Could a Harmonica Have a Place in the Voice Studio?

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What does a harmonica have to do with the human voice?

For harmonica player and teacher Shima Melvin, this unexpected question became the starting point for her postgraduate research with the Voice Study Centre.

While developing her harmonica teaching methods, Shima realised she could demonstrate what she was doing but struggled to explain what was happening inside the instrument. This led her to wonder whether studying the voice could provide a useful framework for understanding harmonica playing.

Her research brought together voice science, anatomy and vocal pedagogy with her experience as a performer and teacher.

Breath, alignment and tension

One of the key connections Shima identified was breath control.

Playing the chromatic harmonica, particularly in classical and jazz styles, requires precise control of both inhalation and exhalation. For Shima, this highlighted the relationship between breathing and whole-body alignment.

She also began to consider the role of muscular tension in harmonica playing. Tongue movement, posture and the tendency to crouch the shoulders around the small instrument can all contribute to tension; issues that aren't always widely acknowledged within harmonica teaching.

Understanding these connections through the lens of voice pedagogy has helped Shima think differently about how she teaches.

Could a harmonica be an SOVT?

Perhaps the most intriguing discovery in Shima's research came when she encountered semi-occluded vocal tract (SOVT) exercises, including straw phonation.

She noticed similarities between the steady airflow used in SOVT exercises and the airflow involved in harmonica playing. This led to an unexpected question:

Could the harmonica itself be used as a tool for voice training?

Because the harmonica involves both inhalation and exhalation, Shima is particularly interested in whether it could offer new ways of exploring SOVT-related airflow.

She has also considered whether harmonica playing could provide useful feedback for pitch training. When a singer matches a pitch produced by the instrument, the resulting vibration may provide an additional physical sensation of whether the pitch is accurate.

For now, Shima describes this as a “wild idea”, but it could open up interesting possibilities for future research.

Instinct to evidence

Shima's research also demonstrates the value of postgraduate study: taking an instinct or observation from your own practice and investigating whether there is evidence to support it.

Initially, she wasn't sure whether there was an established connection between the harmonica and the human voice. Her research led her to Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein, who explored connections between human voice production and free-reed instruments as far back as the eighteenth century.

This discovery gave Shima confidence that her initial intuition could become a meaningful area of research.

Her studies have ultimately strengthened the theoretical foundation behind her teaching while opening up new questions about the relationship between voice and instrumental pedagogy.

And perhaps the most interesting question of all is one that Shima's research leaves open:

If voice pedagogy can teach us more about harmonica playing, could the harmonica also teach us something new about the voice?