Indian harmonium

The Indian harmonium is a member of the free reeds and interruptive aerophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 412.132). Its invention is credited to Alexandre Debain. Learn how it makes its sound and explore related instruments.

How the Indian harmonium makes its sound

In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the Indian harmonium 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.

Its timbre – the colour that lets you tell it apart from other instruments playing the same note – comes from the mix of overtones its body and resonator emphasise.

From Wikipedia

The Indian harmonium, hand harmonium, samvadini, peti ("box"), or vaja, often just called a harmonium, is a small and portable hand-pumped reed organ which is very popular in the Indian subcontinent. The sound resembles an accordion or other bellows driven free-reed aerophones.

Reed-organs arrived in India during the mid-19th century, possibly with missionaries or traders. Over time they were modified by Indian craftsmen to be played on the floor (since most traditional Indian music is done in this fashion), and to be smaller and more portable.