How to Play the Harmonica

What is a harmonica?

The harmonica is a fantastic and hugely enjoyable wind instrument that can be enjoyed by anyone, of any age. The sound made by a harmonica occurs when blades, or metal reeds, vibrate together.

The harmonica has many different holes, and each of these can make two to four separate notes. Depending on whether the player blows or sucks in the hole, a different metal reed is chosen.

In order to choose a hole, the player will use his tongue to cover up the holes that he/she doesn’t want to play, and if the user wants to play a chord, then they can suck or blow in lots of holes simultaneously. When doing this, the user can cover up either one or many of these holes so they’re not played. All of these methods can be utilised to create harmonica tablatures.

There are two different styles of harmonica; the diatonic and the chromatic.

The former is pre-tuned for a specific key, and this is typically to be found on the instrument itself. Also, the Diatonic can only cope with a limited set of notes. The Chromatic, on the other hand, is capable of playing any semitone and in several octaves.

Here are some useful tips for harmonica beginners...

Open Wide - As long as you don’t lose the single note, the further you can get the harmonica into your mouth, the better the sound will be.

Open Your Eats – It’s important to listen to harmonica player both past and present, as this will help you tune in to what sounds right and what doesn’t.

Don’t Run Before You Can Walk - If you’re a beginner, it’s best that you don’t try to play music immediately. Instead, get the basics right to begin with and practice at home. Learn how to hold the harmonica properly, and how to play single notes. Once you’ve got the basics right, you can move onto playing songs.

Relax – Make sure that you’re relaxed when playing the harmonica, or much of your energy will be lost and you won’t be able to play for as long as you’d like. The main places to concentrate on are the face and neck, as well as the back and shoulders. Relax, breathe and enjoy it!

Unstick – Often, beginners will find that their lips seem to stick to the instrument when they’re going from hole to hole. To combat this, try licking your lips beforehand, as well as wetting the mouthpiece itself before you start using it.

Go here for more tips and advice on harmonica tablatures.