[Harp-L] classification

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

 I wrote:

"The guitar string works as, well, a string (technically a  
chordophone, sp), whereas the harmonica reed is an idiophone(sp).  In  
many ways the harmonica reed is more similar to a struck bar such as  
in a marimba or glockenspiel than a string."

And fjm quite properly corrected me on this.  What I meant to write  
was that "when plucked the harmonica reed is an idiophone".   We were  
talking about the tuning of the reed and so I assumed an obvious  
context, which was a really bad assumption.

Most of the books I have list lamellophones as a member of the  
idiophone family.  They do posses behaviors different than many other  
idiophones, but the broad definition would seem to include them, and  
thus the harmonica reed when plucked.  I would think the difference  
between fixed length lamellophones and adjustable length ones would  
be more an issue of specific construction rather than one of how the  
tongue behaves when plucked, thus a question of subcategories rather  
than a large familial difference.  It does lead me to wonder if there  
are jaw's harps with tines that can be moved in or out to control  
their pitch.  If so, that would seem to me to indicate that how the  
instrument works (which is the basis for the broader classification)  
isn't significantly altered based on whether the tine is fixed or  
adjustable.






 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()
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