On Buying Your First Harmonium (or Fifth!)

I often get asked about buying a harmonium! I get why so many people ask, its certainly a big decision and seeing as even the entry level harmoniums are upwards of several hundred dollars, it makes sense to really do your research and make an intentional decision.
If you are lucky enough to live in an area with a local dealer, that’s a wonderful thing! Here in NY area we have two main importers, Keshav Imports and Mindra . There are some big advantages to going to a dealer. One of which is you can potentially hear a few instruments and get a feel for what you gravitate towards. One significant advantage is that you also have someone who’s tuned everything up and gotten the instrument ready for you to play!
A few reputable brands to look out for are Paloma, Bina, Bhakti, Maharaj. There are many more good brands and there are also non-name brands which as long as its in tune and in good shape will probably be a fine option to start with.
I’m fortunate enough to live in an area where there is also a robust second hand market for instruments, so I can buy something from a private person and play it for a while and I can always re-sell it if need be. Of course, when you go this route its helpful to be able to check on the tuning and condition of the instrument. In this video, I go into a little detail on an easy way to check tuning, even if you don’t know that much about playing yet. Watch the video to find out an easy technique for checking tuning even if you aren’t a confident player yet. Until you have experience with a few different styles, you just want an entry level or second hand instrument that’s in decent shape to practice and play on.

Check out my other videos on getting started on your practice!