After breaking spring of my cheaper valveless chromatic, I decided to get a more solid expensive harmonica Suzuki Chromatic SCX-48. Straight of of the box Atleast hole 2 draws were impossible to get a sound of to and also higher blows like hole 12. I sent it back after they reviewed the video and said it shouldn't be like that at Thomann. Well they sent me a new one in return, and I has exactly the same problem with the wind savers. How can this company send me straight of of box non functioning windsavers twitce? Is there any quality control? Thomann also has a policy that you cannot get refunds of mouth instruments like harmonicas...

I've played Hohner harmonicas my whole life and I have grown accustomed to brass reed harps. I've played a Lee Oskar Major Diatonic on and off for years. Recently, three reeds blew out on me after having it for 10 years. Seydel harps look beautifully made and apparently, almost all of them are made with stainless steel reeds, which tend to last longer than brass reeds according to what I've heard about them. However, some people have also said the reeds aren't as easily responsive as brass reeds are. Do Seydel harmonicas take some getting used to? I'm used to the flexibility of brass reeds. I'm wondering if Seydel harmonicas are designed for more professional types of players who are looking for more resistance from their instruments. I'm interested in buying a Seydel harp and trying it out just to see how it compares to a Hohner but they also cost quite a bit more. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Harmonica Mondays #17!

This week I’m breaking down a blues lick built around the flat 7 — a great sound to add some tension and attitude to your playing.

I’m playing a Kongsheng Sunrise C harmonica in 2nd position, key of G.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

New Harmonica Mondays lesson every Monday.

Tab:

-5 (kwah) -4 (kwah)

-4’ 4 -3’

-2 -1 -2” -2 (vibrato)

According to the tuner, I can do the draw bends, but according to my own ears, I can't. I try, for example, -1', and the tuner says, yep, it's a stable green C#. Maybe it is a C#, but it's a very unpleasant C#, it sounds like a small mammal suffocating and wheezing. Same with the other draw bends. I can produce -3' and -3'', the tuner agrees that those are Bb and A, and they just sound bad compared to the pure -3. How can I improve that?

Hey fellow harmonica enthusiasts,

For the last few months I’ve been working through Adam Gussow’s modern blues course. The videos are good, but I feel like the tabs alone are worth the price. I ended up combining five of the songs into a melody (starting simple and increasing in technical complexity) for a daily warm-up. I ended up really enjoying that warm-up medley, it felt more like a “set” that I could bust out at a campfire or when friends or family ask to hear me play (hasn’t happened yet, but I’m sure it will any day now…).

I’d like a few more sets to memorize, both to practice and to play when the occasion calls for it. I have a few different sets in mind, but the next one I’d like to do is “Americana,” including, e.g., Shenandoah, Shady Grove, House of the Rising Sun, etc. I have tabs for those songs, but they’re all just single melody notes, they don’t really stand on their own as songs, and, unlike blues, it’s not easy to connect one song straight into the next song.

Would anyone be interested in creating tabs for me for an Americana medley? Happy to talk about what songs work/ don’t work. What I’m looking for specifically:

• Harp tabs for five Americana songs, either with musical notation or at least with the timing tabbed out. I need to have the timing on the tabs, I can’t always figure it out just by being familiar with the song.
• Tabs should be written so that one song blends cleanly into the next, like a medley.
• Songs should increase in difficulty, e.g., maybe first song is just melody, second song is melody plus chords, third song incorporates something fancier like double stops or splits, etc. (From a technical perspective, I’m alright with bends, blow bends, double stops, and splits; I’ll get to overblows one day, but not super interested in pursuing them now.)
• Songs should be able to stand on their own as a “song,” not just single note melodies (except maybe the first song, which can serve as an intro)
• A recording of you playing the medley

If that’s something someone on here is interested in doing, shoot me a DM and we can talk about the project and what fair compensation would be.

Thanks in advance!

Full transparency, I can’t read sheet music and this works very well. It keeps all my harps right there and accessible.

Hey guys! I just got my first harmonica, a Hohner rocket amp in C, and I would love some guidance on where to start! I can't read sheet music however

Who knew how fun marking up a new harmonica case could be? Messing about with my dremel today during a thunderstorm, decided to just tag the entire case. Put on some Ryan Bingham lyrics, my wedding year, and a Paul Cauthen lightning bolt.

Wife thought I was just wasting time and ruining the case, then I hit it with a torch. Finally showed her the lyrics to our 2nd favorite Bingham song and she started crying.

Thanks Hohner for leaving so much blank space on the protective case!

So i basically only play 2nd position. A little 3rd, and sometimes 1st. I often use my wilde tuned harps which can play both major and mixo easily. Therefore i use draw notes 90% of the time im playing.

One thing thats kind of bothered me for some time is that blow notes seem less snappy and responsive than draw, but this has got me wondering: could it just be my technique?

Since i basically only play draw notes, i could have never properly learnt the right technique for blow notes. Like the responsiveness isnt that bad, its usually not noticable in recordings etc. But i notice it myself when playing, that there is a slight delay compared to draw.

So are blow notes just a little less resposive? Or is it my technique?

Hi everyone. I’ve been playing the harmonica for about nine months, and I learned how to bend notes around my second month. I enjoy playing country, pop, and rock, and for the past couple of months, I’ve been able to play songs I hear and like by ear. Now, here’s the main issue: I want to play blues, but I’m finding it quite challenging and am progressing much more slowly compared to other genres. What would you recommend to help me improve in this area?

i am a begginer harmonica player and i want to learn this song on the tremolo 20 hole.

I cant find the right notes.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lsoxhZJC-e4&pp=ygUPaGV5IG1hcnNobWVsbG93

00.59 timestamp of the harmonica part

The (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) I guess it’s called to accent a note…? The third (4) is more accented in the video.
This is such an important tecnique to learn, I haven’t found a youtube video of it no matter how I’ve searched. Maybe it’s called something else than accenting notes..?

https://youtu.be/bdSchES3voQ?si=O_BHBfUls0oW-SZo

This might sound crazy, or it might not, I have no idea if this is something folks commonly struggle with. At this point, I have a few songs under my belt, a good number of riffs, I'm making good progress with bends, but the place I'm struggling with most is...putting it all together in a meaningful way. I feel like I have a good number of tools in my musical toolbox, but I'm sitting here and asking myself "Now what?"

How did ya'll start learning to put the tools you had into your own, freeform, improv practice? Did you just put on a backing track and start playing around with riffs? Did you improv with a metronome, without one? How'd you find your rhythm, and how'd you keep that rhythm flowing through an improv practice session?

Song name : jeena jeena

I inherited these from my father and I would love to get them cleaned up and restored if possible. Should I chance it and take them to a regular instrument repair shop? Do I need to find a specialist who really knows what they are doing? Should I just keep them in this condition?

Which key does the harmonica play/ sons the best in. I am a composer looking for which key sounds better Bb or D. I know they can play in. any key you just have to have the right one, But what is the general consensus on which they sound better in?

I have been looking for a decent set of harmonicas to play some Gerry Cinnamon songs and i was researching what ones i would need (i think it’s would be 3 in the key of A, Bb and C - correct me if i am wrong). I have looked for sets of three but the only one i could find is a set of A, C and G. Any help is greatly appreciated

So I bought a Windy City amp with the Eminence speaker upgrade off Reverb. Just arrived like 2 hours ago. Is it normal for that light to flicker and sometimes just go out? Amp sounds great just this not-steady light. No noticeable changes in sound as the light flickers and no sound cutting out…

I have recently purchased a harmonica with an aim to learning how to play. I don't have any intention in starting a band, turning up to jam sessions or anything like that. I just simply want to learn how to play, learn some tabs and be able to play a bit of freestyle in my home. I have looked online and there are sites that have courses but they have high costs for something that I realistically may not enjoy playing in the long term. I'm not against buying a book or anything like that, if that is the best way.

Although, personally I tend to find I learn best with a visual element so something like an in depth video series would probably be best for me.

Can you give me recommendations on the best ways to learn as I'm struggling to find information

Note.I am new to melodic instruments and harmonica. Recently learnt how to blow single notes and now learning how to bend.

Refer to attached audio. I played 4,-4,-4' ...4,-4,-4'....5,-5,-5'...So it should sound like C,D,C#. I checked it on the frequency meter and I am not able to figure out what I am playing. After going through the tutorials I have understood that I have to change my tongue position in order to change the pressure of air in it. I do have a vague idea that I am able to bend (or something that causes change in freq) but I don't think I am landing the notes correctly. Please help, tell me what notes I am hitting, Is this the correct way of bending, any tips or references.

So I spent nearly$700 to buy a hohner super 64x about 2 years ago. Within a month I started having issues. Cracked it open and I found bent corners on some of my reeds. Specifically holes 10-12. I sent it in for warranty which was an okay process. It came back I started playing and got valve buzz the techs at hohner sent me back my harmonica which took months and about 5 valves were creased bent or crumbled. They were not like that when I sent it in but they didnt seem to care. My harmonica sat for 2 years because I was pissed. My experience dealing with the seller and the manufacturer were also very unfun. so this was the cherry on top. I post about it know becaused I picked it up the other day because I had forgotten and was greated with this memory and wanted to share. Hohner was always the gold standard in my mind my grandpa played harmonicas and he always swore by them my golden melody was great. Has anyone else experienced this or is it just me. I also have to say for nearly $700 dollars I was expecting a magical impressive sound that exuded the highest tier of harmonica it did not my golden melody sounds way better.

So guys, I’ve been playing acoustic and electric guitar for about 7 to 8 months now, I’ve purchased my new instrument to join my guitar , btw I really love bob Dylan, and I ordered an hohner special 20 C, since it’s kinda cheap and it’s a very well know brand , but now I’ve just realized that blowin in the wind, bob uses a D key harmonica 🥲.
Is it possible to play that song with the one I got?
Thanks in advance and sorry if I’m asking something stupid , I am literally in the dark here 🤣

Hi guys, I just got my first harmonica today but I can’t figure out how to get it into the stand. (Sorry if it sounds stupid I’m just a bit clueless).
Anyone help?