BINA
Bina harmoniums, one of the best known names in Indian harmonium making. We stock the standard and folding models, and every instrument is tuned to A440 and checked again in our Delhi workshop before it ships.
Choosing yours
Bina model numbers are the quickest way to navigate the range. The No. 8 and No. 11 are two reed instruments at 3.25 octaves with seven stops, and they are the models most players start with. The No. 17 and No. 23 step up to more stops, a coupler and in some cases a third reed.
Across the range the build is consistent: seasoned wood, multi-fold bellows, and a keyboard action that stays even from end to end. That consistency is the reason the name carries; two Bina harmoniums of the same model will play very much alike.
Choose between standard and folding on the same basis as any harmonium. Folding models collapse for travel and are the usual choice for anyone carrying the instrument to class or satsang. Standard uprights are more rigid and hold their tuning marginally better over years.
If you are deciding between a Bina and a comparable instrument from another maker, the difference is rarely tone alone. It is predictability. Bina builds to a tight specification, so you know what arrives.
Tuning and setup
Every Bina harmonium is tuned to A440 in our workshop before dispatch, and checked again on the day it ships. We voice the reeds, look for air leaks in the bellows, and play every key, because a reed that behaves on the bench can buzz once the instrument is closed up.
A harmonium that has crossed an ocean will usually need nothing on arrival beyond airing. Give it a few days in the room where it will live before deciding a note sounds wrong. Reeds and wood both settle.
Reeds drift over years rather than months. Regular playing in a stable climate might mean retuning every three to five years. A single note going suddenly dead or sharp is dust or a shifted reed, not tuning, and that is a workshop job.
Care and climate
Bellows dislike damp and the body dislikes dry heat. Keep the instrument off the floor in a humid room, and away from radiators, vents and direct sun in a dry one.
If you live somewhere with hard winters and central heating, indoor humidity can fall very low and the wood will shrink slightly. Keeping the harmonium away from the heat source prevents most of it; a room humidifier prevents the rest.
Work the bellows gently for the first week after a long shipment. Leather folded in a box for two weeks needs to flex back before it is asked for full volume.
Questions we get asked
What is the difference between Bina No. 8 and No. 11?
Both are two reed instruments at 3.25 octaves with seven stops. The differences are in finish and detailing rather than in the musical specification, so choose on appearance and price.
Are Bina harmoniums good for beginners?
Yes, and for the specific reason that they are consistent. Two instruments of the same model play alike, so a teacher's recommendation transfers reliably to what you receive.
Is a Bina harmonium tuned to A440?
Yes. We tune every instrument to A440 and check it again on the day it ships, whatever it was when it reached us.
Should I buy a folding or standard Bina?
Folding if the instrument travels to class, satsang or anywhere else regularly. Standard if it stays in one room, where the extra rigidity holds tuning slightly better over years.
How often will it need retuning?
Every three to five years with regular playing in a stable climate. Small drift is normal and gradual. A single note going wrong suddenly is usually dust rather than tuning.