Chromatic Harmonica Scales

Permission to republish this page kindly granted by Aqueduct This post shows the notes included in the major scales and how they are played on a solo layout 12 hole chromatic harmonica in key of C. The idea is to help visualise the different keys. Repeated or choice notes are shown so you may make your own choice […]

The chromatic harmonica is a type of harmonica that uses a button-activated sliding bar to redirect air from the hole in the mouthpiece to the selected reed-plate desired. When the button is not pressed, an altered diatonic major scale of the key of the harmonica is available, while depressing the button accesses the same scale a semitone higher in each hole. Thus, the […]

Blues is the most important harmonica style. Once you have learnt the basics, you will be able to play blues with musicians everywhere. Most people a*sociate the harmonica with blues, music sounding like this: Blues Harmonica Type (or Blues Harp) is name used in the Americas. But in Asia, people call  Richter-tuned harmonica, or 10-hole harmonica, […]

The Harmonica The harmonica commonly called the mouth organ is one of those musical instruments that have a lot of appeal and charm for an instrument beginner. This is because it is amongst the most uncomplicated musical instruments to play and still ranks top amongst the most romantic ones, primarily as it sound the most […]

The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. There are many types of harmonica, including diatonic, chromatic, tremolo, octave, orchestral, and bass versions. A harmonica is […]

How to make a ‘tin sandwich’… The Blues Harp Comb The centre section (black PVC plastic in the picture). The comb houses 10 blow holes and chambers. Originally it was crafted from pear or apple wood (it still is on models such as the Hohner Marine Band and Blues Harp). Wood expands and shrinks with […]

Harp History – Harmonica History The harmonica has a long history, beginning in China with an instrument called the Sheng. The harmonica was further developed in Europe early in the 19th century, with the first harmonicas manufactured in Germany. The best known harmonica company, Hohner, is still based in Germany. Matthias Hohner introuduced the harmonica […]

Where can I get one? Your local friendly music shop, on line or through specialist harp suppliers (see below). eBay isn’t recommended in this instance as you just don’t know what you’re gonna get or where it’s been! Music shops are the obvious first choice, however in my experience very few know much about harmonicas. […]

Got yourself a blues harp but don’t know what to do with it? Well, a*suming you are naturally right handed and purse your lips when you try to play, here’s how to get started. Holding your harmonica You’ll notice the numbers 1 to 10 are printed on one side of your harmonica. These relate to each […]

Together with accuracy, this is an essential foundation skill for any aspiring harmonica player. The principle steps to good tone are these: Controlled breathing A moist and airtight seal Accurate single notes Tongue in neutral Open mouth cavity Open vocal tract Work from the diaphragm Breath control This is neither table football, nor a MacDonald’s milkshake. […]

Bend it! There is no doubt that learning to draw bend marks the transition from beginner to intermediate harmonica playing. When we find our first bend, it feels like we’ve just won the lottery. After hours of perseverance, we’re punching the air and yelling ‘woohoo’ like Homer Simpson. We want to tell all our friends. We want to […]

Part One Be aware that blow bends take place at the top end of the harp. We’re talking holes 8-10 in principal. You will also find a slight dip in hole 7, however as there is no semitone interval between the blow and draw note, political correctitude says this is officially not a bending hole. […]

What’s a trill? It’s when you alternate (move back and forth) rapidly between two adjacent holes. Trills can be achieved by puckering or tongue blocking. I find puckering best for control, but remember seeing an interview with James Cotton in which he cites Little Walter’s tone when playing tongue-blocked trills as totally ground breaking. Technically […]

Wah-wah This starts by cupping the harp, which is when we use both hands to create an airtight chamber around the harp. It actually amplifies the sound and gives it a warmer tone. In terms of physics, we are harnessing waveforms and using them to our advantage. The image (left) illustrates the cupped hand hold […]

Here are a couple of simple techniques that will elevate your phrasing and musical expression. Call them musical ornamentation. Glissando Glissando (gliss.) is derived from the French verb glisser or it’s adjective glissant, meaning sliding or gliding. A glissando can be achieved in an upward or downward direction. It often preceeds the beat and target […]