Harmonium (Ghazal)

[amoltejal]

good one keep it up

[AnjuBaby]

haiiii that was beautiful!

[SayemTabla]

This was so nice!

[kennwortjawed]

Harmonium is soo niceeeeee

[fazilete]

Can you please provide some vocal so play the raag surs, the pakad an then the ghazal so we can follow and practise. I also like to play " Sa" from the 1st black. Thanks

[shreyz73]

this is raag jog, not todi...

[dnayak4444]

what ghazal is this?

[sash301]

thumharhay shehar kha moasam by Anup Jalota

[rajpoot0009]

wah wah very nice keep it up u r very fast

maza aa gaya bhi.jeoo ap Allah salamat rakhay.

[punjabiheera]

bhanchodaaa explain be kaar deenda...

[hammerguy1512]

Doktorski's review on the ksanti website for..

CD No. 1: Johannes Matthias Michel

Sigfrid Karg-Elert: Harmonium Works Vol.

Therfore the indian Harmonium is not the best example of this beast. The French invented it and glorified it. The indian harmonium can only try to be like its former beast, the grandfather Mustel "Classical Harmonium"

[hammerguy1512]

Some of the most expensive accordions are made with 100% wood body and utilize brass reeds, those accordions in my mind have a chance at being comprable to the sound and music of the harmonium. But the majority of accordions cannot capture the essence of the harmonium sound.

[FarhadTv]

I just wanna know where you got this Harmoniam from and how much it costs???????????????

Please respond

Thanks

[Youidiotdude]

do u play at mandhar or gurdwara?

[learnkirtan]

amazing...!!! please post more videos.

thanks

[Aminkhan786]

good sound

[hammerguy1512]

No thank-you needed, whatever I told you are things I picked up from different books and such. A harmonium player really has to get past the mechanics of the instrument in order to manipulate the keyboard to make it in to a living thing, a living voice. Stick to the harmonium, its the most expressive wind I have ever heard in my life.

[hammerguy1512]

That being set you must master the keyboard first before being able to manipulate it, therefore it takes time, but it is definitely worth it. Ustad Bhure khan has a new album out called tajurba. You can download it off of the mystica music website. I am a fan of his, though again he sometimes falls under the trap of playing fast aswell. He is a an ustad and virtuoso of the harmonium no doubt, its the music I think we can't be masters of.

[davidinfo13]

harmonium is nowhere near as expressive as accordion :)

[hammerguy1512]

You may be right, But In the hands of master, a harmonium can be just as expressive as an accordion. The only benefit of the accordion over the harmonium is the fact that you have direct control over wind. This would allow one to produce vibrato or shakes. With the harmonium one must soley depend on the keys to produce the vibrato. Its a matter of taste. I personally feel the accordion has a acid like sound. while the harmonium has a velvety sound, a religious sound more akin to the pipe organ.

[davidinfo13]

You can get whatever sound you like by changing the reed settings. In my experience, whatever is played on harmonium can be played on accordion, but not vice versa. Advantage is not simply vibrato, it's also instant variation in volume, timbre, harmonic support of left hand, etc. Perhaps these advantages are not useful in traditional indian music though. Plus it seems musicians in India like to sit on the ground, which wouldnt work with an accordion

[hammerguy1512]

Your right about one thing accordion music cannot be played on harmonium. Though, I dont completely agree with the fact that the accordion can play harmonium music. The harmonium as you might know utilizes brass reeds, while the majority of accordions are made with the steel. The effects of brass and steel, are that of night and day. Steel gives a happy sound, an acidy sound if you may. While the brass reeds in the harmonium give off a sad velvety sound.

[davidinfo13]

I agree, brass reeds do sound more warm...but you can install brass reeds on accordion as well. A wet musette tuning on an accordion with brass reeds would sound beautiful

[davidinfo13]

actually, seems like they don't make brass reeds for accordions as much nowadays, ..but accordion reeds used to be made out of brass when it was first made in Germany. Strange. Something to do with brass going out of tune faster.. Anyways, I checked out some old accordions with brass reeds on youtube and you're right...definately sounds nice. Thanks for the info

[hammerguy1512]

The famous accordion expert Henry Doktorski writes,

The harmonium d'art -- built by the Victor Mustel Company of Paris in 1913 -- heard on this recording is a very different instrument. It has an incredibly wide dynamic range, beginning at ppp and continuing through fff. The crescendo is powerful and abrupt, like a bayan or accordion, and the range of tonal colors and pitch range is fantastic.

[hammerguy1512]

(Dokotorski continued)........

For the longest time I thought the Russian bayan was the Rolls Royce of free-reed instruments. Now after hearing this recording, I am convinced that this title belongs to the harmonium d'art.

[hammerguy1512]

I think the Bandoneon is the best handheld squeeze box. That is my honest opinion. An accordion cannot even touch the beauty of the bandoneon sound. By far the greatest handheld sqeeze box ever invented.

[davidinfo13]

Bandoneon is definately a nice instrument. Piazolla's 'Milonga del angel' comes to mind...a bit of a dark tune though. Concertina is another nice instrument too in this category. Not as full of a sound, but interesting nonetheless

[FarhadTv]

The only benefit Harmonium has over Accordion;

You can place harmonium on the ground and play it all night long in classical ghazal parties where as accordion you have to stick it in your belly and stand up or sit on a chair.

The reason why harmonium revolutionized most Asian countries in the past centuries is because music teachers always chose to sit and teach or play in ghazal parties. Those people influenced the use of the harmonium and resulted in new generation using it the same.

[hammerguy1512]

thats wrong, the harmonium sounds more like an organ, they are 2 completely different beasts.

[FarhadTv]

Yes true... they are different organs thats why they have different names lol.

But the basic concept behind the sound production is the same... only reed and style are different.

[hammerguy1512]

Let us compare a clarinet, oboe, englsh horn, shawm, shehnai, bassoon, and a bombarde. All utilize reeds and sound production is very similar within all. But the sound of all these instruments is worlds apart. The tone, timbre attack are all significantly different. Now compare the human voice, Mehdi Hassan's voice culture and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan''s voice culture have the same type of sound production, but their voices are distinguishable like night and day.

[FarhadTv]

But if you compare these like that.. you can definitely find a distinction in 2 same organs.. like 2 harmoniams.

2 different reed harmoniams dont sound similar at all.. same as u said mehdi hasan's voice and Nasrat Fati ali khan (RIP for both). So Just by having different sounds doesnt make 2 same organs different organs. I m NOT sayin that acordion is harmoniam, but ur example was lame.

[hammerguy1512]

Without a shadow of a doubt, 2 harmoniums are never replicas. My point of comparing Nusrat fateh ali khan and Mehdi Hassan was this. Nusrat Fateh ali khan had a sharper, higher upper harmonics, and a rougher "Punjabi Folk oriented voice. His voice in many ways compared to the rougher, sharper and greater upper harmonics-accordion sound. Now with Mehdi Hassan, he has a softer, darker, velvety voice more akin to the harmonium.

[hammerguy1512]

I was merely relating the tonal, timbral, and attack modulations of their voices to the accordion and the harmonium. I thought it was a good example to give you a perspective of what I was thinking.

[hammerguy1512]

So in conclusion my point is sound production is not a transparent indication of tone,timbre and attack. The harmonium sounds more like a pipe organ, and the sound production is actually more similar to it than than an accordion. Remember the accordion does not utilize a reservoir system like the great pipe organ and the harmonium. This makes a significant difference in the way notes die.

[FarhadTv]

Dude, i diff know the difference between them.

All i said was that the only reason why Harmoniam got so popular is because u dnt have to wear it when play it. And thats all.. but i can tell how much they sound different.. ANY1 can.

[hammerguy1512]

I partially disagree, the harmonium also got so popular because of it's sweet & velvety sound. Now if it was the other way around and the accordion was played like the harmonium on the ground, and harmonium like the accordion. Then asians would have chosen the accordion, as you stated a handheld squeeze box would not work for our type of vocal dominated music making, on the ground. Would you say the sound of the harmonium suits our music better than the accordion, or vice versa?

[hammerguy1512]

You stated."The only benefit Harmonium has over Accordion......."

-That is why I expanded on how their sound is different, I did not mean to educate you.

[FarhadTv]

Well i actually appreciated what you explained as well.

Thanks

[hammerguy1512]

No problem man, I actually own a lot of antique harmoniums, and have played accordions as well. I must say the voicing of the harmonium is significantly superior (keeping in mind "the make" matters), and that is why the Asians fell in love with it. It is just more charming and celestial.

[Cochranflutes]

Hi,

Nice playing!

I am restoring an old harmonium buy Dass Bros Jubilee Flute, have you ever played on of these? It has the coupler, a lever made from ivory, under the fret board, and the octave shifter like the one you are playing. The nice thing is the reeds are made in Germany. The Harmonium is supposed to be 60 years old, but I am not sure if it is. If you have any idea, I would appreciate it.

My personal harmonium is a Dwarkin & Sons Compactina, nice little two reed setup.

[sash301]

Makes perfect sense. Thanx alot hammerguy!

[hammerguy1512]

If you approach this way, it will put more life into the sound. What do you think?

[hammerguy1512]

I couldnt fit everything into one, start with the third comment and read up.

[hammerguy1512]

You are clearly a good harmonium player. It's sound very beautiful. The only thing I would say that could improve it is, add a bit moree feeling. To play fast on harmonium is not a big accomplishment in my eyes. Harmonium is tricky instrument because it has a keyboard which makes it a percussion, or an rhythmic instrument. But it plays sustained notes like a violin.

[hammerguy1512]

Therefore we have to approach the instrument based on the characteristics of its sound.The way you played a human voice wouldn't be able to sing that much, that fast, in certain passages, Make the instrument breath try to show it's gala more.

[hammerguy1512]

Make the harmonium into your own gala, let the chords resonate and die.Like in a violin it is a harder instrument because the musician must make every note die with the bow. Do the same on harmonium, the death of each note will bring even more raw beauty into your playing. Then you will see that even a slower speed will be virtuoso. Rab Rakha

[kevsmit00]

nice harmonium

[PAKISTANISINGER]

amazing harmonoum playing, wish you all the best. this ghazal "thumharhay shehar kha moasam" was originally sang 30 years ago by the legendary pakistani folk singer 'Atta Ullah Khan Esakhelvi' i also have a paul & co harmonium. good luck!

[BayAreaBiker]

Whao.. What a Speed? Please add some tutorials. I want to learn :)

[esmail1973]

It would be nice if you could do some tutorial vids

[karwizz]

is this raga todi?

[sash301]

Yes. This notation is based on raag todi

[mananius]

ah yea, but sa is different to the basic todi as we know it. but what is the exact raag of this? ive been losing my head trying to find out..

[aloneinamerica]

good job

[topnotts]

Amazing!

[afghanforlife]

Nice playing. Mind telling me what make of Harmonium you got there and what stops do you open?

[sash301]

Its a Paul & Co. with all stops opened.

[sash301]

Thanx D. Yes it is a ghazal by anup jalota called thumhare sheher ka mausam

[ddealar07]

wah!!! im amazed by your speed and touch! Is the tune you're playing of an anup jalota song? really impressive harmonium playing, keep it up and PLEASE upload more of your videos... much appreciated!

[sash301]

Thanx shuhrat! Will try and put up some tutorial videos

[popalshuhrat]

Could you make some tutorial videos? good work.