Learning the Harmonica

The D.C Swan

Anyone play the harmonica out there. Looking for a few pointers!

dbs_sailor

No real pointers off me I'm afraid!! HOWEVER:

I bet €10 that you took up harmonica after listening to Toots Thielemans. If not, listen to him now - amazing. There's tons of vids up on youtube of him - I especially recommend a few live shows he played with Jaco. Amazing stuff.

I'm waiting on a chromatic harmonica in the post off Thomann at the minute, so if you get a teacher or anything let me know!

Best of luck, buddy!

gracehopper

I play a bit. I dont have any technical information on how to teach you but if you are playing a blues type style and intend bending notes like Don Baker then:

-you'll need to work on your inhaling.
-Your mouth will cover 3 holes, block 2 of these with your tongue.
-Buy an A harp. This will work for cross key playing against 12 bar blues in the key of E
-You'll get a decent Lee-Oskar for around 30 quid but there are cheaper hohners for around 15 quid. You can get them in goodwins in capel street.

hope this helps!
David(Gracehopper)

Blackhorse Slim

This is a good place to start.

gracehopper

Blackhorse Slim wrote: »

This is a good place to start.

cool site man. Will save it to my favourites.

The D.C Swan

Gracehopper are you reading my mind??

I am currently trying to learn the blues, I even went so far as to purchase the Don Baker book!!

I got a D harp(Lee-Oskar! €30) as I have tuned my guitar to D which is great for slide.

And correct I do need to work on my inhaling. Now I was never the most patient of people but it's the the positioning of the mouth over the holes and working the scale that is getting me.

Blackhorse I'll try the website Cheers!

Either of you ever gone down the lessons road?

topper75

Loved playing it years back - blues etc. a la Don Baker.

However got frustrated that reeds go so easily on them and gave up. They are quite expensive when you have a set in different keys and keep having to replace them.

In fairness though, no sound like it when it is played well. Can make a track.

gracehopper

The D.C Swan wrote: »

Gracehopper are you reading my mind??

I am currently trying to learn the blues, I even went so far as to purchase the Don Baker book!!

I got a D harp(Lee-Oskar! €30) as I have tuned my guitar to D which is great for slide.

And correct I do need to work on my inhaling. Now I was never the most patient of people but it's the the positioning of the mouth over the holes and working the scale that is getting me.

Blackhorse I'll try the website Cheers!

Either of you ever gone down the lessons road?

I've never really taken lessons although i have met some people who are excellent players and they showed me some stuff. I'd be keen to play it a bit more. The music im doing at the moment doesnt really lend itself to it but as topper said below it can really make a song. Just buy a few cheap ones and a muddy waters greatest hits album and you'll have a bit of crack perfecting the bending technique.

I always find determining the key for blues a bit weird. Correct me if im wrong but i think you are supposed to buy the harp for the fourth note in the scale you are trying to play.

Blackhorse Slim

That's correct, it's called cross harping and it's the normal way to play blues harmonica. Quite a few harmonicas are marked with the key of the harmonica itself and the key you can play cross harp with (usually marked as the second).

I don't play myself (I'll stick to guitar) but there's a harmonica player in my band, so I pick up a few things here and there

dbs_sailor

just got my chromatic!!! the thing is the size of a horse's harp!!!!!

been using that site for tips and stuff.

any other chromatic players out there?

willdufauve

You can also check out the harmonica players online message board called Harp List, or Harp-L.

Chromatics are fussy, lot's of windsavers and maintainence issues. Most people find it easier to start with a cheap 10 hole diatonic harmonica and learn some basic skills first.

Listen to the great players...Big Walter Horton, Little Walter Jacobs, Sonny Boy Williamson, Junior Wells, the Howling Wolf, etc., see what sounds you like and try to copy them.

Good luck,
Will