Garmon
The Garmon ( Russian гармонь ) is a Russian variety of the button accordion . The harmoschka or the garmon is also known as the Tula accordion (Russian: Тульская гармонь ), Garmoschka (Russian: гармошка ), Garmonika (Russian: гармоника ) and Hromka (Russian: Хромка / Chromka ).
Key assignment
The Garmon has 25 treble keys, distributed in two rows. These include three octaves as well as some semitones , and 25 bass keys in three rows including a row of melody bass tones . The pictures show the C major assignment, usually most instruments are tuned in A major , but the relative key assignment remains the same.
treble
The Garmon is a two-tier instrument. On the two rows are the notes of a diatonic scale . The distribution of the notes is relatively simple, one note is alternately in one row and the next in the other row. Halftones are only present at the bottom of the keyboard. All tones are monotonous, so they emit the same tone when pulling as well as when pressing. Older key assignments often have a few tones at the lower end that are alternating tones. This assignment of the keys enables many chords to be fingered relatively easily at the same time, including minor chords.
bass
The bass side differs from all other harmonica instruments; it is three rows and also monotonous.
The major triads are arranged in the first row and a seventh chord at the bottom . The progressions occurring in folk music can thus be used relatively easily. The first row also shows the model of the diatonic harmonica. The arrangement of the key assignment in the direction of pull is almost the same.
In the second row there are two minor and two further seventh chords.
The third row provides eight basic melodies. This means that playing the melody on the bass side is also possible to a modest extent. There are older instruments with fewer keys on the bass part.
Web links
- Russian Garmon Russian website with lots of pictures
- The Saratower Harmonica