. Reeds are pre-tuned to individual pitches. Tuning may involve changing a reed's length, the weight near its free end, or the stiffness near its fixed end. Longer, heavier and springier reeds produce deeper, lower sounds; shorter, lighter and stiffer reeds make higher-pitched sounds. If, as on most modern harmonicas, a reed is affixed above or below its slot rather than in the plane of the slot, it responds more easily to air flowing in the direction that initially would push it into the slot, i.e., as a closing reed. This difference in response to air direction makes it possible to include both a blow reed and a draw reed in the same air chamber and to play them separately without relying on flaps of plastic or leather to block the nonplaying reed.

Matched Categories

1. • Free-reed Instrument

Anagrams for harmonica »

1. charmonia

How to pronounce harmonica?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say harmonica in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of harmonica in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of harmonica in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

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