Virtual Harmonica 1.43

The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in various musical genres, including blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. There are several types of harmonicas, such as diatonic, chromatic, tremolo, octave, orchestral, and bass models.

To play a harmonica, one uses the mouth (lips and tongue) to control airflow into or out of specific holes along a mouthpiece. Each hole has a chamber with at least one reed behind it. One of the most common types is the diatonic Richter-tuned harmonica with ten air passages and twenty reeds, commonly referred to as the blues harp.

A harmonica reed is a flat, elongated spring typically made of brass, stainless steel, or bronze. It is fixed at one end over a slot that serves as an airway. When the player's airflow causes the free end to vibrate, it alternately blocks and unblocks the airway, creating sound.

Reeds are tuned to specific pitches by adjusting their length, weight distribution near the free end, or stiffness near the fixed end. Longer, heavier, and springier reeds produce deeper tones while shorter, lighter, and stiffer reeds generate higher-pitched sounds.

Modern harmonicas often have reeds affixed above or below their slots rather than within the slot plane. This design allows for easier response to airflow in the direction that closes the reed. Consequently, both blow and draw reeds can be housed in the same air chamber and played separately without the need for additional valves or wind-savers to prevent sound from non-playing reeds.