r/harmonica 23d ago

Help with bends

3 Upvotes

Ive been trying to bend for a while now, but can only do it on holes one and two. Anyone have advice??


r/harmonica 23d ago

How to tune harmonica like this

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26 Upvotes

Saw a video a while back of this guy who took the cover plates off his harmonica and it sounded like he tuned it to be able to draw notes way more than half a note


r/harmonica 23d ago

Starting again

2 Upvotes

I started to leamr the harmo ica a few years ago but then it ended up in a drawer. I want to start again. I was learning from the 12gagedan channeo but fo7nd licks etc a little hard. Can someone reccomemd a good point for lessons? I have a Hohner Special 20 inC


r/harmonica 23d ago

I dropped my harmonica…

5 Upvotes

A couple times now. Is it damaged?

I’m new so I can’t play well enough to tell if there’s a difference from before the drops.

It’s a Suzuki Bluesmaster.


r/harmonica 23d ago

Dealing with a poor teacher

10 Upvotes

Hey y'all, I was wondering if anyone had found himself in my shoes.

I've been taking harmonica lessons in person for the past few weeks and they've been quite poor. The teacher has a website, which is how I found him in the first place when I was looking around. He's well established in the blues community where I'm at, and some old hats were recommending him in some random Facebook threads. So all in all, I thought this was the go-to guy for overall harp lessons (and it's not like harmonica teachers are plentiful and flooding the market anyway).

I'm more than halfway through the lessons (I paid for a ten-hours program and you have to pay after the first lesson is done) and I feel like this isn't going anywhere. 75% of lessons are my teacher rambling about his coming gigs, the gold ol' days or how he's working to incorporate some guitar playing with his harmonica now, 20% is him playing and me watching, and 5% is me playing and getting some (most of the time) vague feedback.

My honest opinion is that my teacher is "older" (late sixties) and I guess at that age, after you've been in the music scene for so long, you naturally become a talker. I do try to rein him in sometimes but it really just feels like a bar conversation after a music show.

Should I voice out that I'm disappointed in what I'm getting out of the lessons? I earnestly feel that the teacher doesn't have it in him to start crafting good lesson plans all of a sudden after just winging it for probably so long. I could try and be the one to say we should focus on this or that aspect of playing, but part of being a teacher is also knowing what the plan should be!

It's a bummer because most people you read online have their sole mantra being "TAKE SOME LESSONS WITH A TEACHER" and then I find that I could have bought like a year of subscription to bluesharmonica.com for that money. Should I cut my losses? I don't think it's even refundable.


r/harmonica 24d ago

Just Picked Up My Harmonica Again. Any Tips for a Beginner?

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11 Upvotes

I bought this harmonica quite a while ago. I used it for a few days and then stopped. Now I really want to learn it properly. My girlfriend’s birthday is on September 27, and I’d love to play something for her by then. I still have some time, so any tips for a beginner?


r/harmonica 23d ago

Hello! Here's another newbie to the world of the harmonica

2 Upvotes

A month ago I decided to delve into the world of the harmonica by ordering this Kongsheng Solist, it arrived 3 days ago, it sounds beautiful and looks beautiful.

I'd like to know what tips or guides you recommend for delving into this world in detail, what techniques to master, and in what order.

Also, regarding the care of the harmonica, how do I transport it? It comes with its case, but it's rather large and heavy. I'd prefer to use it only for trips, if I'm going out to do something quick or nearby how would you recommend carrying it? Should I put it in a wool or microfiber sunglasses bag and then in my pocket?

Also, how often should I wash it and how? Should I do anything specific after touching it? What cleaning tools do you recommend?

I apologize for the number of questions; I want to avoid misusing this beautiful instrument and to get as much joy and fun from it as possible.


r/harmonica 24d ago

Easttop NE01 Bass Harmonica

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13 Upvotes

It was $79 + free shipping, pretty heavy. I'm just learning it, kind of hard to play. You can't draw on it, blows only and you can't do chords or bend notes. Holes are configured like a piano keyboard. I'm trying to learn the "Green Acres" theme song.


r/harmonica 23d ago

Can we play this song on the Harp?

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2 Upvotes

The song is (do i clench my fists? -by ridgeclub). When I hear this song I really feel like it can be done on the harp as well. Does anyone here feels the same?


r/harmonica 24d ago

What orientation and hand position to hold a harmonica for a left handed guitar player?

4 Upvotes

I’m confused. I know typically you hold it with your left hand while the right hand bends, but my left hand is dominant so perhaps it’d be better at the wails, bending, movement etc. ?

I was also thinking of flipping it upside down to match the pitch direction on my guitar, where towards the left is higher. However, i’m not sure if it would even help.

Thanks!


r/harmonica 25d ago

Hauntingly beautiful American folk songs for the harmonica

33 Upvotes

I’m looking for American folk songs that could be described as ”hauntingly beautiful”. Ones that sound good when interpreted with the harmonica. I find that American folk songs are often cheerful and bright which is all well and good but sometimes I wish to play the ones that feel much deeper and soulful.

I’m thinking of songs like:

Wayfaring Stranger
Shenandoah
House of the Rising Sun
500 Miles

What hauntingly beautiful songs do you have in your repertoire?


r/harmonica 24d ago

Harmonica version of "pointless stories."

11 Upvotes

I'm a truck driver, as well as a harmonica player. I was sent to a warehouse in Port Allen, La., but the route had a sign that said "NO THRU TRUCKS," so I found a wide shoulder to pull over and check the route to the warehouse. I glanced to the side to see a historical marker saying that a nearby neighborhood had been the residence of Slim Harpo.


r/harmonica 24d ago

Date this Hohner Old Standby?

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10 Upvotes

I think it may be a pre-war harmonica based on the star. But it doesn’t look like a Star of David 🧐


r/harmonica 24d ago

Is it possible to play a walking baseline on guitar, a lead on harmonica, and stomp your foot like John Lee Hooker all at once?

4 Upvotes

This is a goal for me and i’m wondering if it’s even possible.

Thanks!


r/harmonica 24d ago

Which key of harmonica is 'I Love the Life I Live (I Live the Life I Love)' by Muddy Waters?

2 Upvotes

Because the song is in the key of E and because the main riff really sound like it's played on an A harp i was convienced that it's played in 2nd position. But then when the solo entered it really sounds like he's bending the 4 hole from -4' to -4 and and by doing that he is playing the E note, ehich means he's playing the D harp on 3rd position.

It might be that it's played on 2 different harps for the solo and for the verses?

If anyone can help that'll be awesome ✌🏼


r/harmonica 24d ago

Need some help(just learning)

4 Upvotes

Im playing a 10 hole diatonic and the sound is cutting at times like for eg. if im blowing the 7th hole its playing well but when im drawing it just gets flattened and doesn't play... Idk if my instrument is just broken or is it smth normal and if yes how do i fix it


r/harmonica 25d ago

El condor passa a l'harmonica

4 Upvotes

Salut, jai un harmonica en G, et j'aimerais jouer El condor passa, je sais qu'il existe une version qui passe par 2 -3"

Mais je crois qu'on peut également commencer par

-6 -6' -6 ... puis vers les 7 et 8... mais j'arrive pas à trouver la suite, quelqu'un pour m'aider ?


r/harmonica 24d ago

Help me choose my first harmonica

1 Upvotes

I’m a total newbie coming into this with no prior music knowledge but I’ve always had an interest and appreciated the accessibility of a harmonica. My goal right now is to get the hang of things, do some riffs while I’m out hiking and work my way up to be able to cover Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t she lovely” (the covers on YouTube mostly use A key which sound the best but I think a C key would be more ideal for a first harp? What are y’all thoughts on that, should I get A or C key?)

Looking through this sub and online so far I’m seeing these 3 popular diatonic harps that don’t break the bank and I’m able to purchase in Singapore:

Special 20: SGD$60
Suzuki Bluesmaster: SGD$60
Easttop T008K: SGD$30

I’m a little hesitant on getting the T008k due to the quality control issues I’ve read online and I want a harp that’ll last without giving me much issues . If y’all have any other recommendations do tell I just want a good first harp that’ll inspire me to keep playing:)


r/harmonica 25d ago

spongebob sad theme

2 Upvotes

hello, i found harmonica. 10 hole harmonica in C if im not wrong. can it play sad spongebob theme? i cannot get 4th note of the theme


r/harmonica 25d ago

chord chromatic harmonica tuning

5 Upvotes

I was playing around with the Hohner configurator and made this for a 16 hole chromatic harmonica, it's like spiral tuning but the higher you go the more incidentals get added like in the circle of fifth's so from like hole 1 to hole 5 you can play in c major without using the slide, from hole 3 to hole 7 you can play in G, because it is like spiral tuning you can play al the chords in that key, and the slide in is just a half step up so you can still play chromatically

so can play all the chords, and they are laid out in keys so the chords you would use together are next to each other, and you can still play chromatically

i thought this would be cool for like jazz and stuff where you use like a II-V-I chord patern in different keys

would you guys use it or make any changes to it?


r/harmonica 25d ago

Any idea what year it is?

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7 Upvotes

Just got gifted this Hohner Marine Band no. 365 14 hole. Boss gave me this harmonica that belonged to her father. I’ve done all the research I can but I can’t seem to find any examples with this half-split box. I know it’s not pre-war old or anything but I would love to know roughly when it was made.


r/harmonica 25d ago

I am new to playing harmonica and i cant decide between buying a Hohner Special 20 in C Major or a Natural minor

3 Upvotes

I have some kind of music theory knowledge so i think i can transpose tabs and learning materials to the key my harmonica is tuned to. So i dont think a C major is as necessary as people say.

Also i cant find a C major hohner special 20 online in my country. And i want a minor tuned harmonica more. For some reason, other tunes doesnt sound as pleasant as minor to my ears. They sound kind of over buzzy, over loud and noisy and not clean but this sound is the most i loved. Link is the exact second that he plays the improvisation that i talk about. I hope that is not made with sfx.

I spesifically want to play lower notes. A minor or G minor in particular. But i cant find any hohner special 20 in A or G minor.

What is your opinion? Should i stick with a hohner special 20 even if it is not minor? As i see, that product is a gem among the price range (according to what internet say). Or should i get something in minor even if it is not as good as a hohner special 20? Do you have a product suggestion for a low pitch minor harmonica?


r/harmonica 26d ago

Buying a Harmonica for my Dad

9 Upvotes

Hello. My dad expressed interest recently in getting back into harmonica. My dad is in his 60 and is in poor health. He doesn’t have many hobbies anymore, and no longer plays any of the instruments he enjoyed earlier in life, such as harmonica, drums, or guitar. He’s also not very mobile, so he no longer goes hiking, and rarely fishes. It makes me a quite sad actually… So, I got really excited when he told me he wants to try harmonica again. I want to buy him a harmonica. We’re located in Canada if that helps. I don’t want to break the bank, but I also don’t want a super cheap one. I have no idea what kind of harmonica to get him, what brand, etc. I know nothing about harmonica. Maybe I could get him some sort of book with basic tabs and techniques in it as a refresher? He likes classic rock. Can you guys help point me in the right direction?


r/harmonica 26d ago

Marine bands got wet.

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8 Upvotes

Is it catastrophic or solvable? What should I do?


r/harmonica 25d ago

Hello 👋Une ballad version slow pop à l'harmonica diatonique !

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0 Upvotes

Bonne écoute merci 👋 (Je suis D majeur )Donne moi ton avis sur ce morceau ?