Gourt > Arts > Music > Instruments > Jew's Harp
The Jew's harp is one of the oldest musical instruments in the world. It is also sometimes called a jaw harp or juice harp, among other names, and has no particular connection with Jews or Judaism. Another name used to identify the instrument especially in scholarly literature is the older English "trump".
The instrument is a lamellaphone, which is in the category of plucked idiophones: it consists of a flexible metal or bamboo tongue attached to a frame. This tongue is placed in the performer's mouth and plucked with the finger to produce a note. The note thus produced is constant in pitch, though by changing the shape of his or her mouth and the amount of air contained in it the performer can cause different overtones to sound and thus create simple melodies.
There are many theories for the origin of the name Jew's harp (see the external links below), one being that it may derive from its popularity amongst Eurasian steppe-peoples like the Khazars, perhaps being introduced to Europe from that direction. Another explanation proposed is that it is a corruption of "jaw harp", while a less likely explanation espoused by some is that its name comes from "juice harp" from the amount of saliva produced when played by amateurs. Both of these explanations lack historical backing, as both the "jaw" and the "juice" variants appeared only in the late 19th and 20th centuries. It is interesting to note that many names of the instrument, in English or other languages, refer to other musical instruments, cordophones, membranophones, or aereophones largely included.
More on [ Jew's harp ]
wait. can you use a Jew's harp in a Christmas song?
markfromhouston (mark (from houston)) Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:39:14 -0000
wait. can you use a Jew's harp in a Christmas song?
Most rockin' jew's harp-related thing I've seen today http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=3321621
deirdre_morgan (Deirdre Morgan) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:32:41 -0000
Most rockin' jew's harp-related thing I've seen today http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=3321621
Bosavi "Gaima Plays The Bamboo Jew's Harp" (Rainforest Music From Papua New Guinea)
erikadotnet (erika dot net) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:41:44 -0000
Bosavi "Gaima Plays The Bamboo Jew's Harp" (Rainforest Music From Papua New Guinea)
ook bij Normaal staat hier en daar #mondharp op plaat http://www.discogs.com/Normaal-Effen-Zitten/release/1466381 #jew's harp
danibalhentonel (danibal) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:34:08 -0000
ook bij Normaal staat hier en daar #mondharp op plaat http://www.discogs.com/Normaal-Effen-Zitten/release/1466381 #jew's harp
[http://www.1.fm/]ALBRECHTSBERGER - Concerto For Jew's Harp, Mandora And Orchestrain in F - Stadlmair
robertxiao (Robert Xiao) Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:40:00 -0000
[http://www.1.fm/]ALBRECHTSBERGER - Concerto For Jew's Harp, Mandora And Orchestrain in F - Stadlmair
[decadanse] Jeudi 17 décembre - fêtes : Antenna Tony Monorail (Rock'n'roll jew's harp one man band):.. http://bit.ly/4OoLWx
renaud_feeds (Renaud's feeds) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:55:21 -0000
[decadanse] Jeudi 17 décembre - fêtes : Antenna Tony Monorail (Rock'n'roll jew's harp one man band):.. http://bit.ly/4OoLWx
Jew's Harp - Picture and straightforward description of its construction and how it's played.
MHN Instrument Encyclopedia - Jew's Harp (or Jaw's Harp). Background of the name, the instrument's heritage, general description, and simple instructions on how to play.
The Jew's Harp Guild - How to play, newsletter, discussion group, details about its annual festival, and store.
| Jaws Harp (or Jew's Harp) | |
| Next Video | |
