Dictionary of Music - Birding America

harmonium 175beats of music are considered rhythmically strongand others are rhythmically weak, certain chordchanges are considered strong and others weak.harmonics See HARMONIC, def. 3.harmonic sequenceSee under SEQUENCE.harmonic series The entire series of notes producedby a vibrating material, string, or air column.Although only a single tone can usually be distinguished(that produced by vibrations along thewhole length of the string or air column), smallerportions of the total length are also vibrating, producingdifferent, much softer notes called overtonesor partials (see SOUND for a fuller explanation). Ifthe fundamental (principal note) of a string or pipe isthe second G below middle C, the first overtone,which is produced by the vibration of the two halvesof the string or air column, is the G one octavehigher (the G below middle C); the second overtone,which is produced by the string or air column vibratingin quarters, is two octaves higher than the fundamental(G above middle C), etc. The accompanyingexample shows the first eight tones of the harmonicseries beginning on the second G below middle C.especially brasses, or an ensemble made up of suchinstruments. Also, musique d’harmonie. 3 Harmonie(här mōn′ye) The German word for harmony. 4 AGerman word for wind instruments or an ensemblemade up of wind instruments. Also, Harmoniemusik.harmonium (här mō′ nē əm). Also, reed organ.A keyboard instrument that works on the same principleas the harmonica; that is, air pressure causes aseries of free reeds (flexible metal tongues) to vibrateand thus produce sound. The wind is supplied by apair of pedal-operated bellows and the player selectswhich of the tuned reeds are to sound by meansof valves connected to the keyboard. The tonesfig. 124 p/u from p. 179fig. 123 p/ufrom p. 179The harmonic series is of particular importancein brass instruments, which, unless they are providedwith valves or some other means of changingthe length of the vibrating air column inside, canproduce only the notes of the harmonic series. As arule the fundamental, or PEDAL TONE, cannot besounded and the lowest usable note is the first harmonic,an octave higher. Tightening the lips andblowing harder produces the next note, a fifthhigher, and still further OVERBLOWING produces stillhigher pitches in the series. The very high trumpetparts of the baroque period (1600–1750) can call fornotes corresponding to the twenty-first or evenhigher harmonics.harmonie 1 (AR mo nē′). The French word forHARMONY. 2 A French word for wind instruments,produced are similar in sound to those of a pipeorgan. Invented in France in the 1840s, the harmoniumbecame very popular in homes, as well as inchurches that could not afford large organs. Variousimprovements were made in the instrument, largelythrough the addition of stops, in attempts to give itthe full range of expression available on the pipeorgan. In Europe the most elaborate type was theMustel organ, which had an expression stopwhereby the player could control the volume with theknees. Another type, popular in nineteenth-centuryAmerica, differed from the European harmoniumsin that the reeds were caused to sound by suctionrather than by compressed air. This type, knownas the American organ, was actually importedinto America from France. In the twentieth century,the harmonium was largely replaced by the moreefficient electric and electronic organ.