Whereas Jew's harp music is predominantly played with a drone, i . e ., the one fundamental note is sounding throughout the playing, the tradition in Austrian folk music since about the 18th century has been to use multiple Jew's harps tuned to the main degree of a diatonic scale that are used according to the chords of the music.
32.
While it is theoretically possible to get the reed to overblow a twelfth above the fundamental note, this is extremely difficult because the reed is not held in the mouth ( and even if done would result in a gap of two notes in the scale on historical instruments ), and in practice all playing is confined to the fundamental series.
33.
Above this the four flutes of Group I play harmonics 14, 15, 16, and 18, giving way to a second chord in the four oboes of Group II, playing harmonics 13, 15, 16, and 19 . The fundamental note then drops by an octave, so that the sounding bass E becomes a second harmonic, with the four clarinets of Group III playing harmonics 16, 17, 21, and 22.
