Harmonium

A kind of keyboard musical instrument harmonium comparable to a reed organ is a free-standing accompaniment to singers of repute, keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ, which can be played either in a sitting position or by  hanging with a thick belt around the body, while both the hands of the player will be engaged, one pumping the air by pressing a door like part of the instrument, the other using the reeds to render music according to a systematic musical note or formula, in some types of harmonium instrument, the air blowing mechanism is foot operated.

Harmonium is prevalent in all the countries, but in different designs and forms, as inn North America, there is a pedal-pumped free-reed keyboard instrument  which is called American reed organ, which has different names too, such as  parlor organ, cabinet organ ,pump organ, cottage organ,  etc.,  along with the earlier instrument of  melodeon, which  is operated by suction bellows drawing air  through the reeds thereby  producing musical  sound,  and  generally any reed organ with air pumping bellows releasing the air through the reeds comes  under the category of harmonium.

In Europe region,  harmonium is the name given to all keyboard free-reed instruments with pedal pumping bellows, whether the air producing sound through reads comes by blowing or by suction, whereas  in India, harmonium is generally played by the hand pumping the air through a door while the other hand operates the reeds.

Origin of Harmonium

It was in 1840 that one AlexandreDebain invented Harmonium in Paris, which is basically an instrument  befitting western music and culture, while harmonium is an instrument that weighs less than its counterpart Piano, giving scope for portability, Harmonium becoming popular in tropical countries, because it can maintain the tune and tone of music, which piano can not do when humidity and heat vary in atmosphere. This  portable type of instrument with its reed organs folded in a rectangular container, resembling a suit case or small type of trucks, were carried by missionaries of those days, evangelists and even street side singers, either for entertaining walkers or for impressively propagate their mission, as they served the same purpose as pianos would do in a closed room occupying a bigger space.

As Indian music is mostly based on melody, not with the notes of harmony the accompanying instrument for vocal music could be accommodated by a single had operation of harmonium, further due to the fact that Indian musicians  used to do performances  in sitting position on the ground with legs crossed, in preference to the western practice of occupying a chair to do performances, harmonium well fitted for the musicians of India, settling there as an important music organ in earlier times.

In India, it was DwarkanathGhose  of Calcutta, now referred by its original name Kolkata, patronised  the imported harmony flute,  and brought harmonium for the attention of  music world in India, which paved way for this instrument becoming the vital part of the Indian musical scenario.

Harmonium became the favourite of those following Hinduism and Sickism, as this instrument was very useful for them to render devotional songs in Bhajan and Kirtan dances they used to observe during religious ceremonies and gettogethers, while it became a practice in every Hindu Temple or Sick Gurudhwara to keep a Harmonium or two, with accompanying instruments of Tabla and Dholak, Sikhs calling harmonium instrument as ‘vaja’ or ‘baja’, Hindus referring it as ‘petti’ in southern parts of the country, which simply means ‘box’. A Qawwali music show will be bland without a harmonium and in every occasion where music entertainment is organised, a harmonium with a trained player will always be available.

Design

The musical instrumentHarmonium is structured with  banks of brass reeds,  which are metal hooks that vibrate as the air flows over them, while air is pumped through bellows activated by pressing a door kind of apparatus, or pedalling with in designs where the instrument is mounted on a table,, stopping for drones, while some of the models are equipped with a stop  causing a form of vibrato, with a keyboard play by applying right pressure with fingers, the material for harmonium's timbre although similar to that of accordion, is produced in essentially in a different way, the bellows instead of causing a direct flow of air upon the reeds, an external feeder is introduced in such a manner that bellows part inflates an internal reservoir internallyenabling  the air escape to vibrating the reeds. This design of harmonium is that of  bagpipes too and  it is constructed in such a manner that the harmonium creates a sound that is continuously sustained.

Those harmoniums introduced in 19th and early 20th century which belong to  better-class category were equipped with an expression stop that avoided going through the reservoir,enabling a skilled player to moderate  the strength of the air flow straight from the bellows operated by foot,  achieving a certain amount of direct operational advantage over the entire dynamics of playing this instrument.

Generally Harmonium instrument is made with one or two reeds, sometimes three or six sets of reeds, while classical instrumentalists use only a single reed harmonium, whereas Qawwali players, singing Islamic devotional numbers,  use three reed harmonium types.

Playing Positions

Indian harmonium players mostly use the instrument in sitting position, while they play it in two different  ways, one placing the harmonium perfectly on the floor in front the player, while the player uses one hand for pumping the bellows and the other hand playing the keys, as the player himself or herself sits with legs crossed or squatting in a convenient posture, the other adopted by Qawwali players, who rest one end of the harmonium on the ground and other end on their lap, playing the instrument in the same way.

Notable Players

There are only a few harmonium players who are prominent, among whom FarrukFateh Ali Khan was well known and famous, who hailed from the family of Qawwali musicians, while his elder brother UstadNusratFateh Ali Khan, father UstadFateh Ali Khan, uncle Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan were all noted Harmonium players and his son RahatNusratFateh Ali Khan is also a harmonium expert.

His elder brother NusratFateh Ali Khan was leading the the family Qawwali party since  1971 till the time of his death in 1997, when onwards FarrukhFateh Ali Khan  took over as they were the only two members  of the Qawwali party who existed at that time. NusratFateh Ali Khan was a well acclaimed  Pakistani musician, who was a singer of Islamic devotional numbers  called Qawwali, . while he was  one of the greatest singers of his time, holding extraordinary vocal music capabilitiesto sing songs  at a high pitch  for several hours, nurturing the  family’s  600-year oldQawwali tradition, Nusrat Khan was also responsible for taking Qawwalimusic to international audience. ‘Shahenshah-e-Qawwali’ was the title he had acquired,  which means ‘The King of Kings of Qawwali’ and Nusrat Khan, born in Pakistan’s Faisalabad, gave  his first public Qawwaliperformance at age of 16, in his father’s courtyard, after becoming  the head of the family qawwali party in 1971, he became a member of Oriental Star Agencies, Birmingham, England, in 1980s. Nusrat Khan had to his credit of  releasing movie scores and famous albums in Europe, and few other countries abroad, such as U.S., Japan, besides India and Pakistan, his association with Western artists in conducting a number of experiments in music was remarkable for which purpose he travelled widely.

Care and Caution

Harmonium being a delicate musical instrument, made out of cloth and fine leather, the player must take lot of care to preserve it without damaging any of its parts, and there are few tips to take care of the instruments given here.

• The instrument must be kept in a cool dry place, properly covered.
• The instrument must be kept under constant use, or at least cleaned up every day keeping it free from moist and dust, particularly ensuring that no insect enters into the instrument.
• The player should pump the external bellows to ensure air filling in the internal bellows, making the system acquire required pressure for starting the performance.
• Exposure of the instrument to direct sunlight should be totally avoided.
• The instrument should always be kept away from the reach of children.
• Never ever a curious mind should make one meddle with the springs, screws or reeds which are set for a particular purpose.
• Tampering with the damper or drone knobs will be equally dangerous.
• Being an item made out of hand crafted wood, any change in temperature or dampening any part of it will seriously affect its quality and performance.

Photo Gallery