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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
jaw-harps (especially @madcat)
jaw-harps (especially @madcat)
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Andrew
1589 posts
Nov 05, 2012
3:53 AM
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Well, well, I haven't been here for a long time - this year I've been mainly playing the ukulele (and recovering from a heart-attack - forget drugs and alcohol, keep away from cheese, it's a killer, lol!)
Here's another beautiful madcat video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LalT7eQ4ZQ (sorry, I've forgotten how to post a youtube link.)
I note that the jaw-harp is exactly in G. I bought a good, solid, handmade, loud jawharp, but my Snark tells me it's in C#. I think I can play in D on it, but I don't know if I'm just fooling myself.
So my question is, do you have to match the jaw-harp's tuning exactly to the piece you are playing, or is there some leeway?
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Andrew.
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Last Edited by on Nov 05, 2012 4:00 AM
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arzajac
880 posts
Nov 05, 2012
5:26 AM
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I'm pretty sure you can tune them just like you tune a harpmonica reed, by filing some metal from the tip to raise the pitch or from the base to lower it.
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rbeetsme
899 posts
Nov 05, 2012
5:40 AM
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You can buy a full set of chromatically tuned jews harps, most of the ones sold in retail stores are G or G#, the bigger ones tend to be C or C#. Most of the time they sound ok in any key, but they sound a lot better in the correct key. A full set from one of the better eastern european makers will set you back 300.00 or more. I found a guy in Wisconsin who will make any key you want for about 25.00 each. Here is a good source of info on the harps: http://www.jewsharpguild.org/history.html
Last Edited by on Nov 05, 2012 5:40 AM
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Sarge
261 posts
Nov 05, 2012
6:54 AM
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Rick, do you have a link for the guy in Wisconsin?
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Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
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rbeetsme
901 posts
Nov 05, 2012
7:37 AM
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Sure Jim, he doesn't have a website, here is his email address: robbieclement@yahoo.com
BTW: I am happy with his harps, but they are a little smaller than others and the tang on some are curled, not curled on others. I prefer the curled end, might mention it to him.
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mlefree
71 posts
Nov 05, 2012
7:53 AM
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Andrew, first off, best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery from your heart attack! Breathing music is good for what ails ya and Jaw harps are fun to play. A good Jaw harp player can do some amazing things and can contribute to many styles of music.
I would underscore rbeetsme's comment about jaw harps sounding best in the key of the song. Like a harmonica, playing one out of key is like fingernails on a blackboard. Jaw harps make a unique sound to begin with; adding dischordance makes them sound annoying to my ear.
As to obtaining a chromatic set, I have found a source in Germany that has the most complete inventory that is ready to ship:
http://www.danmoi.com/en/jews-harps.html
Back when I was shopping, stateside sources that had quality tuned instruments ready to ship were scarce. You should steer clear of sources that offer only untuned (cheap) instruments or incomplete inventories.
One thing I was surpised to learn was that there are many kinds of Asian Jaw Harps. In Vietnam, they are called "Dan Moi," a term you can search for in finding sources of instruments (e.g., Ebay) and ways to play them (Youtube). In fact, here is a Vietnamese jaw harp and throat singing virtuoso's channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/tranquanghai/videos?view=0
This cat is amazing!
For "western" jaw harp, a Hungarian named Áron Szilágyi is the most accomplished player I know of. He has a web site with tutorials and lots of other content:
http://www.szilagyi-jewsharp.com/
His dad makes some of the best Jaw harps, so there is some commercial content on that site as well. He also has a rich Youtube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/navrangmusic
Finally, James Conway of Chicago is a guy who expertly ties harmonica, jaw harp and throat singing together:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GKKscGSRhk&feature=channel&list=UL
You should explore his Youtube channel as well. He is a harmonica player's harmonica player!
I hope this helps you get going with jaw harps. They are fun to play and can add measurably to many different genres of music, not just "hokum." A good jaw harp player is welcome in most any live music setting.
Michelle
Last Edited by on Nov 05, 2012 7:58 AM
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rbeetsme
902 posts
Nov 05, 2012
4:33 PM
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Nice stuff there. In our culture, hokum is what people expect. But the jews harp is more than sound effects for cartoons. I tend to play it primarily for up-tempo bluegrass, but it is taken very seriously in eastern europe. There are actually harp masters and well recorded jews harp artists.
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rbeetsme
903 posts
Nov 05, 2012
4:46 PM
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BTW, jews harp or khomus is the common name for it.
From the Jews Harp Guild website:
"History of the name "Jew's Harp"
Very little early history is available.
The Jew's harp is known world-wide by many different names, depending on the country of origin.
Some examples are:
England - Gewgaw
Germany - Maultrommel (which means mouth drum)
Japan - Koukin
Russia - Vargan
Siberia - Khomus
Philippines - Kumbing and kubing
Italy - Scacciapensieri
Norway - munnharpa or munnharpe
France - guimbarde
Bali - genggong
Musicologist Phons Bakx of the Netherlands has compiled the nomenclature of over thousand names for the Jew's harp from all over the world. "
See: http://www.antropodium.nl/Duizend Namen Mhp.htm
I don't think it was ever meant to be a derogatory term. I have great respect for the Jewish people, descended from the patriarch Abraham, highly esteemed in both the Bible and Quran, the hebrews have a long and distiguished history. Not sure why the politically correct term jaw harp, I don't recall ever hearing of a Frenchman being offended by the term French Harp. All of the sites centering on the instrument call it a jews harp so I do too.
Last Edited by on Nov 05, 2012 4:51 PM
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Sarge
262 posts
Nov 05, 2012
5:04 PM
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Thanks for the info Rick.
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Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
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Andrew
1590 posts
Nov 06, 2012
1:36 AM
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Thanks for the input, everyone. I'm aware of Eastern European/Balkan/Middle Eastern playing on Youtube, and of course when you are soloing, it doesn't matter what key your harp is in. I'm aware that "Jew's harp" may stem from this - maybe it dates from the Crusades.
But when I was little my dad gave me an anti-Semitic explanation of the name, and that's why I prefer to call it a jawharp (besides, it fits in with the German Maultrommel).
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Andrew.
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Last Edited by on Nov 06, 2012 1:41 AM
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