Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 682,279 times. Try adding a chord only at the end of a verse or phrase. True or False: To tongue block, use the front of your tongue. Here we will look at 44 easy harmonica songs you can learn fast. The important thing is to get comfortable switching between single notes and multiple notes. This article has been viewed 682,279 times. This type of playing is called “cross-harp” or “second position.” Cross-harp notes are often well-suited to blues riffs. Patience and care are required to find a happy medium between not bending a note and bending it too harshly. If you’ve been having a hard time learning to play harmonica, it’s likely you have not been using the Deep Relaxed Embouchure as seen in Figure 1 below. If you have a chromatic harmonica, practice pushing and holding the slide button to further control the notes you produce. Pick a hole or holes and blow gently into them. Relax and moisten your lips. Diatonic is a type of harmonica tuned to the key of C. Types of diatonic harmonica include the “blues harmonica,” the “tremolo harmonica” and the “octave harmonica.” Try again... Nope! How to Play Harmonica in 5 Steps Step 1: Learn to read tabs. Because the air crosses the reeds so sharply, it can easily loosen or bend them, ruining your instrument. You can do this by taking your harmonica apart, and if you don’t want to, you can always pay someone to do it. How can I play a minor scale on my diatonic C-scale harmonica? To play "When The Saints Go Marchin In" on harmonica, the first position is the most indicated, owing to the fact that you don't need to bend notes with it. the key of A, then every song you play will be in the key of A, even if it was composed in G or C. And if you pick up a harmonica in the key of D and play the same numbering system, you are playing the song in the key of D. You do not have to relearn a song for each key. The pucker and tongue block are the two most commonly used embouchures. To learn more techniques, such as tongue blocking or note bending, keep reading the article! Similar to the 10 hole harmonica, the tremolo harmonica is a "diatonic" instrument, meaning that it is tuned to one key. So you want to learn how to play the harmonica? The harmonica is angled down into the lower lip. This will help you develop more control over your mouth and your breathing, and make the songs more interesting to listen to. An up arrow indicates a breath out; a down arrow indicates a breath in. Check your inbox in the next minute or two for your first lesson. If you did it right, you should only hear (up) 4 being played. Holes are marked with a number, starting from the lowest (left-hand) tone and moving upward. The harmonica is a small, versatile instrument played in nearly every kind of music and most cultures the world over. To play cross harp, you are playing the harmonica in a key other than the key in which the harmonica is labeled. Not exactly! When you reach the point of being able to play the C scale and single notes confidently, consider taking lessons to become a more advanced player. Hold the harmonica with one hand at each end, with the numbers facing you. To play the harmonica, start by practicing blowing into 1 hole to make a note. It's tuned to a specific key, which can't be changed. Though it may seem confusing to learn at first glance, the harmonica is actually an easy and fun instrument to get started playing. Can you bend and make the harmonica sing with rich and soulful sounds or do your notes sometimes sound airy and squeaky? But some instruments seem to offer more in terms of delivering a return on your time investment than others. Every dollar contributed enables us to keep providing high-quality how-to help to people like you. Help 4 bars of the tonic I chord, (In the key of E that’s an … Learning how to play the harmonica online will require some of your time. Enter your email address and hit submit to get started. Most harmonicas have numbers from 1 to 10 on one of the metal cover plates. Hold the harmonica by the ends and then while playing a clean #4 draw. Breathing is marked by arrows. There are different types of harmonicas in the trade, do not use and price variant. To play each note, breathe out through each hole before breathing in, apart from on the 7th hole, where you breathe in first. Behind each hole is a chamber containing at least one reed. To allow greater control over the notes you play, you'll eventually learn to use the blade of your tongue to block holes as well. Compare step 4 and 5’s photographs and notice how shallow the lower lip is on the cover plate of the harmonica. Post a comment below. Pay attention to the rhythm of the melody; the best way to accurately play the notes with the correct rhythm is to play … Place the harmonica between your lips until it touches the corners of your mouth; the place where your top and bottom lips meet. Tilt the back of the harmonica up towards your nose. Depending on whether you inhale or exhale through your harp, different notes are produced by the reeds. The instructions for the exercise in this how-to video are helpful for harmonica players of any level, and the exercise will help build your creativity. Simple and practical to get information to learning process. This position actually lends itself to other techniques as well, so embrace it. The blues key that you'll play in is the note that the 2 … This is covered later. Next, play the note by drawing or blowing air through the harmonica with either a tongue block or a pucker: Embouchure is what you do with your mouth when playing a musical instrument. Use your forearms to bring the harmonica to your open mouth. Cup your right hand around the right end to support and control the harmonica. Harmonica player Matt Bradshaw discusses the basics of harmonica playing. Read the steps below to discover how to play the harmonica To begin Choose a harmonica. This is called “straight-harp” or “first position.” Guess again! To create this article, 45 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. I have a 16 hole harmonica, but it is from Sardinia. As you might suspect, the number of holes you blow through is partly controlled by your lips. Like most instruments, everyone sounds bad when they start playing harmonica, and it takes some people longer than others to develop a good sound. A common shorthand term for the harmonica is the “harp.” This comes from its other traditional names, including “French harp” and “blues harp.” As long as the context is clear, the words “harmonica” and “harp” can be used interchangeably. Guess again! In terms of materials, all you need is a small, diatonic (meaning that it has no button on the side) harmonica in the key of C. - means to draw air through the harp + means to blow air through the harp. It took a lot of persistance and a few paid courses to play harmonica on a decent level. with the flat 7th added to the basic triad), and melody notes from the blues scale (see below). Another work around is by playing in parallel minors. Use a mirror to check that your upper lip is deep over the harmonica as demonstrated in this picture…. Because of their flexibility, 12-plus-note chromatic harmonicas are generally preferred for jazz music. If you like jazz, blues, country or rock, then do not hesitate and download this app. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. When playing the harmonica, take the instrument in your hand, set in front of your mouth, and then blow and draw through the mouthpiece while moving the instrument left and right, vibrating the reeds and producing notes. This app is ideal for anyone who wants to start playing harmonica and for those who already know how to play it. (function (w,d) {var loader = function () {var s = d.createElement("script"), tag = d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.src="https://cdn.iubenda.com/iubenda.js"; tag.parentNode.insertBefore(s,tag);}; if(w.addEventListener){w.addEventListener("load", loader, false);}else if(w.attachEvent){w.attachEvent("onload", loader);}else{w.onload = loader;}})(window, document); The key of the harmonica is the note that the 4 Blow hole plays. The basic technique for bending a note is to make the opening in your lips very very small, and sharply suck air through them into the hole you want to bend. First, A C diatonic harmonica can reach various modes of the minor scale using bending, like Mixolydian b6 or Phrygian Major. Diatonic, however, is the most common type of harmonica. 5 … There is probably a blockage that you need to clean out. Try adding texture by playing multiple notes at once. (I’m emphasizing this because I know you can succeed with the harmonica if you develop good habits right from the beginning.) Guess again! These lessons are designed for beginners through to advanced players, and provide a structured approach to learning harmonica, without confusing details. Don't play everything in chords! Cookies Choose a harmonica. If you only learn this one thing today, you’ve made this visit worth your while and created the foundations for learning the harmonica the right way! On a 10-hole harp, the highest note would be (down) 10. By using our site, you agree to our. Read on for another quiz question. The main thing is to become comfortable switching between single notes and multiple notes. Correct! Gently close your lips over the cover. With the harmonica tabs it's so incredibly easy and all the songs are divided into categories based on difficulty level. Some notes on a regular 10-hole harmonica overlap, notably (down) 2 and (up) 3. There are many different types of harmonica available for purchase, which vary in use and price. If you’ve been having a hard time learning to play harmonica, it’s likely you have not been using the Deep Relaxed Embouchure as seen in Figure 1 below. Even as you take lessons, continue to rely on guides and books to help augment your playing. This will be enough for you and your child to play the songs. Privacy Unlike many harmonica teachers, I highly advise against tight puckering or tongue-blocking in the beginning or you will have a much harder time learning to bend. Harmonica Lesson 1. You don’t need to know how to read musical notation to play the harmonica. Place your lips on the harmonica mouthpiece over the desired hole. Play a muted, soft sound by leaving the sounding hole mostly closed. The blues harmonica is easy to play with a little practice. Not exactly. Similar to guitar, there is a unique method of notating harmonica music, called tablature (or tabs for short), that is much easier to learn and read than traditional notation. The lower lip is shallow on the harmonica. A chromatic harp's sliding bar is also usually made of metal. On this page I reveal the number one, easiest secret I know for learning how to play the harmonica with a rich bluesy tone and solid rhythm by getting your mouth position right! The angling of the harmonica down into your lower lip is critical (see Figure 1 above). This is called “cross-harp” or “second position” and is perfect for blues riffs. The truth is that tight puckering of the lips will get you off to a fast start but is ultimately a dead-end street. Use your fingers to pull down the lower lip to make sure that the harmonica is contacting the tender inner surface of your lower lip. Yours faithfully Andrew Balogh Read more. It may need cleaning. I’m asking because far too many intermediate level players get stuck with bad habits and find themselves frustrated, unable to play songs accurately, and discouraged when attempting to bend. Guess again! Basic chromatic harmonicas with 10 notes can only play one full key (the same as a diatonic harmonica), but chromatics with 12-16 holes can be tuned to any key. Unfold your lower lip. However, once you practice and get comfortable reading one type, most other types will make sense to you quickly. A Tip for playing, Do not move your … Here are some free harmonica lessons from my Harmonica Academy teaching site. When we learn an instrument, we’re often told a similar message – practise, practise, practise, then practise some more. This is necessary to allow proper range for playing scales. I recorded the original melodies and an enhanced version for the intermediate harmonica players. If you want to bring each note up a step, breathe in through the harmonica. You're in! Once you've mastered this, try playing a C scale, which on a C-tuned diatonic harmonica begins with up-4 and moves up to up-7. The Soviet Anthem should be quite easy to learn on a C harmonica, so keep practicing and don’t forget to take breaks from time to time. Start by opening your mouth to cover the first four holes of your harp. In the western world, the blues harmonica is common; in east Asia, the tremolo harmonica is seen more often. Try another answer... Definitely not! Hold the harmonica in your right hand so the numbers are facing up (the lowest sounding note should be on your left). Use the side (blade) of your tongue to block. How to Play Harmonica Beginner Harmonica Songs Blues Harmonica Lessons Live, ... Harmonica Store: 10-Hole Diatonic Harmonicas Chromatic Harmonicas Buy a Harmonica Book/Harmonca Harmonica Package Deals Skype or Phone Lessons Harmonica Instruction Books How to Buy a Harmonica Harmonica Song & Tab Books Beginner Harmonicas. There's no reason to drop all your other material just because you're supplementing it with professional lessons. It’s another form of tablature; some people use arrows, while some use punctuation. Bending notes on a harmonica requires a strong core and strong lungs to sustain. Read the steps below to learn how to play a harmonica. More advanced techniques are marked with slashes or another small mark. Create a train whistle effect by starting with the sounding hole open, then tapping it shut and open again once. There are a number of techniques. Start simple and then increase complexity. On a C-tuned diatonic harmonica, the C scale starts with (up) 4 and climbs to (up) 7. Got something to say? Yes, as it is easier for beginners because you have less holes to think about. Take the harmonica in your left hand, and hold it between your first finger and thumb, like this. Basic chromatic harmonicas with 10 notes can only play one full key, but chromatics with 12 to 16 holes can be tuned to any key. Chromatic harmonicas are played pretty much the same as a regular harmonica, except if you push the button on the side, the pitch will change up one half-step. The harmonica is contacting the inner surface of your lower lip. Try adding a chord at the end of a verse or phrase. It’s probably useful at this point to provide a bit of detail on my own … The first four holes are the C major chords: from 4 to 7 are the C scale. Which brings us to the harmonica, and a couple of commonly asked questions on harp forums – exactly how difficult is it to play, and how much return does it give you on your time spent learning to play it. This is not the advanced hand technique but this will make it easier for now…first things first. Think tabs with rocket boosters. Not quite! Most diatonic harmonicas are tuned to the key of C. Types of diatonic harmonica include the “blues harmonica,” the “tremolo harmonica,” and the “octave harmonica.”. It's tuned to a specific key that can't be changed. The harmonica is often one of the first instruments taught in school. Perhaps your lips are blocking the airway, or maybe the harmonica has moisture (saliva) in it, rendering it unplayable. To create this article, 45 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Yes! Be very careful when you practice note bending. This article has been viewed 682,279 times. Dianetics is a Scientology concept regarding the relationship between the mind and body. Repeat the standard out/in pattern except for on the seventh hole, where you switch to in/out. I recommend this book another person who want to know the secret to play harmonicas on an easy way. Am I blowing too softly? Either type can be used to play most popular music, such as blues or folk. But with the arrival of COVID-19, the stakes are higher than ever. Watch this harmonica tutorial video to learn how to play the harmonica one hole at a time. Click here to see a free video that teaches the Deep Relaxed Embouchure, or follow the steps below. Tongue blocking uses the side (blade) of the tongue to produce an airy sound and is a great way to roll single notes into chords without breaking the original note. Read on for another quiz question. (BTW…bending is that crying, wailing, soul-melting sound that has made the harmonica famous.). Notice in the photograph how the lower lip is unfolded so that the harmonica is making contact with the inner surface of the lower lip. Maybe because you aren’t blowing enough or there is too much saliva blocking the air. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. If your harmonica is not in the key of C major, consult a harmonica lesson website to find out what notes are associated with your harmonica’s holes. I would suggest Harmonica For Dummies, as it goes over almost everything you need to know. Contact Once you can do this with ease, play a sustained note and then lift your tongue off halfway through to introduce the full harmony. Practice skipping by pulling the harmonica slightly away and then returning it to the appropriate position (to further your familiarity with the position of each hole) and by stopping your airflow without removing the harmonica (to give you more practice with breath control). Links, Are you a beginner or struggling to sound good on harmonica? To play a single melody note on the harmonica, use your mouth to isolate a single hole. This tutorial explains how to know what key you are playing in when playing in second position, or cross harp, in the key of E on the A. How to play the diatonic harmonica in the key of C: 1. T&C You’ll be able hear and play along with each riff – pause, rewind and even slow the play-along down. By pinching your lips more or less, you can further control the tone of the note. We've been helping billions of people around the world continue to learn, adapt, grow, and thrive for over a decade. For now, purchase either a diatonic or a chromatic harmonica. If you’re going to play the blues, you have to be thoroughly familiar with the blues form. Why can't I get a sound on it? You'll likely find that this position forces you to hold your harp at an angle, with the left end pointed slightly down and inward. Low notes are on the left and high notes are on the right 2. Check the key of it, it should be written on the side or the top or the case. If you’ve never held a harmonica before, then here is your first harmonica lesson. [1] X Research source The diatonic harmonica is arguably the most common type available, and certainly the cheapest. Tongue blocks can be used to add a waltz- or polka-like airiness to songs by alternating them with individual notes, or in any of a number of other different ways. The videos show you how to play the harmonica – when to draw and blow the air and which holes to play. Guess again! Congratulations! One of the first things you’ll wanna learn on the harmonica, and which will open up the world of playing songs for you, is how to deliberately only play one note on the harmonica – instead of hitting a couple of notes at the same time – which is essentially the “default” sound of the harmonica.There are two main ways to What is the problem and how can I fix it? These scales complement each other nicely, each filling in the other without having to add extra holes. Practice switching between playing one hole and multiple holes. Last Updated: July 28, 2020 Chromatics are considerably more expensive than most diatonic harmonicas; a quality chromatic from a reputable brand can cost several hundred dollars. Position your mouth over the fourth hole. Harmonica tabs are good. The reeds inside your harmonica are delicate and will wear out over time. Not quite. I’m asking because far too many intermediate level players get stuck with bad habits and find themselves frustrated, unable to play songs accurately, and discouraged when attempting to bend.