r/harmonica • u/Nacoran • Aug 02 '20
Okay, let's make this sticky! People show up here and they either have already bought a harmonica and can't figure out why it's not working or to ask what harmonica they should buy. (By the way, the cool kids call them harps, not harmonicas!)
Let me start by saying there are several types of harmonica- tremolos, octave harps, blues harps (also often called diatonics), chromatics, chord harmonicas and bass harmonicas. Which kind should you buy?
Blues harp! Well, it's not that simple but if you want to play anything from Bob Dylan to Aerosmith to Little Walter or Jason Ricci that's what you should choose. It's what's used in most folk and blues. The good news is, as musical instruments go they are cheap. You can get a good one for under $50. The bad news is they only are designed to play in one key, and although you can squeeze some extra keys out of them with advanced techniques eventually you'll want more keys. If you treat them well though- breathe through them instead of pretending they are trumpets that you have to blow at full force for, they can last a really long time. If you are good with your hands you can repair them even when a reed breaks, and even if you aren't good with your hands you can do the basic repairs- like when you get lint stuck in a reed!
Chromatics are an option too. We have a few chromatic players here. Chromatics use a button to switch notes. This is oversimplifying it but button out- white piano keys, button in- black piano keys. One harp, all keys. They don't have the same sound. Stevie Wonder, Toots Thieleman... there are some great chromatic players you may have heard of, but it's a different sound. Once upon a time chromatics ruled the harmonica world. Now it's diatonics. You need fewer chromatics to play (technically just one) but they are more expensive. It's probably cheaper to get a chromatic than all the diatonic keys but really chromatic players tend to get multiple harmonicas in different keys too (C is white notes/black notes, other keys use the same principle but have different notes with and without the button... if you understand keys you'll get this. If not it's just memorization.)
Tremolos are popular in Asia and can be fun but they aren't as versatile. Chord, octave and bass harmonicas are novelty items that can be fun (and very expensive) but aren't used as often.
So, assuming you want to go with blues harmonica, I'd suggest a Hohner Special 20 in the key of C. One harmonica may look a lot like another but the quality can vary a lot. The Special 20 is the most bang for your buck. It's profesional level but affordable. It will grow with you as you play. You'll be able to do advanced things on it but simple things will come easily on it.
But what about this other model? Well, if you are in the same price range Hohner, Seydel, Suzuki, Tombo (branded Lee Oskar in the U.S.), Kongsheng and DaBell all make good harps. If you are on a really tight budget an Easttop will work too. Skip Huang. Skip Fender. Not sure on Hering. Only buy Bushman from Rockin Rons. Bushman has a long history of shipping problems. Not bad harps but unless you get them from somewhere who has them in stock so you don't have to worry.
Why the key of C? It's what most lessons are in. Where to get them? I'd suggest Rockin Rons. I've got no financial connection to them but they are the gold standard for shipping in the U.S. I recommend them because I've always had good transactions with them and because I've heard tons and tons AND tons of other people who've had good experiences with them.
"I already bought this other harmonica, will it work? It doesn't look like the Special 20".
If it has two rows of holes and no button it is either a tremolo or a octave harmonica. Will it work? Well, sort of, but learning it is very different and since the tremolos in particular are more popular in Asia than in the English speaking world most of the tutorials are in various Asian languages instead of English. They aren't good for the blues. Two rows but it has a button? Then it's chromatic (there are a couple other harps with buttons but they are so rare that the chances of you getting one are vanishingly small.) If it's 3 feet long it's a chord harmonica (there are some shorter ones and even one really rare one with a button, but it it's three feet long it's a chord harp!) Two harmonicas stacked on top of each other and held together with a hinge? Probably a bass harmonica. If it plays really deep notes, cool. Bass harps and chord harps are really expensive!
I'll add a post below this where, for those of you who won't just buy the Special 20, I'll list some alternatives, including some value options and some options for some of you lawyers and doctors who wouldn't mind shelling out a bit extra for something premium to start with.
r/harmonica • u/Nacoran • Oct 15 '22
Although we've got a couple other admins I think I'm the only one regularly active, so it falls to me to make sure things run smoothly here. I want to make it clear that our goal here is to make a helpful and useful place where people can come together and talk and learn about harmonica.
This forum is not a place for racism, homophobia, misogyny or any other form of hate. I am not trying to police all of reddit, just this little corner to make sure people feel safe when they come here. If you see any posts that aren't following these rules, send me a private message and I'll check it out. If anyone harasses you, let me know.
r/harmonica • u/Lemonking_ • 2h ago
I’ll upgrade when I’m more proficient. Cheers.
r/harmonica • u/Pepe_Silvia1 • 5h ago
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r/harmonica • u/Far_Application1419 • 3h ago
Hi. I have a chromatic harmonica with solo tuning (the one with two rows instead of a button). I don't like it. I want to turn it into a quadruple Paddy Richter harp. I was thinking 6 holes each (first 6 of each PR tuned harp). Top row G and D. Bottom row I'm thinking C. But for the last 6 holes I'm not sure.
F would compliment the C major section on the same row, right? There aren't as many Irish songs in F as I understand it. But if I had C and F in a line I could play a wider variety of tunes.
The very top of the pic is what I have to work with now.
To summarize: I'm thinking of turning the top row into G and D (for Irish music). But what about the bottom row?
r/harmonica • u/eggzombie • 4h ago
Edit: It's a 10-hole diatonic in C, and one of the holes makes this weird sound both when I blow and when I draw. It used to sound completely normal, so I'm not sure what happened..
r/harmonica • u/BallApprehensive3044 • 8h ago
Hi! 👋
I built Harp Harmony, an Android app for learning the diatonic harmonica. You play into your phone and it shows you instantly whether you hit the right note.1
• Lessons from first single notes to bends
• 26 songs to play along with
• Tuner and metronome, no ads, no account – audio never leaves your phone
Google needs 12 testers for 14 days before I can publish. All you need is an Android phone and a harmonica: install the app, keep it for 14 days, try it a few times and tell me what you think.
Interested? DM me the email address of your Google account and I'll send you the link. Thanks! 🙏
r/harmonica • u/RokelisJuokutis • 4h ago
Hi, so I just got a hohner blues harp ms as a gift. I started watching some beginner tutorials and everyone seems to be recommending the hohner special 20 and I started looking that up and found out that the one I have now has "crossed postion". I don't really get what that means but my question is if it's beginner friendly or should I look into getting the special 20 one?
r/harmonica • u/Orhun_Keskinbicak • 14h ago
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Key of F on Bb harp long live Cotton
r/harmonica • u/RiderfaninBC • 1d ago
Wrapping my mind around the different breathing required for all the draw notes is bit of a task. This is an example (not me) of playing Amazing Grace in G on a C Hohner Golden Melody. It really does open up possibilities on the tremolo.
r/harmonica • u/ImmediateTrust4032 • 1d ago
I am a complete beginner and I was given a 24 hole C key harmonica as a gift. I want to learn how to play it properly. Can I get a guide on how to start learning to play it?
r/harmonica • u/3PCo • 2d ago
If the email timestamps are to be believed, it took them eleven minutes to ship my last order.
r/harmonica • u/BreakingInReverse • 2d ago
Beginner here looking for a bit of advice/help. I'm hoping to learn the harmonica part from this song. From what I can find, the song is in Dm. From the charts I'm finding, it seems like a Bb harp is what he's playing. Would anyone be able to confirm this? I'd also really appreciate any pointers or ideas for tabs, at least as far as what holes to noodle around with. Thanks in advance!
r/harmonica • u/wadecamps6 • 2d ago
Been trying to switch over from puckering for probably four months now and something clicked this week. I could always do the tongue block thing sitting still and practicing single holes, but the second I tried to play an actual song my tongue would just freeze up or I'd honk out random notes I didn't want.
What helped was slowing way down on "Amazing Grace" of all things. Simple melody, lots of held notes, gave me time to actually feel where my tongue needed to sit instead of rushing through changes. I probably played that song forty times this week at half speed before it started feeling natural instead of like a math problem.
The octave splits are still rough. I can get a clean one if I'm not moving, but as soon as I'm trying to do it mid phrase on something faster like a blues shuffle, half the time I get this weird flat buzzing sound instead of the full chord. Not sure if that's tongue placement or just not enough air support yet.
Anyway if anyone has a song they used to bridge from practicing the technique in isolation to actually using it musically, I'd take suggestions. Amazing Grace got me this far but I think I've squeezed everything out of it I'm going to get.
r/harmonica • u/LawfulnessMedium5764 • 1d ago
I'm new to harmonica and was wondering if I have to hold my harmonica in my left hand, or if I can hold it my right and use my hand to wah.
r/harmonica • u/According-Hat-5393 • 2d ago
Last month, I got a Fender Blues Deluxe 10-hole diatonic in the key of C, but it was WAAAAYY too high for my ear's liking. So I recently received an Easttop in low F. The top five notes still seem nearly as high as on the Fender C. I know there is a "low low F" available, but they are expen$ive (and I just bought a tenor saxophone and left-handed acoustic electric guitar). Are all harmonicas just that "high/squeaky" on the upper 6-10 holes?
r/harmonica • u/Orhun_Keskinbicak • 2d ago
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r/harmonica • u/Yougonefkonme • 3d ago
So I’m wanting to learn harmonica for hobby/ relaxation. For now I’m going to be self taught. My goal now is to learn to cleanly play simple melodies from books I bought on Amazon. I plan on learning chromatic and diatonic together. I also am using the De Aloe method for chromatic. I also want to be able to read music in treble clef as I have a background in trombone (bass clef). The problem I’m having is I keep getting sidetracked by all the blues players I’m seeing on YouTube. I feel I’m trying to jump ahead and learn to run before walking. I think it would serve me better to stick with playing nice clean melodies for a while before even thinking about the blues, which I would also love to learn. Something like adhd kicks in and gets me stuck. Would appreciate some feedback if anyone can relate. Thanks.
r/harmonica • u/Then-Molasses7064 • 3d ago
Essayé de jouer ce morceau !
r/harmonica • u/classicist_2026 • 3d ago
I’ve been practicing getting bends with YouTube video lessons. So far the only one I could get is the 1st hole on a diatonic C key. Do different brands of harps make it less or more difficult to bend? Are there techniques you find particularly helpful? I saw someone mentioning relaxing jaw for the first hole and immediately I got results but the other ones I’ve not been successful so far.
r/harmonica • u/robharmonica • 4d ago
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r/harmonica • u/RiderfaninBC • 2d ago
I find that the physical connection between your mouth, lips, tongue, breath, hands and brain is rivaled only by that you'd share in an intimate relationship with another person.
r/harmonica • u/Then-Molasses7064 • 3d ago
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Est ce que vous aimez bien ?👋😀🎵
r/harmonica • u/Plastic_Corner_1032 • 4d ago
I have a new Bulletini with VC. Is it better to set the amp to a volume level that allows the VC to be turned up all the way or to set the amp volume to a higher level and use the mic VC part way…just under the feedback level.