The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-05-25
ALL ABOUT THE HARMoNICA.
Hundreds of Varieties Made and
Many Thousands Sold Annually.

many InOuBhnuS SOFA
The harmonIca, simple as it might seem
to be, is made i'll hundreds of varieties,
counting sizes and styles and their differ
cEt musical keys. All single harmonicas,
including the very cheapest. are produced
in seven keys, y to G inclusive. Double
harmonious, with two sets of reeds, are
made with the two sides in different
keys, and then there are harmonious
three sided, four sided. five sided and six
sided, each side being tuned in different
key. Single harmonious are also sold in
sets Of four in rs many keys. The key
most commonly used is probably c.
The many thousands of harnonicas
sold in this country annually are all i'm
ported, some from Austria, but by far the
greater number from Germany. They
are made largely in factories, but still TO
a considerable extent, either in whole or
in part, in homes and often by women,
cheap labor enabling the production Of
them at very low cost. In factories the
tuners of harmonious sit at tables that
are partitioned off something like desks
in telegraph offices to give each operator
Il separate Enclosure and avoid confusion
with other sounds close at hand. The
reeds are tuned TO those of correctly
tuned harmonica which is used as a,
guide, the work being done with file and
a knife, with which the several tongues
are scraped or filed or cut in whatever
degree may be required To bring them
into tune.
Harmonious are sold Mt all sorts Of
prices, from 3 cents TO So or 81. At
prices above so cents the hal monica is
likely to be double. Double harmonious
Of larger size and more elaborate finish
range i'll price up to $50.
Harmonious with more than two sides
begin with the three sided ones Mt about
SIZE and run from that UP in price, &C.
cording TO size and quality and number Of
sides, to those having six sides, in IS
many keys, ard - holes and called con-
cert harmonious and selling at $3.50 or
more. The harmonica is commonly DEEM
ed toy and is chiefly sold and used as
such, but good music can he got out Of a
good harmonica, and it il more or less
used as musical instrument and played
with other instruments or as an accompa-
niment to the human voice. \ stringed
instrument could, of course, be tuned to
play with a harmonica of any key, but
that harmonica might not do to accom-
pany other music written perhaps in
different key and played upon a piano and
not easily transposed. Such and other
requirements, as of the voice. are met by
the harmonica that can be played in sew
eral keys, and the putting up together in
u box of four single harmonious Of as
many keys is with the same purpose in
view.
or odd harmonious other than those
that are standard and familiar there is
one kind with a tremolo attachment by
means of which Il tremolo effect may be
given to the notes. There is another kind
Of harmonica made with gong bells at.
tached that can be manipulated by the
player.
OF harmonica holders. designed to hold
the harmonica to a players lips while he
is using his hands to play another :nstru-
ment at the same time, which would be,
most commonly. a guitar, there are at
least three kinds. One is an adjustable
holder that goes around and rests On the
shoulders, the others being in one way
another attached to and supported upon
the players clothing. And there are also
made harmonica pouches, of leather and
of chamois skin, and in various sizes and
having at their opening end framed jaws
that snap together as those of pouch
pocketbooks do, in which harmonicas
may be carried.-New York Sun.