banjira HARMONIUM User manual
ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES – It is important not to expose your
harmonium to extreme temperatures or moisture. e wooden parts of the
harmonium can react to changes in moisture and temperature and may cause
the reeds to buzz, or parts to stick, jam, or worse.
BUZZING REEDS – Sometimes simply playing a reed over and over will
eliminate the buzz. If that does not work you may have to open the harmonium
to view the reeds. On the front of the Harmonium, under the keyboard, is a
hinge. e entire top of the harmonium will li up to reveal the reeds and air
chambers. Again each harmonium is dierent so do not force the top up, look
for hinges, screws or levers that may need to be opened before the top can be
lied or slid o.
With the harmonium opened, nd the oending reed and loosen the screws on
the reed. You do not need to remove the reed, just loosen it. Reeds stick to the
wood and if the wood expanded or contracted, the reed may be experiencing
torque. Loosen and li the reed slightly, then retighten it. Also look for any small
bit of debris. Any small bit of wood dust in a reed will cause it to buzz. Clean
them carefully, reeds can be easily bent and then they may not work.
FALLEN OR STICKING KEYS - Under the Cover you
will see the back of the keys, which are held in place by
a wire arm. e wire acts as a spring to push the key
up aer you depress it. During transport these wires
can slide o. If your key has fallen and can’t get up,
move the spring back into place.
If the wire spring is in place and your key sticks or
stays down, the wood may have expanded. If this
happens slide a piece of sand paper back and forth
between the keys, just enough for the keys to operate
freely.
STUCK PULL KNOBS - Do not force a stuck knob. Open the top of the
harmonium to look into the air chamber. Each knob is attached to a block of
wood that slides between two wooden rails. If the block swells the knob will
stick. ere is a graphite powder, available at hardware stores, which acts as a
form of dry lubrication. Use it sparingly. If that fails you may need to take the
block out from between the rails and then very lightly sand the sides. You do not
want the block to wiggle between the rails. e block slides over a hole to close
o air ow. If the block is loose in the rails you may have an air leak.
Harmonium
Accessories
Accessories are available
at www.ensoulmusic.com
– Owner’s Guide –
www.ensoulmusic.com
© Copyright 2017. Mid-East Mfg. Inc.
Harmonium
Harmonium
Harmonium
Parts of the Harmonium
REEDS - e brass reeds are thin tongues mounted in the openings of thick
rectangular bases.e reed vibrates when air passes through the opening in
the base. Short narrow reeds have a higher pitch than long wide reeds.
BELLOWS – Pumping the pleated paper bellows moves air into the
chambers. Usually the bellows can accommodate le or right handed players.
If you don’t hear music, stop pumping! NEVER pump unless air ows
through the reeds.
PULL KNOBS - e knobs
on the front are called Stops
and Drones. Stops control
the airow to the reed
chambers. Multiple Stops
for one chamber provides a
more powerful sound. Stops
may also control special
functions, such as tremolo.
Drone knobs control the
airow through xed reeds
that have no keys associated
with them. Pulling the
Drone knob opens the air
ow to a drone reed and provides harmony to the keyboard music.
KEYS- Each key represents a reed. With a Stop pulled, depressing one key
activates one reed. Pull two Stops from dierent chambers and one key can
activate two reeds; one reed in each chamber.
MECHANICAL DEVICES – Mechanical devices provide greater exibility
and variations in sound. ese devices can include the Mechanical Coupler
and the Scale Changer. ey are not available on all models.
e COUPLER is an ingenious device that physically connects, or couples,
two keys. e result is, playing one key simultaneously engages two reeds
that are one octave apart. e coupler may be engaged or disengaged by
the user.
e SCALE CHANGER is a tool that repositions the keyboard in relation
to the reeds. It adjusts in half step increments. Moving to the le lowers the
pitch, moving it to the right will raise it.
Playing the Harmonium
Place the harmonium on the oor and sit cross-legged in front of
it. Play the keys with your dominant hand while your other hand
works the bellows. You can also place the harmonium on a table
while you play. Find a comfortable pose. Practice your scales as you
would with an organ or piano.
Tuning
Harmoniums are meant to accompany
vocals. ey are not meant to be played
in concert with other instruments.
erefore, they are rarely tuned to
concert pitch. e reeds will sound good
when played together, but not necessarily
when played with other instruments. It
is important that the sound compliments
the vocals, the raga and the temperament
one is trying to achieve.
Care and Caution
BODY STYLES –If it is not Fixed, it may be a Suitcase with a removable lid,
or Traveler with a hinged top. To raise a Suitcase, remove the lid and locate the
handles on each side. Each handle has a metal release trigger, hold ABOVE
the trigger and li until the supports pop out. To lower, li up on the release
triggers, until the supports pop in, and then lower the body. For the Traveler,
open the hinged top and fold it to the back, li the body until the supports
engage, then latch the top to the sides for a snug seal. To store the Traveler,
unlatch the top, holding the sides, li enough to remove the tension on the
supports and push them in while lowering the body, close and latch the top.
A LWAYS make sure all the Pull Knobs are pushed in BEFORE closing your
harmonium. Go slowly, take some time to get to know your harmonium, and
NEVER force anything.
BELLOWS & AIR CHAMBERS - e harmonium has a number of delicate
parts that are made of cloth, leather and wood. ese maintain the air within
the chambers and the bellows. NEVER pump the bellows with all the Pull
Knobs pushed in; this will cause greater pressure in the chambers than the
delicate parts can handle and may lead to leaks. If you don’t hear the music,
stop pumping!
Be very careful around curious children as there are a number of vents that are
perfect for small ngers, pencils, etc. Any holes in the bellows, or cloth vent
covers will cause air leaks in the chambers and your harmonium will need repair.
Bellows
Handle
Keys
Cover
Body Stops
Drones
