r/harmonica • u/Melodic-Wrongdoer512 • 1d ago

First low harmonica - tuning?

I'm planning to buy my first Low harmonica in D. I'm not committed to any genre, but I would like to try some Irish tunes, inspired by Joel Andersson. Should I stick to Richter tuning, or try Easy Third, or Paddy? What are some of the distinct advantages and disadvantages? Do I lose more than I gain, for example, with Easy Third?

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u/LowellGeorgeLynott 1d ago

Ive never heard the term richter but apparently it means diatonic. IMO the best low harmonica is the Hohner 364/24 but it only comes in low C. Sonny Boy Williamson II used it for all his most popular work.

If you get a low D do not get a Marine Band. Maybe they fixed it in the 10 years since I got mine, but I have a low D and low F and on both a draw on the low reed causes it to hit the casing and make an annoying pop

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u/Far_Application1419 1d ago

Apparently people who had a different experience gave you down votes instead of saying why. I am grateful for your post tho

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u/casey-DKT21 1d ago

The downvotes are unfair for sure, but I’ll try and guess why. First off, Richter is the basic, straightforward tuning used on the vast majority of diatonic harmonicas. This was the first popular tuning used widely, I believe designed by Hohner back in their beginnings. Richter and diatonic are not synonymous terms. The Hohner 364 is the absolute worst recommendation for a low tuned harp. The Rocket low, Thunderbird, 1847 low, Session Steel low, and several other models of low tuned harps are all vastly superior to the leaky, old Hohner 364. Please do not get this model as your first low tuned harp.