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Questions tagged [harmonica]

Questions related to playing the (chromatic or diatonic) harmonica.

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The right harmonica to use [duplicate]

I play heavy guitar.drop c and am looking to mix it up with harmonica parts. I'm just wondering what would be the best key for harmonica to use.
DaveyA's user avatar
  • 1
3 votes
1 answer
143 views

About Beginner Harmonica

Which harmonica is best for beginners if I want to play Bollywood songs because I heard that 10 hole C-type harmonica can't play all songs?
Sanyuvjk's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
209 views

Learning chords on the harmonica

I have been teaching myself to play the harmonica since the start of the covid virus in 2019. I've never been focused enough to play a musical instrument until the 59th year of this life I'm living, ...
Woodrow Stout's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
924 views

Why call a harmonica a harp?

A harmonica is a wind/reed instrument, while a harp is a string instrument. Not much in common really. So why did the humble harmonica (mouth organ) get dubbed 'harp'? And, is it only Blues harps ...
Tim's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
281 views

Guitar + Harmonica Sync - Can we sync chords?

Disclaimer: I know nothing about Harmonica. I'm a guitar newbie trying to accompany my friend who is learning to play the Harmonica. My friend has a "C Major" harmonica (if that's what it's ...
TheBigK's user avatar
  • 111
1 vote
1 answer
315 views

Diatonic harmonica: draw bends from Hole 1 to Hole 6 - principles

Why the diatonic harmonica have different draw bends available? What is the principle behind this setup? Like: Hole 1 draw bend has only 1 semitone down. Hole 2 draw bend has 2 choices of semitones ...
wonderich's user avatar
  • 921
5 votes
1 answer
441 views

Diatonic harmonica: How to play the draw bend with the three semitones down (effectively)?

For the diatonic harmonica, in the 3rd draw position B, how to play the draw bend with the three semitones down (marked in blue rectangle) B, Bb, A? I could play a semitones down, most easily in the ...
wonderich's user avatar
  • 921
2 votes
3 answers
5k views

What chords/scales in guitar to play if I have a key of C harmonica?

I do not have musical theory knowledge but I enjoy playing instruments being self-taught but now I am facing some limitations being non-theory musician. I have a harmonica which is in the key of C, ...
BestAboutMe's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
305 views

Do Harmonicas come in different keys?

I am wondering if Harmonicas come in different keys. I have never played one and am confused about how they skip all the chromatic notes and stay in one key when they are playing.
Rachel Johnson's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
3k views

Which type of harmonica is the best suit for country music?

I want to play harmonica but I am not sure which type of harmonica is the correct choice for country music ? Everyone talks about blues but is same type of harmonica fits for both blues and country ?
abidinberkay's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
497 views

Note designs on the 10 hole major diatonic harmonica [duplicate]

Here is the typical note design on 10 holes major diatonic harmonica in C major: I have a few questions: Why there is a G key in the 2nd draw and the 3rd blow? But it omits the F key? also omits the ...
wonderich's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
483 views

Playing Folk Songs on a Chromatic Scale (C) Tremolo Harmonica

I have a guitar campfire songbook which contains folk songs in different keys. Most of them are in D and G, but I also have seen few in Am and C. Now I plan to play the melody with an Asian tuned ...
skymedium's user avatar
  • 171
2 votes
3 answers
225 views

Is one major and one minor scale instrument enough to play any melody?

If I buy a diatonic harmonica, I can play one octave of a major scale and its relative minor properly. Is that enough to play any melody by transcribing to the key of my harmonica?
Sushanth K's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
733 views

How to hit the right hole on the harmonica

I have been trying to self-learn the harmonica over the past few days. I notice I sometimes blow/draw from multiple holes when I only want to make a single note. There are a few questions I have ...
Bolton Bailey's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
232 views

Can anyone help me with the notes-to-holes matrix for my harmonica?

I have a Hohner Comet 80 C/F mouth harmonica. I did not practice much, although I have it for several years. One (OC ?!) reason for this is that I do not know the notes of each hole. And my mind is ...
virolino's user avatar
  • 333
2 votes
2 answers
355 views

Chromatic harmonica slider becomes less smooth after playing for about 30min

I have a Suzuki Chromatix SCX64 16-hole chromatic harmonica. Recently I find that the slider becomes less smooth (or even gets stuck somehow) after I play for about 30 minutes. I tried disassembling ...
pjhades's user avatar
  • 133
3 votes
1 answer
92 views

Does tilting the angle of the harmonica affect when overblowing?

I just read a question about overblow on harmonica. One answer gave me the impression that the direction of the air stream should be directed at the bottom reed instead of the top reed. If that is the ...
skinny peacock's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
229 views

Harmonica help please

I am unsure of what harmonica key is played, I think I am playing the right harmonica and I can get the first note and some others but I can’t seem to get all. Maybe I’m using the wrong one? The ...
Jacob's user avatar
  • 29
2 votes
0 answers
85 views

harmonica notes/tuning

Of the many 10-hole harmonicas I have, only one enables me to play almost all of the true notes in a song: The one I refer to is a Hohner which I have misplaced, having owned it for 40 years: It has ...
Trevor Stride's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
753 views

Diatonic Minor Harmonicas?

Played the other night with a harp player who mentioned harps that he had in minor keys. Sadly, never had chance to hear them used. Since there are different notes involved in minor keys, which would ...
Tim's user avatar
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3 votes
3 answers
2k views

Why is F sharp the only sharp Major Diatonic Harmonica offered and why is there no G flat harmonica?

I tune my guitar half step flat to make it easier to sing the songs I love to play. I also play harmonica along with guitar on many songs that feature a harmonica solo (Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" ...
Rockin Cowboy's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
7k views

Which harmonica to accompany guitar tuned 1/2 step down?

I am a guitar player and I am thinking of trying some harmonica (mouth organ) as well. My guitar is tuned to half step down: E♭ (D♯, G♯, C♯, F♯, A♯, D♯) and ...
Imrul.H's user avatar
  • 185
3 votes
2 answers
3k views

Harmonica on blues should be same Key as guitar?

I love blues and everytime I listen to harp (harmonica) on some Sonny Terry with Brownie McGhee for example, I really want to play Harp, the problem is how to know which Key, should I be based on the ...
BestAboutMe's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
255 views

Soft popping noises when switching notes on the harmonica? (Probably because of saliva)

I've been learning to play the harmonica for a couple of months now (on and off, honestly), and whenever I switch to different notes there's this soft popping/bubbly sound because of the saliva--how ...
user63667's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
961 views

What tabs are for a Hohner Unsere Lieblinge 32 hole harmonica?

I just got my first harmonica, a Hohner Unsere Lieblinge 32 hole. What kind of beginner tabs can I use?
Tez's user avatar
  • 21
3 votes
1 answer
405 views

Learning eastern european music style on harmonica?

I am a beginner harmonica player. I bought recently a C harmonica and subscribed to two online learning courses. After a few weeks, I noticed I would prefer to learn some Eastern European/gypsy ...
skymedium's user avatar
  • 171
0 votes
3 answers
76 views

Recording guitar & voice simultaneously: which microphone type(s)? [closed]

I wanna record some songs, which I sing and play on the acoustic guitar (+ some harmonica here and there). I wanna get two microphones: one for the guitar and one for my voice/harmonica, in order to ...
André Petitlieu's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
45 views

Self-built reeds for Blues Harp

A reed of my C blues harp went broken and I don't have the opportunity to replace the harp or the reed board until I need it. As a improvised solution, I thought of cutting a reed-shaped piece out of ...
Örom Loidl's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
214 views

Choosing the right harmonica and key

My husband is a seasoned singer songwriter and I want to buy him a harmonica for Christmas. He tunes a half step down (keeps one guitar in regular setup and another guitar in open G, though still ...
tbfedd's user avatar
  • 51
2 votes
2 answers
4k views

Only one key possible to play in for harmonicas?

Harmonicas are always tuned in a certain key. Does that mean that I can only play songs in that key on it or that it is just harder to play something written in a different key?
Örom Loidl's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Ways to accurately transcribe audible music to tabs

What are some common ways people take music and create tabs for their respective instruments? For example If I were to take a musicians rendering of a song ( ) what ...
user9192730129's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
152 views

Harmonica for pop music chords

Are there harmonica types out there that play the chords most frequently used in pop music—the 1, 4, 5 and 6 minor, or in the key if C, they chords of C, F, G and Am? A standard blues harp harmonica ...
ChrisB's user avatar
  • 143
2 votes
1 answer
733 views

Harmonica - high draw note won't sound

I have a strange situation in which i can't seem to play the draw (an 8 draw on a D harp) AT ALL on lip pursing, although i can do all the other notes, even the high ones. But it's not broken because ...
Richard Kevan's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
355 views

Is it possible to make a single free reed that plays on both air directions?

If you open an accordion, you will find that for every button there are two reeds, one which plays when in the pull direction of the bellows and one in the push. Sometimes these reeds are tuned to ...
Camilo Tejeiro's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
403 views

How do I sustain long draw notes on a Harmonica?

I love the drone you can get fron a harmonica if you sustain the note for a long time. However, I'm not sure how to keep the note sustained for a long time without having to breath. I read about ...
Beta Decay's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
797 views

Hero harmonica, 16 holes double reed, what type is it?

I have this harmonica, 16 holes double reed, a Hero brand. I am not sure what type of harmonica this is, tremolo or chromatic or whatever else. So, anyone having the same harmonica or knows about this ...
Rakesh's user avatar
  • 11
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Semitones in tremolo harmonica

I looked all the internet to get this question answered, but it's hopeless. How can I play notes with accidentals – sharp, flats/bemol – in my 24-hole tremolo harmonica, I want to play this, How can I ...
Mohamed Abduljawad's user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
304 views

Which spots of a melody are the best places to breathe during harmonica playing?

I'm practicing the song below: But when I reach the middle of the 6th bar, there's almost no air remaining in my lungs (right after E-C). The problem is that I need to breathe, say, inhale, somewhere ...
user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
384 views

Do 16 hole chromatic harmonicas exist in the key of F?

Some songs are in the key of F so trying to fill in or accompany the singer on a key of C harmonica is nearly impossible. I have a chromatic harmonica in the key of F but it"s only a 12 hole so doesn'...
Kyle Ver Steeg's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
179 views

Harmonica : what is a bend -4''?

I'm surprised seeing a -4'' bend on this page : https://www.harptabs.com/song.php?ID=16307 Does it exists ? -4' is Db so -4'' is C, +4 in fact ? Btw, replacing -4'' by +4 sounds right. What have I ...
Tarass's user avatar
  • 123
5 votes
2 answers
437 views

Diatonic vs chromatic harmonica

The hohner super chromonica has the pattern Do re mi fa sol la ti do ^ | ^ | ^ | | ^ | v | v | v v | ____ ____ ____ ___ ...
Ray's user avatar
  • 51
5 votes
2 answers
5k views

How to fix a not-working key on a Hohner Melodica

Hohner Melodica is a 50s-era keyboard instrument which sounds close to a harmonica and which you play with your mouth. Cool-looking, but the one I got from someone to review has a non-working G#. It's ...
user48939's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Get started with a tremolo Harmonica

So i got the SUZUKI Winner 20-Holes harmonica, not the best option for a beginner as i figured so i dont know where to start as i am totally new to playing music as well, checked YouTube and the major ...
AhmedWakil's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
702 views

Chromonica (chromatic harmonica) notes relating to holes

I have several chromonicas from the 50s/60s, and none seem to be 'standard'. There is only the one C/B hole in each octave, whereas it appears that standard includes two C holes (in a C instrument) ...
Tim's user avatar
  • 197k
0 votes
4 answers
2k views

Which is more affordable and easier to maintain a harmonica or a recorder?

I wanted to buy a harmonica or a recorder, as they are what i found interesting the most out of wind instruments.my budget is low at about 300 egyptian pounds, which is about20$. I have seen what ...
Ali Elsayed's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
3k views

Why does the blow/draw sequence reverse between B and C on the chromatic harmonica?

An octave of C Major on a standard chromatic harmonica is laid out this way: [ (n) == Draw ] C - 1 | D (1) | E -2 | F - (2) | G - 3 | A - (3) | B - (4) | C - 4 Why is the sequence of Blow-Draw-...
Stinkfoot's user avatar
  • 6,842
3 votes
2 answers
1k views

C Minor Chord on a Chromatic Harmonica in the key of C

Simple Question: I have a chromatic harmonica tuned to the key of C, with a slide that raises each note by one half step. It's very similar to a piano, with some exceptions: slide out == white keys; ...
Stinkfoot's user avatar
  • 6,842
1 vote
2 answers
1k views

Is Harmonica Mugig 10-hole 20-tone Blues Harp similar to the others in view of blows and draws?

I've just started learning to play (diatonic) harmonica, and here is my Mugig 10-hole 20-tone Blues Harp: Its instruction manual illustrates the note pattern as the following: But it actually ...
user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
262 views

Leaky brand new Hohner Blues Harp?

I started playing harmonica about 6 months ago, on a Hohner Marine Band. I quickly learned to play clean, single notes, and draw bends have become second nature (I'm starting to integrate blow bends, ...
Mathieu Guindon's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
104 views

Harmonica key advice sought

Could someone please clarify something for me... I'm a singer and far from being a harmonica player but I can bend a draw and find my way around. A song that my band wants to play has a little bit of ...
Mark's user avatar
  • 11