Harmonica

A handheld free-reed instrument that produces notes when air is blown or drawn through holes in its chambers. Its compact design lets players shape tone with breath, mouth position, and movement.

Free reed: A vibrating tongue that produces sound as air flows past it through an opening. Each harmonica note comes from a reed set vibrating by blown or drawn air.
Comb (harmonica): The central body of a harmonica, containing chambers that direct air to the reeds. The comb forms the holes and air channels through which the player blows and draws.
Blues harmonica: A blues performance style using harmonica phrasing, bends, rhythmic patterns, and amplified tone. The instrument's draw bends and compact phrasing became defining features of blues performance.
Christian Friedrich Ludwig Buschmann: A German musical instrument maker associated with early nineteenth-century free-reed instruments. Buschmann's early instruments are often linked to the harmonica's development.
Accordion: A portable free-reed instrument whose bellows drive air through reeds, with buttons or keys selecting notes. Unlike the harmonica, the accordion supplies airflow with bellows and uses a keyboard or buttons.
Reed plate: A plate carrying multiple reeds, each aligned with an opening that allows it to vibrate. The harmonica's reeds are mounted on plates that separate its blow and draw notes.
Harmonica reed: A thin metal tongue in a harmonica that vibrates to produce a note. Each reed supplies a pitch when airflow excites it in its chamber.
Chicago blues: An amplified urban blues style that developed in Chicago, featuring electric instruments and strong ensemble rhythms. Amplified harmonica became a prominent lead voice in Chicago blues bands.
Matthias Hohner: A German clockmaker who founded the Hohner company, which became a major harmonica manufacturer. Hohner's mass production helped establish the harmonica as a widely available instrument.
Concertina: A small bellows-driven free-reed instrument with buttons at both ends. The concertina shares free reeds with the harmonica but uses bellows and hand-operated buttons.

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