Harmonium

Today we will look at another important Musical Instrument, the Harmonium or Pump Organ. It is also called as Melodeon and is a keyboard instrument. A Harmonium is a free-reed organ that generates sound with a foot or hand pumped bellows. It produces sound as air flows past a vibrating reed in a frame. The physical characteristics of the reed like its mass, length, cross-sectional area and stiffness determines the pitch of the sound. The physical dimensions of the chamber in which the reed is fitted, the amount of air flow etc. are also important in the pitch of the sound produced. The original idea of a free reed organ is imported from China through Russia after 1750. The first Western free reed instrument was made in Denmark in 1780. The portable hand pumped Harmonium is a prominent inst...