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When several folks cited Jaw Harps, Rick Dempster wrote:
Yes, but rich in overtones.
RD
Jaw Harps are amazing instruments! I love listening to an accomplished
Jaw Harper. Not surprisingly, Madcat is terrific. But my favorite player
is Aron Szilagi, a Hungarian virtuoso whose father makes a huge array of
some of the the finest Jaw Harps in the world. Here is an example of his
playing.
Now, to Rick's point about overtones. One of the coolest things about
playing Jaw Harps, closely related to playing harmonicas, is the way you
can control the range and amplitude of those overtone frequencies by
changes in your oral cavity and airway's size and shape. Aron and Tran
each have amazing control over their throat, tongue and diaphragm
muscles. You would be amazed at the sounds an accomplished player can
evoke from one of these simple instruments. I would go so far as to say
that playing jaw harps may actually improve a harmonica player's ability
to exert that kind of exquisite control over their oral cavity and
airways! Try a good handmade one, you may really like it. The really
good ones are European but there are some very nice Vietnamese ones as
well (less expensive). Here is my favorite source.
[Vietnamese Jaw Harps are called, "Dan Moi," but this outfit offers
harps from many countries as well as a range of other "world" instruments.]
Expect to pay $40 and up for a good European harp. I have one of these
brass Vietnamese ones that is less expensive ($21) and very easy to
play. You don't have to touch the metal to your teeth like you do the
European ones. Mine is tuned to a perfect C.