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Harmonica

LC control no.sh 85058948
LC classificationML1088 History
MT682 MT682.8 Instruction
Topical headingHarmonica
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Variant(s)French harp (Harmonica)
Gob iron (Musical instrument)
Harp (Harmonica)
Harp, French (Harmonica)
Harp, Mouth (Harmonica)
Harpoon (Harmonica)
Iron, Gob (Musical instrument)
Louisiana saxophone
Mississippi sax
Mississippi saxophone
Mouth harmonica
Mouth harp (Harmonica)
Mouth organ
Mouth organ (Harmonica)
Organ, Mouth (Harmonica)
Sandwich, Tin (Musical instrument)
Sax, Mississippi
Saxophone, Louisiana
Saxophone, Mississippi
Tin sandwich (Musical instrument)
See alsoMouth organs
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Found inField, K. Harmonicas, harps, and heavy breathers, 2000: p. 13 (harmonica; mouth organ) p. 14 (harp; its cousin, the concertina; the mouth organ is supposed the one instrument that everyone can play)
Merriam-Webster dictionary online, July 20, 2021 (harmonica: 1. glass harmonica. 2. a small rectangular wind instrument with free reeds recessed in air slots from which tones are sounded by exhaling and inhaling; mouth harp: harmonica sense 2; mouth organ: harmonica sense 2)
Wiktionary, July 20, 2021 (harmonica (plural harmonicas): 1. a musical wind instrument with a series of holes for the player to blow into, each hole producing a different note 2. a musical instrument, consisting of a series of hemispherical glasses which, by touching the edges with the dampened finger, give forth the tones. 3. a toy instrument of strips of glass or metal hung on two tapes, and struck with hammers. Synonyms: French harp; gob iron; Mississippi sax; mouth harp; mouth organ; tin sandwich)
Missin, P. Why is it called a harp?, via www.patmissin.com, July 20, 2021 (In many parts of the American South, the harmonica was popularly called mouth harp, French harp or just plain harp, a term now used by blues harmonica players the world over. The term is partly inspired by the Aeolian harp, a stringed instrument that is left outdoors to be played by the wind, whose name was taken from Aeolus the god of the wind. Early names for the harmonica were Aeolina, Aeolian and Mund-Aeoline, which stressed this link with the Aeolian harp. As the earliest harmonica-like instruments were little more than a few reeds attached to a reedplate that was held to the players lips, the resemblance to a harp was quite pronounced; The word harp has been used to describe many instruments other than the stringed harp, including the Jew's Harp (also called Jaw Harp or Mouth Harp and often known in some parts of Germany by the name Mundharmonika) and the Aeolsharfe; In other parts of the world, the harmonica is known as: fidil fhrancach (Gaelic for "French fiddle") - Ireland; moothie - Scotland; gaita (also used to refer to bagpipes and various other instruments) - various Spanish/Portuguese-speaking countries; fotzhobel (literally "mouth plane", also used to denote the panpipes) - various German-speaking countries; muzicuta - Romania; ruine-babines ("ruins the lips") - France; Mississippi saxophone, Louisiana saxophone - various parts of the USA; harpoon - various parts of the USA; gob iron - various parts of the UK; tin sandwich - widespread)