Folk Instruments
Harps
The harp is a musical instrument from the group of harmonica instruments with metal reeds in parallel air channels. The air channels are blown directly with the mouth. Compared to most other musical instruments, the harmonica is small, inexpensive and also less sensitive, although care must be taken with it too.
Diatonic Harps
In the case of the diatonic harmonica, only those reeds are available that produce the conductor's own tones of the key in which the harmonica is tuned. A diatonic C major harp therefore only has the notes C, D, E, F, G, A and H. The chromatic harmonica is different; The semitones can also be played using a built-in slider.
Chromatic Harps
Chromatic harmonicas allow a built-in slider to cover all semitones of western music. Thus, all styles of music are open to you. In contrast to the chromatic harmonica, the diatonic harmonica only has reeds that produce the scale's own tones of the key in which the harmonica is tuned. A diatonic C major harmonica therefore only has the notes C, D, E, F, G, A and H.
Tremolo Harps
The tremolo harmonica is a type of harmonica that is characterized by two reeds per note. In the tremolo harmonica, the two reeds are tuned slightly shifted, so that one sounds slightly higher and the other slightly lower than the target note. This creates a special wavy or warbling sound, which is produced by the two reeds that are not exactly the same and the resulting waveforms of the sound waves.
Jew's Harp
The Jew's Harp is a small musical instrument with a frame, on one side of which a lamella (tongue) is attached, which is moved by the player on the other end. With the metal hoop jaws, the tongue protrudes with the tip over the frame and is plucked directly with the finger. The sound and pitch of the instrument held against the lips are influenced by the size of the oral cavity, which serves as a resonance space, and by breathing. Different overtones are made audible.
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument rich in overtones and is considered a traditional musical instrument of the northern Australian Aborigines. In the traditional context, it is usually made from a trunk of local eucalyptus species hollowed out by termites and serves as a predominantly rhythmic accompanying instrument for chants and dances. The tonal and rhythmic variety is created through combinations of mouth movements, breathing technique and voice effects, based on a fundamental tone that is only slightly varied in pitch and overblown tones. The mouthpiece only consists of a wax ring to protect the lips, which can also be missing on inexpensive or well-made instruments. In addition, the naturally given diameter of the wooden pipe is narrowed to a diameter that is comfortable for the player.
Rain Sticks
The rain stick or rain maker is a tubular vessel rattle that serves as an effect instrument. Modern variants of the instrument are made of bamboo or plastic and filled with rattle bodies made of different materials to achieve different sound effects. If you turn the rainmaker around, the small pebbles fall from one spike to the next. This creates a pleasant, even sound that is reminiscent of flowing water or the rustling of thick raindrops. While in South America the medicine men wanted to lure the longed-for rain with the soft rustling sound of the rainmaker, one enjoys the pleasant sound with the calming effect. The sound spectrum ranges from fine, delicate drizzle to the powerful rustling of a downpour. It "rains" more persistently, the longer the rainmaker is and the more spikes hold up the path of the pebbles. Short variants are also used as rhythm instruments that can be quickly shaken.
