Listen to the garmon
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
How the garmon makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the garmon belongs to the free reeds and interruptive aerophones: air is periodically interrupted by a vibrating reed or blade – the accordion, harmonica, sheng and bullroarer.
More broadly it is one of the aerophones (wind instruments), where sound comes from vibrating air.
Press play above and watch the spectrum: the evenly spaced peaks are harmonics, and their relative strength is what gives the instrument its character.
From Wikipedia
The garmon, commonly called garmoshka, is a kind of Russian button accordion, a free-reed wind instrument. A garmon has two rows of buttons on the right side, which play the notes of a diatonic scale, and at least two rows of buttons on the left side, which play the primary chords in the key of the instrument as well as its relative harmonic minor key. Many instruments have additional right-hand buttons with useful accidental notes, additional left-hand chords for playing in related keys, and a row of free-bass buttons, to facilitate playing of bass melodies.
Other free reeds and interruptive aerophones
Accordion
Free reeds and interruptive aerophones
Harmonica
Free reeds and interruptive aerophones
Pump organ
Free reeds and interruptive aerophones
Siren
Free reeds and interruptive aerophones
Bandoneon
Free reeds and interruptive aerophones
Sheng
Free reeds and interruptive aerophones
Concertina
Free reeds and interruptive aerophones
Melodica
Free reeds and interruptive aerophones
Frequently asked questions
What does a garmon sound like?
Listen to 1 recording on this page. As one of the free reeds and interruptive aerophones, its sound comes from the way air is periodically interrupted by a vibrating reed or blade.
What type of instrument is the garmon?
It is classified as free reeds and interruptive aerophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 412.132).
Sources & credits
- Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America, Local No. 427, AFL, et… by Supreme Court of the United States. Office of the Marshal. 1867 – Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q1494360 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Garmon – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Vitaly Alekseev – CC BY-SA 3.0