Jew's harp

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources:  –  ·  ·  · scholar · JSTOR (February 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Jew's harp

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

	Sample Menu 0:00
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The Jew's harp, also known as jaw harp, vargan, mouth harp, gewgaw, guimbard, khomus, Ozark harp, Galician harp, Berimbau de boca or murchunga, is a lamellophone instrument, consisting of a flexible metal or bamboo tongue or reed attached to a frame.

Jew's harps may be categorized as idioglot or heteroglot (whether or not the frame and the tine are one piece); by 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[]

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.

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 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[]

The earliest depiction of somebody playing what seems to be a Jew's harp is a Chinese drawing from the 3rd Century BC, and curved bones discovered in the Shimao fortifications in Shaanxi, China are believed to be the earliest evidence of the instrument, dating back to before 1800 B.C.E.^[4][5] 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.^[6]

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)^[7]

Etymology[]

There are many theories for the origin of the name jew's harp. The apparent reference to Jews or to the Jewish people, which only exists in the English language word for the instrument, is especially misleading since it "has nothing to do with the Jewish people; neither does it look like a harp in its structure and appearance".^[8] This apparent error does not exist in other languages: in German, it sounds as "maultrommel," which roughly translates as "lip drum"; In Danish = jeudgtromp, etc.^[9] 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] In French, "jeu", which sounds like "jew" with a soft "j"/"zh", means "to play." The current French word for the instrument is "guimbarde." Wedgwood, an English etymologist, wrote in 1855 that the derivation from "jeu harpe" opposes the French idiom, where "if two substantives are joined together, the qualifying noun is invariably the last.^[13] Curiously, he refers to the "jeu harpe" derivation but not to the "jeu tromp" derivation. As a non-native French speaker who does not appear to have spent any time in France to truly know the intricacies of the French language, his opinion is not authoritative and the question remains open.

Both theories—that the name is a corruption of "jaws" or "jeu"—are described by the OED as "lacking any supporting evidence."^[14] 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 Jewish people, suggesting the trumps and harps mentioned in the Bible, and hence considered a good commercial name."^[15] What the OED fails to explain in its "conjecture" is why during a period when Jews were officially banished from England under penalty of death they would a) be able to import such instruments into England and b) why anyone in England would think it profitable to sell instruments associated with Jews. The OED further admits that "The association of the instrument with Jewish people occurs, so far as is known, only in English,"^[16] which casts doubt, once again, on any attempt to associated the instrument to Jewish people. Given the obvious problems (with the English term) and the total absence globally of any reference to Jews in the instrument's other names, the name "jews harp" is, more likely than not, simply an error that is perpetuated only in English.

Use[]

Cambodian music[]

The angkouch (Khmer: អង្គួច) is a Cambodian Jew's harp.^[17] 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.^[18] There is also a metal variety, more round or tree-leaf shaped.^[18] It may also have metal bells attached.^[18] The instrument is both a wind instrument and percussion instrument.^[17][18] As a wind instrument, it is placed against the mouth, which acts as a resonator and tool to alter the sound.^[18] Although mainly a folk instrument, better-made examples exist.^[18] 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.^[18]

Carnatic music[]

The instrument, known as a morsing in South India,^[19] morchang in Rajasthan, or murchunga in Nepal (where they are common), is part of the rhythmic section in a Carnatic music ensemble.

Nepali tradition[]

Murchunga[]

In Nepal, one type of jaw harp is named the murchunga (Nepali: मुर्चुङ्गा). It is very similar to an Indian Morsing or Morchang in that the tongue (or twanger) extends beyond the frame, thus giving the instrument more sustain.

Binayo[]

The binayo (Nepali बिनायो बाजा) is a bamboo jaw harp, in the Kiranti musical tradition from Malingo. It is popular in the Eastern Himalayan Region of Sikkim, Darjeeling Nepal and Bhutan. It is a wind instrument played by blowing the air without tuning the node with fingers. The Binayo is being played by from the air deposited in the lungs of the player and blown with balance, this instrument is 6 inches long and 1 inch in width.^[20]

Turkic traditional music[]

Kyrgyz music[]

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.^[21]

Sindhi music[]

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 .^[22]

Austrian Jew's harp playing[]

Austrian Jew's harp music uses typical Western harmony. The UNESCO has included Austrian Jew's harp playing in its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.^[23]

In Austria, the instrument is known as Maultrommel (the literal translation is jaw drum).

Western classical music[]

Early representations of Jew's harps appeared in Western churches since the fourteenth century.^[24]

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.^[25] 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^[26]

Well known performer (1761–1831), discovered by Frederick the Great, could play two Jew's harps at once, while the also well known performer (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".^[27]

The American composer Charles Ives wrote a part for Jew's harp in the Washington's Birthday movement of A Symphony: New England Holidays.^[28]

Western rock music[]

It features prominently in Canned Heat's multi-part piece "Parthenogenesis" from their Living the Blues album.^[29][30]

See also[]

• 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[]

Notes[]

Bibliography[]

This section lacks ISBNs for the books listed in it. Please 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)

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jaw harps.

• 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 extensively illustrated survey of the world distribution of different types
• Demir-xomus (Tuvan Jew's Harp) Demos, photos, folktale, and text