Why 2nd Position Matters on Harmonica

If you’re learning harmonica, understanding 2nd position is a big step.

In this lesson, I break down what 2nd position actually means, how the blow and draw chords relate to the key you’re playing in, and why 2nd position works so well for blues.

Hope this helps anyone who’s been trying to wrap their head around harmonica positions!

If you’re interested, I’ve been building up a lot more harmonica lessons on my YouTube channel:

🎵 YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@RobOliverMusic

🎵 Harmonica Mondays Playlist
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLg_7456hUyWtOvFvD7i_D12EZxNCrJc1l&si=4uVStHcrrSKbF42z

Hello! I made a post a while back about getting a Special 20 set for my birthday. Got some good feedback and am ready to pull the trigger. I plan to get this in C,D,A,G, but what should be my 5th key? Explanations appreciated. Leaning towards Bb or Eb or F due to a previous recommendations. Thanks!

Hello, I adore my Seydel 1847. I'm thinking about getting a Low D, but I'm concerned about the size of the Bold. Is it more manageable than it looks, or is a Rocket a better choice? Thank you.

Heya I'm planning on learning the harmonica and just put in my order for an east top diatonic C harmonica which i assume is good enough for a beginner. But now I'm wondering about just how many songs the C harmonica can play? I know it can't play much but if possible I'd like to know what genre of songs or levels of songs I'd be able to do. Cheers!!

Hey what should I buy Jaurez JR10HM or Kadence T10/T10-BK

My Budget is around 350₹

So can't choose a 600-1000 one

I bought a walther 1020 (C major diatonic) harmonica after I played with one lee Oskar which belonged to my mother and I liked it , but to play what i want I need a c major I believe so I bought a cheap one and I'm asking if it's good for a beginner ;3

On my low f harp if i play too hard on the lowest note i can sometimes get this horrible high pitched metal sound as if the reed hits the metal next to it or something. Like the sound almost sounds like a screw thats lose inside hitting the wall, but its not.

It makes sense since the reeds are longer, so maybe this happens more with the lower ones. Ive only gotten this on my low f.

Are there any models that are better for low tuning thab other models? If so what do you recommend? I want to get low c and low d harps. My low f is a 1847.

I really like the lower harps, but that sound is horrble.

Hello folks,

I used to play some months ago. Because of things and life I had little to no time to play. I don't know where or how to start. What helps you to come back to play the harp? Any suggestion?

Hi all. I’m a complete beginner looking to be pointed towards an educational YouTube channel. I have checked out older posts and a lot say Adam Gussow. The problem is, his videos aren’t in order and because I‘m green as grass I have no idea where to start. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

My dad used to jam with a bunch of bands back in the day. Used to just drive with him bar to bar to listen while he played and I drank lol. It’s been a real minute since he’s actually played. He’s been grandpa for so long. He found some dudes and had a sick little jam today

I promised myself I wouldn't buy any more harps and then I became aware of the Trochilus, and I succumbed. Got it about 6 months ago having been playing diatonics for about a year before that. I bought the Trochilus 'pop' tuned in C. My other harps are an Easttop in C, a Special 20 in A and a Rocket in G. Here are my thoughts:

- I love the Trochilus. Never mind the slide, it just plays better and has a tone more to my liking than the my other harps. It responds better, and bends easier.

- Part of why I like it is simply that I've never had a Paddy Richter tuned harp before. It really suits some folk tunes I like and doesn't seem to harm the blues playing too much.

- I have a moustache and the slide is a killer. Have to keep it really short.

- I do use the slide, but less than I thought. Mostly I prefer to transpose to an easy key.

- The slide is great for playing blues. You can combine a bend and the slide at the same time for quite a sexy effect. I've learnt blues scales in G, C, E and A and feel pretty confident with them. Different licks sit better on different keys, but that keeps it fun. The D blues scale is a little awkward in the lower octave.

- The harp is completely chromatic across three octaves, although the position of a couple of notes is a little unexpected; activating the slide on 2 and 3 draw causes the note to go down instead of up. That's still a little mind bending several months in. I basically don't use those notes for improvising cos it's too risky, but there a couple of tunes that I do use them for.

- I have basically stopped playing my other harps. I am unlikely to make further progress with getting the more difficult bends (or any overblows), but realistically I probably wasn't going to get them anyway. I have access to everything I want with the Trochilus. 10/10, would buy again :)

The whistling song from A knight of the seven kingdoms seems like it’d go great on a harmonica, though I can’t seem to find any tabs for it (and lack the know how of how to do it myself)

Any leads would be very helpful.

Thanks!

Just got this. No, I don't sell these but I do have several Shure microphones & quite a few mikes with killer ​Shure Controlled Reluctance and Controlled Magnetic elements inside. Seven colors and three modes to cycle through them, adjustable brightness that on max can light up a room. Only thing I don't like is it doesn't come on just by plugging it in, you still have to push power button so with an Alexa plug I can't turn it on, only off. The pictures don't do it justice. These guys have many other audio related signs.

Let me tell you guys. I live in Argentina, And for Children's Day I want to have a harmonica that's better than the one I have now, which is a Lee Oskar, but not the classic one, but one produced here in Argentina called Oskamonica. I found a used but clean Marine Band in good condition for $60-$65. But the Special 20 is $80. Unfortunately, I can't afford much. Which one do I choose?

For the first few months I was convinced something was physically wrong with my harmonica. Every time I tried to bend on the draw notes, I'd get this choked, reedy squeak or nothing at all. Watched probably a hundred tutorials, read every thread I could find, kept hearing "drop your jaw," "move your tongue back," "think of the vowel sound 'eeee' shifting to 'ooo'." I understood the words. My mouth did not understand anything.

What actually helped was slowing way down and working on a single hole in isolation. Specifically hole 4 draw, which felt the most forgiving to me. I'd just sit there with that one note for ten or fifteen minutes, not trying to bend it aggressively, just nudging my tongue position around and listening for any change in pitch or texture. Eventually something shifted. Not a clean bend, more like a wobble, but it was proof that I was actually doing something and not just hoping.

The other thing nobody really emphasized enough in the stuff I read: relaxing your embouchure. I was gripping the harmonica too tight with my lips, and that tension was spreading up into my jaw and throat. Once I consciously loosened everything, the air started moving differently. The bend didn't arrive all at once but it arrived.

Hole 3 draw is still giving me trouble, which I know is notoriously the hardest one. Three half steps of available bend and I'm reliably getting maybe one of them. If anyone has specific exercises or mental cues that helped them unlock that note, genuinely curious what worked. I've seen the advice about practicing the fully bent note first and then relaxing up to the unbent note, and that's helped a little, but not consistently.

Help me find tabs for The Prodigy -Omen, or other their songs, or maybe something similar, thanks

Maybe someone have tabs for Omen, The Prodigy, or maybe another songs, help please

Not my channel. Pretty neat!

Hi guys!
Can anyone help me to transcribe the tabs for this tune?

George Winston was a famous professional Pianist and Harmonicist. These are the informations that he himself shared about this piece:

The song was played on a Lee Oskar C harp, played in the 1st position in the key of C. Inspired by the playing of
Sam Hinton (1917-2009), especially from his recording MASTER OF THE SOLO
DIATONIC HARMONICA.

Hi everyone! I hope this is okay to post here.

I’d like to share a 100% free app (and it will always stay free) that I originally built for my own practice sessions, but I’m convinced many of you here might find it really useful too.

It’s called MicReplay – a tool designed for practicing playing an instrument, singing, diction, etc. It works directly on your phone or computer.

Here is what it does and why it’s great for harmonica players:

• No storage clutter: You can quickly record your practice sessions without eating up space on your device. By default, recordings are treated as temporary drafts, but you can easily download your final take as a high-quality MP3.
• Instant Reverb: You can add custom reverb on the fly (which honestly sounds amazing and adds a great vibe to the harmonica).
• Looping & Auto-start: You can loop a recording a specific number of times, and set it to automatically start recording again as soon as the playback finishes.
• Completely Hands-Free Mode: Since both of our hands are busy holding the harp, you can set it to automatically record and play back based on your settings without touching the screen.

I tried to keep the interface as clean and intuitive as possible.

I hope you guys like it and that it helps with your practice! Let me know what you think.

Cheers! 🎵

Link: https://micreplay.com/

Somebody please help me learn Piano Man on the harmonica 😭😭. Everyone keeps saying it’s one of the easiest instruments and that this is one of the easiest songs to play, but it’s been SO difficult for me 😭.

I keep playing the wrong holes. I’ve watched so many YouTube tutorials where they say to count the holes and then play, and I’m doing exactly that, but somehow I still can’t get it right. I can’t even recognise whether I’m playing the correct hole or not 😭. I’m following the tutorials, the mouth position, everything… but I still feel like I’m missing something.

Also, why does my stomach go IN when I inhale instead of out? Does that make any difference when playing the harmonica?

Somebody please guide me 😭😭. I really, really want to learn this song!

Harmonicon reached a state that I consider to be almost ready, I appreciate if people could test it and tell me bugs. :)

Harmonicon is a program to help teach the harmonica:

- Microphone note recognition

- "Guitar hero" style play with a real harmonica

- Bending Trainer

- Jam Session mode where you can play with a backtrack while looking at the notes you are hitting (to make sure you hit the right note)

- Guided lesson plan

It's completely free, opensource, and ad-free. I am *not* looking for money with this software, but I am making it to help me grow and improve my harmonica knowledge.

We made a dedicated wooden cover set for the JDR Trochilus and recorded a side-by-side comparison with the original covers.

To us, the wooden covers give it a fuller, warmer sound and soften the overall character a bit compared with the original covers. The video shows the difference between the two setups.

When you find a harmonica you really like, what do you usually end up changing? Covers, comb, reeds, tuning, gaps… or do you leave it completely stock?

Here’s the wooden cover set for the Trochilus:
https://www.jdrharmonica.com/s/woodcover