If you’re looking for a way to take your yoga, meditation, or chanting to the next level, this harmonium buying guide serves as a connection to the perfect instrument. Musicians and even those without a musical background find playing the harmonium easy and rewarding.

The harmonium is one of the only instruments that sound great, even when played by beginners. With a little self-confidence and a dash of rhythm, most players quickly find the keys and watch their meditation skyrocket.

But before this can happen, you’ll need to buy the right one. Just buying the first one you find on Amazon isn’t recommended for one main reason. All harmoniums are not created equal.

In fact, a lot of those being sold today are junk–plain and simple. But luckily there are a lot of quality pieces available as well. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to tell the difference and know exactly which one to choose.

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What is a Harmonium?

Popular in India, Nepal, and Pakistan, a harmonium – also known as Melodeon, Reed Organ or Pump Organ- is a type of instrument.

Similar to an organ, this keyboard-like instrument makes a sound that is like an accordion. Because it is a reed instrument, there are no pipes. Instead, air blows through these metal reeds.

There is more than one type of harmonium, but this guide focuses on the hand-pumped kind. It is these hand-pumped pedals that push the air through. Harmoniums require no electricity.

And although many harmoniums are stationary, many are portable too. So, unlike huge organs, they can easily be moved from place to place. This is actually a part of harmonium history.

Since the harmonium was patented in the 1800s, people have been journeying around playing these instruments. But truthfully, this practice goes back much further as musicians in Asia were playing reed instruments in the 1700s. So, if you’re looking for an instrument that can be easily moved, a harmonium might be a place to start.

One thing that should be highlighted is how beneficial harmoniums can be to group chanting. Just like Tibetian singing bowls, the melodic sound that these organs make, make group chanting and meditation much more powerful.

What to look for when buying a Harmonium?

Once you have decided to purchase a harmonium, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Knowing what questions to ask and what to look for going into the buying process will ensure that the harmonium you purchase serves the purpose that you need it to.

You need to take into consideration your playing style, expertise level, and lifestyle, to name a few. Here are some of the most important things you should keep in mind during the buying process:

You need to think about how you use your harmonium and how your lifestyle aligns with your need for the instrument. If you want to travel with it, a portable version will serve you best.

These instruments are typically the same size, but fold up and feature a handle, making them a breeze to bring with you wherever you go.

If you don’t need to pick up your harmonium and go, a standard option will serve you well. Either way, you still get the same benefits of being able to express yourself through your music.

Some of the most high-quality harmoniums come in many shapes and sizes to fit the needs of their owners. Think about how much space you have to fit the instrument you choose.

Even if you have a large living space, if you need to travel with it, you also want to think about the cargo space you have in your car.

Also, keep in mind that smaller harmoniums are also more lightweight, so if you aren’t able to lift heavy objects and you need to travel lightly, a mini harmonium would be the perfect option for you.

Keep in mind, though – with smaller harmoniums, there is less capacity for air within the instrument, meaning that you will be sacrificing sound quality.

One of the most important things you have to look out for is the sound quality and capacity. Harmoniums depend on a steady source of air to operate. In order for the sound quality and capacity to be optimal, you need to make sure that you are buying high-quality equipment.

Lots of people think that because harmoniums are popular in India, they must buy a harmonium from India. Although this might seem reasonable, many of the harmoniums produced there are actually of really low quality. The cheap price tag on these instruments will attest to that fact.

So remember, even though a low-cost price tag might be attractive, remember that cheap harmoniums are almost always low-quality harmoniums that are extremely susceptible to leaks. It is better to spend a little more now for a longer-lasting instrument that will carry you through many years to come.

For this section, you should consider how experienced you are at playing the harmonium and also what keys you tend to play in when you’re using it. If you are someone that has ample experience in playing the instrument and you typically only play in one key, a standard harmonium should check off all the boxes you need.

Harmonium players who play in multiple keys should consider a scale-changing option. This is because scale changing harmoniums have a special mechanism built in that allows players to switch keys with the slide of a handle quickly.

In the world of harmoniums, there are three different classifications of reeds – two, three, or four. In order to understand which one is right for you, you must first understand how the number of reeds impacts how the music sounds.

A reed is a chamber within the instrument that the air is pushed through, thus producing the sound that is played. The more reeds you have, the more sound will be layered when you play a note.

Two-reeded harmoniums, for example, will play the same note through two different channels, creating a double-layered effect. The more reeds you add, the more the same note will resonate through multiple channels.

To better understand this, imagine listening to a choir performance versus a duet. A two-reeded harmonium would produce the same effect as two people singing together, while a four-reeded one would be more similar to a small section of the choir singing along with one another.

The reeds in your harmonium will be made up of either copper or brass. Brass reeds produce a sound that is louder and therefore penetrates easier. This is an excellent option if you play for people singing or other large gatherings since it can penetrate the loudness of its environment.

Copper, on the other hand, is known for its warmer and softer tones and is used mainly in classical performances.

The dials and knobs on the harmonium itself control different aspects of how the instrument works. Stops, for example, are the large knobs on the front of the harmonium. These knobs are responsible for controlling airflow to the inside of the harmonium.

They control the texture and depth of the sound you get, so make sure that these are intact and easy to turn. The same goes for the smaller knobs, called drones, which play a single droned note when activated.

Another vital thing to look at when purchasing a harmonium is its bellows. The bellows are the air pumps of the instrument, and they orchestrate the air within it so that your harmonium can effortlessly produce the notes you need it to.

Bellows have multiple folds, ranging anywhere from two to seven, but less fold doesn’t mean a lower-quality instrument. However, many high-end harmoniums have seven folds, since this may allow for more control over the sound produced when playing.

The last thing you should pay mind to is couplers. They are essential because they add depth and volume to the song you play. When activated, the couplers play a note an octave up (or sometimes an octave down). This allows the music to sound more well-rounded and eclectic overall.

The price of a harmonium ranges widely based on several factors. The quality of the materials used, the manufacturer, and even the size of the instrument will all play into how much you pay.

For lower-end budget harmoniums, you can expect to pay no less than USD 600. A high-quality one from a reputable brand such as Paul & Co start at around USD 1800, and the price goes up from there.

It’s essential to keep in mind that while a lower-cost harmonium might look attractive now, in the long run, you will save money by going with a more expensive option. This is because purchasing a high-end option from a reputable brand means that you can depend on your instrument lasting years rather than weeks or months. 

Owning a harmonium that you know you can rely on, might indicate a more substantial initial investment, but it will undoubtedly pay off in the years to come. So, don’t make the mistake of opting for a cheaper option solely due to the cost.