Harmonica History

Below is the history and facts of the harmonica. The harmonica is a mouth organ musical instrument that was first marketing by Charles Wheatstone who also invented the concertina and the electric telegraph in 1829 under the name of The Aeolina.

Where did the name harmonica come from?

In history, the name harmonica was given to all sorts of strange and now obsolete musical instrument ranging from musical glasses, through glass dulcimers to nails played with a bow, before it became synonymous with the term 'mouth-organ'.

Old harmonicas in history

The old harmonica in history

In the old time, harmonicas are all diatonic. That means old styled harmonicas cannot play full chromatic tunes. This led to the harmonica becoming associated only with popular and folk tunes until the 1920s.

When was that first time chromatic harmonicas marketed?

In 1920s. The harmonicas became popular in classes in schools, in bands, and the playing of harmonicas was universally recognized. In 1929, the manufacturers Hohner claimed to have produced over 30,000,000 harmonicas. Chromatic harmonicas quickly attracted players such as Larry Adler, Tommy Reilly and Max Geldray who brought the harmonica to the worlds of jazz and light classical music.