|
1) Are
your Harmoniums tuned to A440?
Some are, some aren’t. Traditionally in India harmoniums
tended to be quite sharp of A440. This was partly due to the European standard
of A444-A445. Many Indian harmoniums are even sharper that A445. In ensembles of
Indian Music, all the instruments will tune to the harmonium, so the only thing
that really matters is that the harmonium be in tune with itself. Lately, with
the popularity of this instrument in America, there is more of an emphasis on
A440 tuning. Now a much higher percentage of harmoniums come from India tuned
at, or close to, A440. Keep in mind that the reeds change with the climate (they
go sharp in cooler conditions) so a harmonium that is nicely tuned at A440 in
hot, humid, India, might not be the same when it reaches cold, frigid, Michigan.
2) Does it matter if a harmonium is tuned to
A440?
The most important thing is that the harmonium be in tune
to itself – that the octaves and different banks of reeds match. In Indian Music
most instruments (drums, tanpuras, other stringed instruments) will tune to the
harmonium. Thus A440 tuning matters only if you are playing with fixed pitch
instruments like a piano of flute. We check and tune all the harmoniums that we
sell.
3)
How do you tune a harmonium, and how often should it be tuned?
You tune the harmonium reeds by filing (scraping, sanding)
a little metal off of one side of the vibrating tongue of the reed. One side
makes it sharp, one side makes it flat. For a detailed explanation see our
Harmonium Maintenance page. How often a harmonium should be tuned depends on a
lot of things. Mostly it depends on your ear. To a highly trained musican with
a good ear, harmoniums sound chronically out of tune. For the average user, a
tune up every few years is all you need.
4)
Is a harmonium tempered? If so, how can it be used in Indian Music?
For the most part, yes, harmoniums are tempered
instruments. This is why they are a bane to purists, and have been banned on All
India Radio. Since they are designed to play in different keys, and some people
like to play simple chords, they must be tempered. A lot of serious Indian
vocalists prefer the harmonium to the sarangi, which is the traditional vocal
accompaniment instrument, because of its full rich sound.
5)
Can a harmonium be tuned differently, i.e. non-tempered?
Yes. In India, some vocalists (who always use the same SA
or tonic) have their harmoniums tuned to match the pure intervals of Indian
Music. These instruments can only play in one key. We have tuned harmoniums to
different kinds of Just Intonation, and find them to sound very sweet. The
downside is that you are limited to one or two keys, and some chords sound
awful.
6)
What is the difference between student, professional and concert
harmoniums?
This is not a distinction we make. Some “professionals” use
the simplest of harmoniums. Many of the finest made (and most expensive)
harmoniums never make it out of their owners’ music rooms. All the instruments
we sell are of a standard that they can used by any type of musician with
satisfaction.
7)
I was told not to get a scale-change harmonium because they break
easily? Is that so?
We do not find that to be the case. A well made scale
change instrument will last as long as any other. Shipping scale change
harmoniums can be a problem, though. Sometimes the mechanism will get jarred out
of place. Fixing this is not hard, but requires a certain degree of tool skill.
We try to ship all scale change harmoniums by air to reduce the risk of this
happening.
8)
What sort of prep work do you do before you sell an instrument.?
Instruments rarely come from India in perfect working
order. We check the tuning, check for buzzes and leaks.
|
