A Complete Guide to Buy a Harmonium

 “Buy Harmonium that Takes You to Next World”

A harmonium is a musical instrument that is famous since the British Rule. It appears almost similar to a Reed Organ or Pipe organ.  It is an advanced version of the reed organ, with keys like piano and bellows to pump air into the instrument.

The harmonium is generally used as a backup in Hindustani vocal music, in religious music over the conditions of Maharashtra and Punjab-Haryana, and other parts of India.

I. Background of Harmonium:

You will be surprised to know that the origin of the harmonium is not India. In Europe, Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein, who was a professor of physiology at Copenhagen, has invented harmonium. It has gained an immense amount of popularity in private homes and churches because they could not afford to have an expensive organ.

They do not require any electricity, which enabled them to be an ideal fit for travel. Firstly, the Portuguese missionaries have introduced it to South India because they wanted to conduct their weekly prayers on Sunday morning, but couldn’t convey their organs around. After it was introduced, it also became common among Indian musicians for its portability and simplicity. Initially, the harmonium was a western instrument, yet the east made harmonium became its culture.

When buying the harmonium you can browse our guide on harmonium to make your selection narrow and choosing the best harmonium that is capable to meet your requirement.

Here are a few main points that will make buying the harmonium easier for you. You have many options and here they are!

II. Construction & Components of Harmonium

Stops:

Taking a gander at the harmonium from the front there is a row of knobs, normally some bigger than others. The large knobs are called stops. They open and close the airflow to the air chambers inside. (There is regularly some repetition – a harmonium with 2 air chambers can have 4 stops) If you have a harmonium with 2 sets of reeds, and in this manner 2 air chambers, you can set your harmonium to play just one lot of reeds on the off chance that you want some distinction of the sound surface. This is one explanation a few people lean toward a triple reed harmonium. In reality, however, a great many people simply keep all the stops out constantly.

Drones:

The small handles in front are the automatons. They play a fixed note ramble when pulled out. Most harmoniums accompany rambles that are the dark keys on the keyboard (C#, D#, F#, G#, A# or some unique combination thereof) we can tweak the drones for you, for a little extra expense.

Reeds:

Inside every harmonium are two, three, or four air chambers relating to the number of banks of reeds. Each air chamber disconnects a bank or reeds. These banks of reeds are typically set in various voices or timbres, so when you play the one note you are getting two voices on a two bank, and three voices on a three bank. With a coupler drew in the number of voices will serve as the key an octave above (or underneath depending) is depressed consequently by the coupler system.

Harmonium reeds are made up of brass or copper. Brass reeds have a louder, much more penetrating sound. They are famous for bhajans and kirtans were regularly a number of people are singing loudly at a fast pace. The brass sound assists to penetrate these voices.

Copper reeds supposed to be a softer sound warmer, and are often utilized in more expensive harmoniums geared for classical performances. 

Bellows:

The bellow pumps the air into the harmonium. There is additionally an inside bellows which pushes the air up to sound the reeds. Roars can be 2-fold, 3 fold, or 7-fold. Two and three-fold bellows are connected at the base. Seven-fold bellows can be attached to either side to take into account left or right-hand pumping.

The quantity of folds, without anyone else, doesn’t decide the nature of the instrument. In any case, most extravagant harmoniums have 7-fold bellows. A few people say that the sevenfold bellow takes into consideration more control. A few bellows have a spring, which pushes them open after you have pumped in.

Octave Coupler:

Octave coupler is a feature that enhances an octave to the note you are playing. A mechanical key plays the note a step octave up or occasionally an octave down from the one you are playing. This is the best feature that can enhance the volume of your harmonium. It turns on and off.

Scale Changer:

Some of the harmoniums have a scale changer through which you can alter the pitch and positioning of the keys. Although a scale changer is also a nice tool, it sometimes creates problems for the harmonium.

III. Types of Harmonium

1. Foldable Harmonium and Standing Models: Folding harmonium is preferred because of the portability and easy to use features. But the standing harmonium comes with a stand and is perfect to perform while standing
2. Compact Harmonium: Harmonium is very small and easy to carry case. It is very compact and smaller than the standard harmonium but does not compromise in sound quality.
3. Harmonium with Coupler: This produces a melodious sound that includes the next lower octave to give a powerful sound together.
4. 22-microtone Harmonium: Developed by VidyadharOke in which 22 microtones, very important to Indian classical music, can be played. It can be used for any raga.
5. Samvadini Harmonium: The Samvadini harmonium was then advanced with a harp-like box which helped to render cut notes and increased speed.
6. Scale Changer Harmonium: This harmonium model enables a complete sound pattern and is very melodious with a full sound pattern. 42 keys and 5 adjustable drones make it stand out among all. You are more likely to use a coupler in this as well.

Advantages of a Scale Changer Harmonium

Scale change harmoniums have an instrument that enables you to slide the keyboard up to four half more steps left or right (transpose). So on the off chance that you are utilized to continue playing in B level, and the tune is in C, you simply move the keyboard up with two half steps. This isn’t a characteristic you are looking for you need in the event that you can play effectively in various keys, or on the off chance that you will consistently be playing in a similar key.

Then again, some expert harmonium players have informed us they want to consistently play from B flat in the way in which their hand sits on the keys in that position (harmonium keys are smaller than piano keys). Remember that what most producers consider their best instrument is a three reed scale change model.

IV. Comparison of Different Types of Harmoniums to Make Your Purchase Easy.

Portable Harmoniums:

Portable harmoniums fold up into a bag like a box ½ to 2/3 of their normal height. There is a handle in front so they can be conveyed with one hand like a bag or suitcase. In case, you have a plan to travel around a lot with your instrument this is one of the best choices for you because it is easy to carry a harmonium along these lines than by the two side handles of a normal harmonium. On the off chance that you’re not, at that point it’s simply one more moving part. When all is said in done, you penance no solid by getting convenient.

Double Reed or Triple Reed:

Most harmoniums have a few arrangements of reeds for each note. Double reed instruments can be extraordinary, and all you need. A triple reed instrument will give you more full solid and greater adaptability.

Full Size or Smaller:

Most producers make a few models that are marginally smaller and lighter than what is viewed as a typical size of the instrument. These are typically double reed, non-scale-change harmoniums.

Standard Harmoniums or Foldable Harmoniums

Foldable Harmoniums get folded into a bag like a box around 1/2 of their normal height. There is a handle in front so they can be conveyed with one hand like a bag. In case, you need to travel around a lot with your instrument, this is an alluring choice since it is significantly simpler to carry a harmonium than by both side handles of a Standard Harmoniums. If you are not, at that point it is simply one more moving part. You should not sacrifice the sound by purchasing collapsible. 

 

V. Three Major Mistakes You Need to Avoid When buying Harmonium

1. Avoid buying an instrument that is not portable (if you love to travel with the musical instrument), i.e., much bigger in size to fit in an airplane overhead or much heavy to travel around. In case your harmonium will have a permanent home, you should never compromise with the sound quality so buy the bigger one, in that case.
2. Avoid buying an instrument that is much smaller in size than the typical size of a harmonium. A really good harmonium will have a 2-note chord for 6 to 9 seconds.
3. Avoid buying a pre-owned or second-hand instrument. Your musical instrument will probably in need of significant tuning and repair, and possibly is just a Junker.

 

If you are the type of person who purchases something based on other buying experiences, it is a little hard to be sure when it comes to buying a harmonium.

This is why we have covered up the option you have in the market with the specification and also tried to include almost everything that helps you to purchase a quality harmonium.

You must take a decision for yourself which one is the best harmonium based on the factor that how often you will use it and how you will play it.

Benefits and features are important at the time of buying a harmonium. Most important, you need to focus on sound and how it is simple for you to get that required sound.

Leakage and Airflow determine if your harmonium will sound exactly in the same way you want it too. When you are pumping the right amount of air, and playing the right keys, you have a great chance of having an awe-inspiring harmonium purchase.

With the help of this guide, you can easily arrive at the correct decision of which harmonium is best for you and perfectly suits your need. If you have decided to buy the best harmonium, must-visit Heritage Musical Centre that caters to all your musical instrument needs.