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Jew's harp

Jew's harp found in the US (c. 1860s)[1]
Percussion instrument
Other names	jaw harp, mouth harp, Ozark harp, juice harp, guimbarde
Classification	Lamellophone
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	121.22 (Heteroglot guimbarde (the lamella is attached to the frame))
Related instruments
kubing kouxian Đàn môi morsing

Altai khomus/kamus
(Listen)

Gogona

Slovakian "drumbľa"

The Jew's harp, also known as the jaw harp, mouth harp, Ozark harp or juice harp, is a lamellophone instrument, consisting of a flexible metal or bamboo tongue or reed attached to a frame. The tongue/reed is placed in the performer's mouth and plucked with the finger to produce a note. Each instrument produces one pitch only, with its multiples (overtones), though different sized instruments provide different pitches. There is no standard pitch.

Jew's harps may be categorized as idioglot or heteroglot (whether or not the frame and the tine are one piece), the shape of the frame (rod or plaque), by the number of tines, and whether the tines are plucked, joint-tapped, or string-pulled.^[2]

Characteristics[edit]

The frame is held firmly against the performer's parted teeth or lips (depending on the type), using the jaw and mouth as a resonator, greatly increasing the volume of the instrument. The teeth must be parted sufficiently for the reed to vibrate freely, and the fleshy parts of the mouth should not come into contact with the reed to prevent damping of the vibrations and possible pain. The note or tone thus produced is constant in pitch, though by changing the shape of the mouth, and the amount of air contained in it (and in some traditions closing the glottis), the performer can cause different overtones to sound and thus create melodies. The volume of the note (tone) can be varied by breathing in and out.^{[citation needed]}

According to the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, "The vibrations of the steel tongue produce a compound sound composed of a fundamental and its harmonics. By using the cavity of the mouth as a resonator, each harmonic in succession can be isolated and reinforced, giving the instrument the compass shown."

the range of a tenor Jew's harp Play range as string harmonics (help·info)

"The lower harmonics of the series cannot be obtained, owing to the limited capacity of the resonating cavity. The black notes on the stave show the scale which may be produced by using two harps, one tuned a fourth above the other. The player on the Jew's harp, in order to isolate the harmonics, frames his mouth as though intending to pronounce the various vowels."^[3] See: bugle scale.

History[edit]

Young man with Jew's harp by Dirck van Baburen

The earliest depiction of somebody playing what seems to be a Jew's harp is a Chinese drawing from the 4th Century BCE.^[4] Archaeological finds of surviving examples in Europe have been claimed to be almost as old, but those dates have been challenged both on the grounds of excavation techniques, and the lack of contemporary writing or pictures mentioning the instrument.^[5] Despite its common English name, and the sometimes used "Jew's trump", it has no connection with Jews or Judaism.

This instrument is native to Asia and used in all tribes of Turkic peoples in Asia, among whom it is variously referred to as a temir komuz (literally, iron komuz), agiz komuzu (literally, mouth komuz), gubuz or doromb.^{[citation needed]}

Although this instrument is used by lackeys and people of the lower class, this does not mean it is not worthy of consideration by better minds ... The trump is grasped while its extremity is placed between the teeth in order to play it and make it sound ... Now one may strike the tongue with the index finger in two ways, i.e., by lifting it or lowering it: but it is easier to strike it by raising it, which is why the extremity, C, is slightly curved, so that the finger is not injured ... Many people play this instrument. When the tongue is made to vibrate, a buzzing is heard which imitates that of bees, wasps, and flies ... [if one uses] several Jew's harps of various sizes, a curious harmony is produced.

— Marin Mersenne, Harmonie Universelle (1636)^[6]

The instrument is known in many different cultures by many different names. The common English, apparently anti-Semitic name "Jew's harp" is avoided by some speakers or manufacturers. (For example, the above-pictured tie-in Jew's harp from the movie A Boy Named Charlie Brown is sold as "Snoopy's Harp" instead.) Another name used to identify the instrument, especially in scholarly literature, is the older English "trump", while "guimbarde", the French word for the instrument, can be found in unabridged dictionaries and is featured in recent revival efforts.^{[citation needed]}

Since trances are facilitated by droning sounds,^[7] the Jew's harp has been associated with magic and has been a common instrument in shamanic rituals.^[8]

The temir komuz is made of iron usually with a length of 100–200 mm and with a width of approximately 2–7 mm. The range of the instrument varies with the size of the instrument, but generally hovers around an octave span. The Kyrgyz people are exceptionally proficient on the temir komuz instrument and it is quite popular among children, although some adults continue to play the instrument. There is a National Artist of Kyrgyz Republic who performs on the instrument, temir komuz. One time twenty Kirgiz girls played in a temir komuz ensemble on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. Temir komuz pieces were notated by Zataevich in two or three parts. Apparently an octave drone is possible, or even an ostinato alternating the fifth step of a scale with an octave.^[9]

Demir-khomus from Tuva

Etymology[edit]

There are many theories for the origin of the name Jew's harp. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, this name appears earliest in Walter Raleigh's Discouerie Guiana in 1596, spelled "Iewes Harp". The "jaw" variant is attested at least as early as 1774^[10] and 1809,^[11] the "juice" variant appeared only in the late 19th and 20th centuries.

It has also been suggested that the name derives from the French "Jeu-trompe" meaning "toy-trumpet".^[12] (though in the French idiom, if two substantives are joined together, the qualifying noun is invariably the last.)^[13]

Both theories—that the name is a corruption of "jaws" or "jeu"—are described by the OED as "baseless and inept".

The OED says that, "More or less satisfactory reasons may be conjectured: e.g. that the instrument was actually made, sold, or imported to England by Jews, or purported to be so; or that it was attributed to them, as a good commercial name, suggesting the trumps and harps mentioned in the Bible."^[14]

Use[edit]

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Man playing the Slovak drumbľa

Woman playing the Rajasthani morchang

Cambodian music[edit]

The angkouch (Khmer: អង្គួច) is a Cambodian jew's harp.^[15] It is a folk instrument made of bamboo and carved into a long, flat shape with a hole in the center and the tongue across the hole.^[16] There is also a metal variety, more round or tree-leaf shaped.^[16] It may also have metal bells attached.^[16] The instrument is both a wind instrument and percussion instrument.^[15][16] As a wind instrument, it is placed against the mouth, which acts as a resonator and tool to alter the sound.^[16] Although mainly a folk instrument, better-made examples exist.^[16] While the instrument was thought to be the invention of children herding cattle, it is sometimes used in public performance, to accompany the Mahori music in public dancing.^[16]

Carnatic music[edit]

The instrument, known as morsing in South India,^[17] morchang in Rajasthan, or muruchungga in Nepal (where they are common), is part of the rhythmic section in a Carnatic music ensemble.

Turkic traditional music[edit]

The instrument is also used by Sakha or Yakut people and Tuvans with the name xomus, or khomus.

Sindhi music[edit]

In Sindhi the Jew's harp is called Changu (چنگُ). In Sindhi music, it can be an accompaniment or the main instrument. One of the most famous players is Amir Bux Ruunjho.^[18]

Italian music[edit]

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Known ever since the Roman times, today in Italy the Jew's harp is generally known as scacciapensieri, but the name can be different and change from a region to another one. For example, Sicilian, the Jew's harp is known as the "Marranzanu", and it is a common element of Sicilian folk music. It is also commonly used in contemporary styles to provide a distinctive element of Sicilian identity to Sicilian music. In Calabria it is best known as malarruni, while in the island of Sardinia, the Jew's harp has different names: trunfa or sa trunfa, sona-sona, pippiriolu, pioboi, piaboi, piabò, pia-poa, pio-poi, ribèlvia, libelba, and zamburra.

World music[edit]

The Jew's harp is frequently to be found in the repertoire of music played by alternative or world music bands. Sandy Miller of the UK-based Brazilian samba/funk band Tempo Novo, plays a Jew's harp solo in the piece Canto de Ossanha.^[19]

Austrian Jew's harp playing[edit]

Whereas Jew's harp music is predominantly played with a drone, i.e., the one fundamental note is sounding throughout the playing, the tradition in Austrian folk music since about the 18th century has been to use multiple Jew's harps tuned to the main degree of a diatonic scale that are used according to the chords of the music. Thus, Austrian Jew's harp music uses typical Western harmony. In recognition of this special development, the UNESCO has included Austrian Jew's harp playing in its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.^[20]

Western classical music[edit]

Early representations of Jew's harps appeared in Western churches since the fourteenth century.^[21]

The Austrian composer Johann Albrechtsberger—chiefly known today as a teacher of Beethoven—wrote seven concerti for Jew's harp, mandora, and orchestra between 1769 and 1771. Four of them have survived, in the keys of F major, E-flat major, E major, and D major.^[22] They are based on the special use of the Jew's harp in Austrian folk music.

In the experimental period at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century there were very virtuoso instrumentalists on the mouth harp. Thus, for example, Johann Heinrich Scheibler was able to mount up to ten mouth harps on a support disc. He called the instrument "Aura". Each mouth harp was tuned to different basic tones, which made even chromatic sequences possible.

— Walter Maurer, translated from German^[23]

Well known performer Franz Koch (1761–1831), discovered by Frederick the Great, could play two Jew's harps at once, while the also well known performer Karl Eulenstein (1802—1890), "invented a system of playing four at once, connecting them by silken strings in such a way that he could clasp all four with the lips, and strike all the four springs at the same time".^[24]

The American composer Charles Ives wrote a part for Jew's harp in the Washington's Birthday movement of A Symphony: New England Holidays^[25]

Western rock music[edit]

It is featured prominently in Canned Heat's multi-part piece Parthenogenesis from their Living the Blues album.^[26][27]

The Jew's harp provides a distinctive sound for the beginning of The Who's "Join Together".^[28]

Video-game music[edit]

Composer Nobuo Uematsu used a Jew's harp as a drone on the piece written for Final Fantasy VIII's card game.^{[citation needed]}

See also[edit]

	Sample
Problems playing this file? See media help.

• Jew's harp music


• 
  Đàn môi, another kind of Jew's harp from Vietnam
  


• 
  Gogona, a similar instrument played by Assamese people (especially women) while singing and dancing Bihu
  


• 
  Kouxian, the Chinese version


• 
  Kubing, a bamboo Jew's harp from the Philippines
  


• 
  Morsing, Carnatic Jew's harp


• 
  Mukkuri, a traditional bamboo instrument of the Ainu of Japan, similar to a Jew's harp.


• Music of Central Asia


• Traditional music of Sicily


• 
  Musical bow, a one-string harp that is played with mouth resonance.


• 
  Piperheugh, a village in which trumps were once made.


• 
  Karinding, a Sundanese traditional musical instrument from West Java and Banten, Indonesia.

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

This section lacks ISBNs for the books listed in it. Please make it easier to conduct research by listing ISBNs. If the {{Cite book}} or {{citation}} templates are in use, you may add ISBNs automatically, or discuss this issue on the talk page. (February 2014)

• Alekseev, Ivan, and E. I. [i.e. Egor Innokent'evich] Okoneshnikov (1988). Iskusstvo igry na iakutskom khomuse. IAkutsk: Akademiia nauk SSSR, Sibirskoe otd-nie, IAkutskii filial, In-t iazyka, lit-ry i istorii.


• Bakx, Phons (1992). De gedachtenverdrijver: de historie van de mondharp. Hadewijch wereldmuziek. Antwerpen: Hadewijch;
  ISBN 90-5240-163-2.


• Boone, Hubert, and René de Maeyer (1986). De Mondtrom. Volksmuziekinstrumenten in Belgie en in Nederland. Brussel: La Renaissance du Livre.


• Crane, Frederick (1982). "Jew's (jaw's? jeu? jeugd? gewgaw? juice?) harp." In: Vierundzwanzigsteljahrschrift der Internationalen Maultrommelvirtuosengenossenschaft, vol. 1 (1982). With: "The Jew's Harp in Colonial America," by Brian L. Mihura.


• Crane, Frederick (2003). A History of the Trump in Pictures: Europe and America. A special supplement to Vierundzwanzigsteljahrsschrift der Internationalen Maultrommelvirtuosengenossenschaft. Mount Pleasant, Iowa: [Frederick Crane].[1]
  


• Dournon-Taurelle, Geneviève, and John Wright (1978). Les Guimbardes du Musée de l'homme. Preface by Gilbert Rouget. Published by the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle and l'Institut d'ethnologie.


• Emsheimer, Ernst (1941). "Über das Vorkommen und die Anwendungsart der Maultrommel in Sibirien und Zentralasien". In: Ethnos (Stockholm), nos 3-4 (1941).


• Emsheimer, Ernst (1964). "Maultrommeln in Sibirien und Zentralasien." In: Studia ethnomusicologica eurasiatica (Stockholm: Musikhistoriska museet, pp. 13–27).


• Fox, Leonard (1984). The Jew's Harp: A Comprehensive Anthology. Selected, edited, and translated by Leonard Fox. Charleston, South Carolina: L. Fox.


• Fox, Leonard (1988). The Jew's Harp: A Comprehensive Anthology. Selected, edited, and translated by Leonard Fox. Lewisburg: Bucknell University Press; London: Associated University Presses;
  ISBN 0-8387-5116-4.


• Gallmann, Matthew S. (1977). The Jews Harp: A Select List of References With Library of Congress Call Numbers. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, Archive of Folk Song.


• Gotovtsev, Innokenty. New Technologies for Yakut Khomus. Yakutsk.[2]
  


• Kolltveit, Gjermund (2006). Jew's Harps in European Archaeology. BAR International series, 1500. Oxford: Archaeopress;
  ISBN 1-84171-931-5.


• Mercurio, Paolo (1998). Sa Trumba. Armomia tra telarzu e limbeddhu. Solinas Edition, Nuoro (IT).


• Plate, Regina (1992). Kulturgeschichte der Maultrommel. Orpheus-Schriftenreihe zu Grundfragen der Musik, Bd. 64. Bonn: Verlag für Systematische Musikwissenschaft;
  ISBN 3-922626-64-5.


• 
   Schlesinger, Kathleen (1911). "Jew's Harp". In Chisholm, Hugh. Encyclopædia Britannica. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 411.
  


• Shishigin, S. S. (1994). Igraite na khomuse. Mezhdunarodnyi tsentr khomusnoi (vargannoi) muzyki. Pokrovsk: S.S. Shishigin/Ministerstvo kul'tury Respubliki Sakha (IAkutiia).
  ISBN 5-85157-012-1.


• Shishigin, Spiridon. Kulakovsky and Khomus. Yakutia.[3]
  


• Smeck, Roy (1974). Mel Bay's Fun With the Jaws Harp.[4]
  


• Wright, Michael (2008). "The Jew's Harp in the Law, 1590–1825". In: Folk Music Journal 9.3 pp. 349–371; ISSN 0531-9684.


• Wright, Michael (2015). The Jew's Harp in Britain and Ireland. Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate;
  ISBN 978-1-4724-1413-7.


• Yuan, Bingchang, and Jizeng Mao (1986). Zhongguo Shao Shu Min Zu Yue Qi Zhi. Beijing: Xin Shi Jie Chu Ban She: Xin Hua Shu Dian Beijing Fa Xing Suo Fa Xing;
  ISBN 7-80005-017-3.


• Paolo Mercurio (2013). Gli Scacciapensieri Strumenti Musicali dell'Armonia Internazionali, Interculturali, Interdisciplinari. Milano;
  ISBN 978-88-6885-391-4.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jaw harp.

• The Jew's Harp Guild


• How to play and make jew's harp


• 
  How to play the jew's harp (instructions with sound examples and remarks on the functioning of Jew's harps)


• 
  A page on guimbardes from Pat Missin's free reed instrument website


• 
  Origins of the Jew's Harp. A popular synopsis of the archaeological findings of Jew's harps combined with an extensive illustrated survey of the world distribution of different types.


• 
  Jewsharper Jews harp history, news and tutorials from Michael Wright, of Oxfordshire, UK


• 
  Demir-xomus (Tuvan Jew's Harp) Demos, photos, folktale, and text