Since ancient times, people have used various natural materials(besides metals): bones, wood...
That's about wooden varieties Jew's harp and I would like to tell you. But, unfortunately, there is very little information about them.
Until about the end of the 80s of the last century, it was believed that the secret of making wooden agaz-kubyz was lost without a trace,
until it was discovered purely by chance that in one of the remote villages there is a grandmother who not only remembers,
but she makes and plays them herself... (You can read more about this in the folklore collection of Rakhimov R.G. (with an audio application) you can also purchase it there.)
I will give here only a small “cut-and-squeeze” from the collection regarding the production of agaz-kubyz:

Very simple design: a solid wood plate in the shape of a ruler, length -17 cm, width from 1.5 to 2 cm, thickness - 2 mm. A tongue is cut out in the middle of the plate, to the base of which a harsh thread is attached with a knot.

Made from maple.
(Excerpt from memories of a conversation with K.G. Garipova)

Garipova Kafiya Garipovna (born 1910) plays her agaz-kubyz.

...It turns out that not every maple tree goes to kubyz, but only those standing on a hill and struck by lightning. From the core of such a maple, slices are cut and dried for at least a year in the shade in the wind. Of all the plates, the least warped ones are selected, and they are used for the musical instrument....
- How is the tongue cut out?
- An ordinary knife, but with some subtleties, which for some reason Kafia-abi spoke about evasively, with unclear nuances, apparently embarrassed by popular terms. We only managed to catch that the kubyz with the tongue already cut out is soaked with fat from the tail part of the goose
or, in extreme cases, aged in ghee. Only after this, according to the master performer, can you count on the instrument sounding good.

After a person mastered wood and bone, it was time for materials that were more difficult to process: various types metals.
Further, an excerpt from the collection of Rakhimov R.G. will also be used. Bashkir kubyz (maultrommel)(with audio application)

What is the modern Bashkir kubyz? Let's consider "Timer-kubyz" - a metal jew's harp. At first glance, the design of the Bashkir instrument is simple: a horseshoe-shaped base and an elastic tongue. But within these seemingly limited frameworks, fantasy folk craftsmen turned out to be practically limitless. Here's how to make the classic Bashkir timer-kubyz:

1) A metal rod with a diameter of 6 mm and a length of 120-150 mm is taken as the basis of the kubyz. It can be ordinary wire, but for sanitary and hygienic reasons it is better to take metal that does not oxidize ( stainless steel, chrome alloys).
2) The rod on the anvil is bent in the shape of a regular trapezoid without a wide base with sides with sides: A = C = 35 mm, B = 70 mm.

3) A 0.5 mm chamfer is removed from sides “A” and “C” using a needle file.
4) On a special template, side “B” is bent in a semicircle in the direction indicated by the arrows.
5) In the middle of side “B”, using a triangular file, select a groove to secure the tongue (type “ Dovetail"). The width of the groove is 3 mm, the depth is 2-3 mm.
6) A tongue is made from a strip of elastic steel, 80 mm long, 0.5 mm thick, 3 mm wide at the base and 2 mm wide at the free end. The sound quality of the kubyz largely depends on the material of the reed. In the Mechetlinsky district there are kubyzs with reeds made of brass, steel, iron, aluminum and even silver.
7) The narrow end of the tongue is inserted into the groove of the base and temporarily secured. Preliminary adjustments and settings are made: the free narrow end of the tongue should fit between sides “A” and “C” without the slightest snag.
8) On the smooth end of the anvil, with light blows of a hammer at a right angle, gradually bend the free end of the tongue so that it does not extend beyond the ends of sides “A” and “C”.
9) The groove is riveted, securing the tongue tightly.
10) A special metal strip removes snags.
11) The kubyz is adjusted by filing the thin curved end of the tongue.
12) By bringing sides “A” and “C” closer together, a minimum gap with the tongue is achieved. According to the master, the dynamics of the kubyz depend on this.
13) Using a small needle file, the kubyz is finished and polished.

The finale of all our shamanic actions (and making a jew’s harp cannot be done by anyone else) will be the following instrument:

Yes, once again I want to draw your attention to the choice of body for a harp (kubyz, komuz, etc.)!

Karl Evlenshtein is known as a touring musician who played 16 multi-tonal kubyz in London in 1817. There are even details that have been preserved that the artist, due to excessive playing, ruined his teeth on a body made of oxidizing metal and could no longer play “...without great suffering,” after which he retrained as a guitarist.

Well, that's all.
Good luck in jew's harp building. I hope that this material will be very useful to you.

Sketch diagram of “agaz-kubyz” and “temir-kubyz” with explanations (c)

The Jew's harp is a musical instrument with a rich history. There is evidence that it appeared in South Asia. Similar instruments are found among many nationalities. Let's look at how to make a harp.

Sequence of making a jew's harp

First you need to make a drawing, it will take no more than 20 minutes. Label the tongue, e.g. lilac color, and let the bevels be brown. By the way, when making them, many encounter certain difficulties, but there’s nothing you can do about it - it’s always difficult for beginners.

2. Trim a little around the edges to create a truncated trapezoid.

Do not underestimate the second point - it is extremely important, because the more conscientiously the external bevels are made, the more correct the internal ones will be, which will serve as guides. Therefore, try to take this seriously, since making a harp is not easy, keep this in mind.

Further actions are as follows: it is necessary to process the guides on both sides to form a cut. Then you should make a hole with a drill and begin making the tongue. A piece of saw is quite suitable for this, but you can take, for example, a ruler made of metal. Next, you need to finish the frame using a file and fix the tongue. That's all, you have made a harp with your own hands. Let's now look at how to play it correctly.

How to hold a harp

At the first stage, you need to learn how to position the jew's harp between your fingers in such a way that it is comfortable and convenient for you. You can hold it in either your right or left hand, but it is recommended to use the one that is not your main one. All musicians place their jew's harps in their hands differently, and this is quite normal. But there is a special method recommended for beginners.

Hold the jew's harp with the tips of your index and middle fingers on the curved areas so that the edge of the tongue is directed in the opposite direction from your hand. Please note this is very important. should be located in the area where the tongue is fixed. But nothing should interfere with its movement. Your fingers should not interfere with it. This method holding a jew's harp can be used on almost all types of instruments. It's quite convenient. At this stage, you will probably want to quickly learn how to play the harp, but don’t rush - you need to start with the basics.

How to position the jew's harp when playing

When playing, the main part of the instrument should be placed between the teeth or lips.

It is necessary to ensure that there is space between the jaws for the unhindered movement of the jew's harp's tongue. Pay attention to this. The edge of the tongue should be approximately in the center of the mouth. If all these conditions are met, the sound of the instrument will be ideal.

When a jaw harp is clamped between your teeth, its “voice” becomes more expressive, beautiful and lasting. In this position you can the best way control the sound. Please note that your lips should not press too hard against the instrument. If something doesn’t work out very well yet, don’t be discouraged - if you’ve already made a harp with your own hands, then you’ll probably master playing it.

How to make sound

Once you have learned how to hold the instrument correctly, you should move on to producing sound. Let's look at a few ways.

First option

The elbow is in a lowered position. The index finger “looks” up. It needs to be a little tense. The remaining fingers are clenched into a fist. What's next? The tongue should be touched with the pad or edge of the index finger, while the hand must be bent and unbent.
This sound extraction method is widely used in European countries and in America. It is very convenient, using it you can play both fast and slow. It’s good if you don’t stop at this option, but master several. Remember that you made a harp with your own hands, which means you can handle a lot!

Second option

The elbow is at the same level as the shoulders or slightly higher. The hand is located above the jew's harp, relaxed, hanging calmly over the instrument. The fingers, with the exception of the index finger, are clenched into a fist. This required condition. The tongue is touched with the index finger (namely, the edge), while the brush must be rotated. This method is widely used in Asian countries.

Third option

The elbow is in a lowered position. You need to make a “boat” out of your fingers. Next, they should be placed on the tongue of the instrument. The thumb should be out to the side. Don't ignore this recommendation. The tongue touches the center thumb, to do this you should bend and straighten your arm. This sound extraction method is used for leisurely, slow playing. It is also good in cases where it is necessary to hide the instrument from observers or, for example, from rain.

So, you have learned how to make a harp with your own hands, and also learned how to play it. Now you can enjoy the beautiful sound of this instrument and feel like a shaman.

Jew's harp, drymba, komus - these are all names for the same reed musical instrument, only in different nations and in different territories.

I had one Altai Potkin's harp and I decided to make another harp myself. I read a lot of instructions and got to work.

At first glance, the harp is quite simple to make, but I immediately encountered many difficulties. It is not very difficult to physically make such an instrument, but to make it play well is much more difficult.

When fully handmade It is quite difficult to adjust the tongue and cheeks of the body so that the harp plays as beautifully as possible and with a large number of overtones. That is why make a harp yourself both easy and difficult!

To make this ethnic instrument I took an old 8mm wire as a basis, and sawed out the tongue from old saw on wood 1.2mm.

The first time I tried to bend the end of the tongue, it broke and I had to redo it.

The first sounds of the jew's harp were quite low in timbre, so the thickness of the reed had to be ground down to 0.8mm.

Compared to Potkin's Altai harp, mine sounded lower in timbre and was larger in size. You feel massiveness and slight vibration on the teeth (most likely the tongue needs to be made even thinner, otherwise you won’t lose for a long time).

Later, I decided to do wooden case for jew's harp. The blank for the case was made of oak, it was difficult to process, but a better one was not found then.

There are many craftsmen around the world who are engaged in such a craft as creating jew's harps, but only a few make truly good musical instruments.

Have you ever heard of this? musical instrument like a harp? Surely you will remember these ringing sounds that are associated with the north and taiga. Perhaps they will make you associate with Alaska, gold miners and Indians. Or with traditional Hutsuls. Or maybe right to the point... With the Chukchi.

Almost any of your associations will be correct, because almost every nation has its own harp. These sounds immediately evoke archaic motifs that every nation has. Probably what immediately comes to mind is a fire and the throat singing of fellow tribesmen. And a shaman who asks the spirits to send rain, or to bless him for hunting.

Cult instrument. You can make it yourself using these instructions. Considering that the design is outrageously simple. You don't need any special knowledge or skills. All you need is your desire. And a couple simple tools. And also the desire to learn, because today you will come face to face with such an ancient craft as forging.

So let's get started.

First, the author of this creation was faced with a question. What is the tongue of a jew's harp made of? Because it must be both elastic and resistant to irreversible deformation and breakage. It was decided to use a wood saw blade. The thickness of which is 0.86 mm.

Using a sharpener, a strip of metal was separated. At the same time, it was constantly cooled so that it would not overheat and lose its qualities.

Afterwards the strip was leveled and sharpened on both sides using the same electric sharpener.

The length of the frame blank can be determined by laying it out using ordinary aluminum wire. Which, in the end, can be straightened and measured with a ruler.

A rod 6 mm thick was used for the frame. Its grade is 12Х18Н10Т (Stainless steel).
The workpiece was sawn off with a small margin. On the bends of the frame, where the decks transition into the ring, small necks are machined.

Next, you need to clamp the workpiece into a drill and give the sections of the decks a small cone using sandpaper.

The circle is bent like this:
1) We clamp the workpiece in a vice with some metal object that has a suitable radius.
2) Use a mallet or hammer to bend it through a wooden lining. Accuracy is important here, and do not rush, because you can ruin the workpiece.

Sharper corners will have to be made using forging. To do this, you need to heat the metal red hot. The author used a gas stove for this purpose.

Later, the cones were given a square shape using a block.

Giving the circle a final bend, again heating on gas. Again, forging.

The taper of the decks should match the taper of the tongue.

Giving a plane to two sides of a circle.

I made a cut to shape the groove for the tongue.

Esoterics of the Jew's harp

In ancient times Vargan (khomus) was considered a sacred instrument and was necessarily used in many ritual practices.

The tambourine opened a passage between worlds, and the khomus scared away malevolent spirits and called upon helping spirits.

Speaking individual words through a harp is interpreted as a message to the spirits that will definitely be heard. Also, messages to the spirits of things can be transmitted through a harp. To do this, the harp is applied to the thing and, as in a normal game, individual phrases are spoken through it. The harp is also considered a kind of “cleaner” of the space around the player. It is believed that they are afraid of the sounds of the harp and immediately disappear.

In healing, khomus was used as a means of clearing consciousness and having a beneficial effect on all human power centers. It was considered as an energy generator, creating a powerful vibration of vital force in the oral cavity.

According to the model of the fine-plane structure of a person, on the upper palate there is access to the surface of a special coordinating center responsible for controlling the condition environment and the body's response to signals received from the brain. Chinese philosophy adds that at this point the junction of the male energy channel “du-mai” with the female “ren-mai” occurs. Disturbed when playing the khomus energy balance is restored as a result of the closure of the so-called “small celestial steeple”.

Not so long ago medical aspects Scientists from different countries became interested in khomus, arguing that the views of the ancients had a real practical basis. The sound of khomus truly harmonizes the functions of all human organs. Treatment with khomus is called khomusotherapy in the scientific community.

The nature of the energetic impact of the jew's harp on humans

Story by Valery Eroshev.

When we play the harp, powerful vibrations are generated - vibrations. In the mouth, if we talk about the physics of the phenomenon, a standing sound wave appears. And you can choose the sound of an instrument that will resonate with the basic rhythms of human vibrations. This is achieved both by the manufacturing features of the instrument and by the features of playing it. In biology, the so-called alpha, beta, and gamma rhythms characteristic of the human brain are known. The sound wave, entering into resonance with these rhythms, causes altered states of consciousness. There is a feeling “that the roof has gone somewhere.” The world is magically transformed, and we begin to see, feel, experience things that we had not noticed before. This curious effect is experienced by any person who begins to play the harp. However, you shouldn’t be scared - if you “fly away” somewhere far away, you stop playing and come back.

Energy techniques and practices are based on the fact that the bones of the skull serve as a natural resonator, and sound can travel in our body along a variety of trajectories. Playing the harp is very similar to chanting a mantra. An interesting effect is achieved if a silent internal mantra is superimposed on the sound of the harp. It somehow modulates the harsh vibrations of the jew's harp.

Miracles of the Jew's harp

Every time a harp falls into the hands of a person, it somehow transforms and changes his life. Many people told me wonderful stories. The jew's harp consists of only two parts - a fixed base and a movable tongue. Nothing special. But, nevertheless, this instrument is excellent for self-expression, improvisation, for interaction with the outside world, reality... The Vargan attracts interesting people, fantastic and wonderful situations, events and circumstances. I love hiking, and once played the jew's harp at night by the river. The Jew's harp is a very quiet instrument, but the sound was clearly and clearly heard by my friends six kilometers up the river...

How is a harp used in healing?

I play the jew's harp and concentrate this vibration and begin to move it throughout my body, along energy channels like an x-ray. In those places where I have psychoenergetic blocks, sticking, it is immediately felt. There is a different density, a different sound, a different tone. Having identified these places in my body, I concentrate the vibrations there, modulated by the internal silent mantra, and destroy the block. You can concentrate the outgoing sound vibration at any point in both internal and external space. But, as Paracelsus said, “healer, heal yourself.” Therefore, before treating someone, you should deal with your own problems. When I work as a shamanic healer with a patient, I concentrate vibrations on his physical, energetic body, or in the vortex structures of his aura.

http://www.varganca.ru/

The effect of a harp on a cat

Jew's harp has a very good effect on cats. And on the dog. They open their eyes “five kopecks” and listen, listen, listen to these vibrations.

How to play the harp

You can teach anyone how to play the jew's harp in 3-5 minutes. In 2-3 weeks you will begin to play in your own, original, unique manner. Choose an instrument that suits your sound. Ask the seller to play different models and choose an instrument with exactly the vibrations you like.

Press the base tightly against your teeth so that there is a small gap between the teeth into which the movable tongue of the jew's harp will fit.

Then you pull the metal tab and release it. The sound effect occurs due to the creation of resonance in the mouth. The instrument itself does not sound. By changing the volume of this resonant circuit, we achieve different sounds. At further stages of training, the resonant circuit captures the larynx and airways up to the diaphragm. Shamanic energy techniques and practices are based on the fact that the bones of the skull serve as a natural resonator, and sound can travel in our body along a variety of trajectories.

A little secret Each instrument requires individual adjustment. The performer must become energetically related to the instrument. If suddenly something doesn't work out, if you can't find " mutual language

"with a jew's harp, you can simply carry it with you in a special case in your pocket or around your neck. Within a day, the instrument will start playing on its own, as if without any visible effort on your part.

The Jew's harp is the most ancient self-sounding reed musical instrument. An oscillating tongue is used as a source of sound waves. In this case, not a box is used as a sound amplifier (as in a guitar or piano), but its own head. It is not surprising that playing the jew's harp can cause a condition

easy controlled

trance, in which the effects of spontaneous claircognizance, clairvoyance or clairaudience may occur.
Before the advent of metal in human culture, jew's harps were made of bone and wood, but they were quite fragile. With the advent of the first forges, jew's harps began to be made of metal. However, bamboo modifications of the jew's harp are still found in eastern cultures.
The earliest mention of this instrument is found in ancient Roman frescoes. The depiction of an ancient orchestra includes a man who is clearly playing a jew's harp. In our country, jew's harps are especially common in Yakutia and Altai. They are very popular in Western Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova.

trance, in which the effects of spontaneous claircognizance, clairvoyance or clairaudience may occur.
The word "varga"
in the Perm region

It meant mouth, mouth, pharynx, mouth. Scream at the top of your lungs.
in the Vologda region

It meant to boil, to cook. The samovar is jew's harp. "Bungle"

To create something in a wonderful, masterful way.

Vitla,[email protected]

DIY Jew's harp Writes: veskimo

I decided to make a homemade one

Jew's harp
. Of course, there was no goal to quickly create a masterpiece of Jew's harp construction; I just wanted to have an instrument welded together with my own hands. The idea was to have a medium-sized khomus with a hard tongue for quick playing.

First of all, I took out and carefully measured the geometry of all the available khomuses.
I sawed off the workpiece and made necks at the border between the straight section and the bend, like on the Altai Komus.

Now we need to make conical narrowings, best of all lathe. But at home, I did this: I clamped the workpiece into a drill and, turning it on, began to grind it using an electric grinder (emery).

I start to bend, a gentle bend can be made when cold.

I make a bend with a small radius by forging, after heating the metal red-hot on a gas stove.

I received this preliminary form.

The lower surface of the cones was “laid out” on a block, because it will be working surface, producing sound.
Then I sanded the edges of the deck.
I heat the workpiece for further forging and giving it the correct shape.

To be understood correctly, I want, just in case, to clarify that the stainless steel deck is purely my initiative. Traditionally, decks are made of ordinary steel; I think any brand will do (if you don’t go into too much detail), because the frame is not subject to heat treatment. Just in case, here is a simple way to distinguish stainless steel - a magnet is almost not attracted to it.

I forged the shape so that the taper of the soundboard matches the taper of the tongue. The latter is sharpened on both sides, in the image of the Yakut ones.
I bent the knee and the ring of the tongue, it’s better to do this with small round-nose pliers right in the flame, after heating the steel red-hot only at the point of bending!

I made the round part of the frame flat on both sides.
Marked the location of the tongue.

I sawed a groove through the metal using a blade.

Using a file and a needle file I gave it the correct shape.
Using a felt wheel and GOI paste, I polished the deck and tongue.
The most difficult thing remains - installing the tongue, ensuring a small and uniform gap with the deck. First I hammered it onto the cone, as shown in the photo. At this moment, an adjustment occurs; if the tongue has gone to one side, it can be corrected by hitting the same side of the shank. If the gap is large, I continue to hammer it in the center of the shank. At this happy moment, you can already try to play, achieving a bright sound, but no knocking on the deck. Next, roll the edges of the groove with a hammer (lightly) and trim off the excess edge.

Work on mistakes:
We managed to make two smaller mistakes and one extremely serious one.
1. Initially, I bent the straight sections of the decks too much, as a result I had to bend them with a hammer along the edges of the “ideally” prepared working surfaces of the jaws. Then, however, I processed everything and it turned out tolerable.
2. The tongue bent very poorly and the knee ended up in a thicker place. Accordingly, its rigidity became much higher than intended.
3. The last thing, I planned to fix it like this: I slightly insert the tongue into the cone of the deck, try it, take it out and reduce the thickness on the sandpaper, bringing it to the desired one. However, the first time I tried it on, I jammed it in so hard that I couldn’t remove it...

Jew's harp made of wood