The Mini Dan Moi is the little sister of the Standard Dan Moi Jaw Harp. She is smaller, louder and higher pitched. Further she is perfectly suited for fast playing techniques such as plucking from both sides.
Hand-made by a small number of excellent local craftsmen, this brass instrument captivates even novices by being easily playable and having a brilliant sound, rich in overtones. Playing the Dan Moi Jaw Harp is effortless and enjoyable.
In contrast to other types of Jaw Harps, the Dan Moi must not be pressed against ones teeth to produce its full and warm sound. Rather, the instrument is gently rested against the player's lips with one hand while the other plucks the tip of the reed softly.
Moreover, the Dan Moi Jaw Harp affords players with an almost unlimited range of possibilities for the creation of sound effects since mouth and tongue are given considerably more freedom than with other types of Jaw Harps. For example, you may try a simple echo effect by temporarily and rhythmically removing the Dan Moi from your lips, or try a tremolo by moving the tip of your tongue inside your mouth while playing.
The Hmong craftsmen work the Dan Moi Jaw Harp so carefully that the slit between frame and reed is barely visible. This ensures a wide variety of sounds, especially in the high ranges.
How to un/pack a Dan Moi Jaw Harp
What to do if it clatters...
Get more background information in our blog
Over the years, several thousand people have taken part in workshops and presentations with overtone specialist Tran Quang Hai. Tran Quang Hai has been committed to popularising the techniques of overtone singing , Jew's harp and spoon playing throughout the world for over 45 years. The 70-year-old ethnomusicologist from Paris is best known as a teacher and musician. Tran Quang Hai was born in South Vietnam and studied at the conservatory in Ho Chi Minh City before moving to Paris in 1961 to study musicology.
The Dan Moi jew's harps from Vietnam are characterized by being skillfully handmade in filigree craftsmanship. The split between reed and frame which is significantly responsible for a jaw harps sound quality, is razor-thin. And so - even though we are testing each and every instrument before shipping - it happens once in a while that a Dan Moi jew's harp clatters.
