Re: [Harp-L] harmoniums and bandoneons

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I've owned one I acquired from a church in Newark NJ back in the  
> 60's and it
> had pump pedals, I enjoyed playing it,,,,,

If you bought it from a church in Newark, I'd be shocked if it was a  
harmonium.  And damn jealous too.  Who was the manufacturer?

There is a difference between harmoniums in specific and reed organs  
in general.  The most common form of reed organ is the "American  
organ" type, which is fairly different from the harmonium.

> Another Harp player that plays Harmonium is my friend John  
> Sebastian Jr.
> check out:
> THE ROOM NOBODY LIVES IN....

A nice track, and I'd bet money it is an American organ and not a  
harmonium.  The tone is more mellow, and relaxed than the usual  
harmonium sound.  This was achieved through a process of voicing the  
reeds which the harmonium didn't use, so the harmonium tends to sound  
more brash and typically free-reed like.

I came up with a better analogy than the piano-clavichord one: a  
harmonium is to a reed organ as a tremolo is to a harmonica.  The  
harmonium is a type of reed organ; the tremolo is a type of harmonica.



 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()
`----'