A New Design of Slide Button Mechanism for Chromatic Harmonica

Chan, Jin Shing (2016) A New Design of Slide Button Mechanism for Chromatic Harmonica. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University College.

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Abstract

Harmonica is a free reed wind instrument in which able to make sound through blowing in (inhaling) and drawing out (exhaling) air. Among several hundred types of harmonica, chromatic harmonica has a slide button which allows musician to play the white and black keys of piano. Different designs and different materials used of chromatic harmonica had been released and sold in the market, yet the requirements of chromatic harmonica player have always been not satisfied. This is because each model of chromatic harmonica sold in the market has different strengths and weaknesses. Basically, there are two slide arrangements on chromatic harmonica, which are named as straight-tuned and cross-tuned. These arrangements have their good side and bad side. Straight-tuned arrangement has shorter slide pushing distance but having a softer volume than a cross-tuned chromatic harmonica. On the other hand, cross-tuned chromatic harmonica has relatively greater sound volume but it has a longer slide pushing distance which requires player to push further in to play sharp and flat notes. A project which aims to design a chromatic harmonica that combine the strengths of both slide arrangements while eliminate all the weaknesses and all the details of this project are available in this thesis. This thesis started with introducing several bestselling models of chromatic harmonica and some highlighted history of harmonica in which allow people to know more about this rare musical instrument before entering the new design of chromatic harmonica. Approaches had been used to complete this project are discussed with the aid of diagrams and figures also available in this thesis. Moreover, cost of prototype development, and proposed market selling price are shown as well. This thesis covers every single matter about this design project. By studying this thesis, reader could learn more about harmonica and how a design project is done from A to Z.