Existing comment:
Jew's Harp:
This type of instrument, often played around Civil War campfires, is one of the world's oldest musical instruments. The harp, also called a Jaw Harp or Juice Harp, is known in many different cultures by at least forty different names. It has no particular connection with Jews or Judaism. Both the "Jaw Harp" and the "Juice Harp" name variants appeared only in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
The instrument consists of a flexible metal or bamboo tongue attached to a frame. The tongue is placed in the performer's mouth and plucked with the finger to produce a note. The note produced is constant in pitch, though by changing the shape of his or her mouth and the amount of air contained in it, the performer can cause different overtones to sound and thus create simple melodies. |