Playing the harmonica?

[vict0r]

Hello there!

Today, I decided I should learn to play the harmonica. I've been thinking of starting with guitar, but it's too big and clumsy for my taste. Especially since I'm moving to England in short time. So I wanted a small, but (potentially) good-sounding instrument and my choice naturally landed on the Harmonica. I've never heard much of harmonica, but it seems like a "cozy" little instrument that's easy to bring along.
I'm also pretty tired of all the people trying to learn the guitar lately, and I wanted to start my own little thingy. So, the first thing tomorrow I'm going to get me a 10-hole diatonic harmonica in the tone of "C"! 

Are there anyone else out there who plays the harmonica or who are fans of the instrument?

[Captain Lexington]

I play the harmonica, started in November.


Not terribly great yet, but it is a lot of fun. Don't go in there thinking it will be super easy to use, but practicing can be done at any time, really. It's a fun little instrument, and you can really impress people with some pretty basic songs.

I love it. 

Have fun.

[LimpingFish]

I play. Have done for a while now. Very relaxing.

Lots of spit involved, though.

[vict0r]

Cool!

Don't go in there thinking it will be super easy to use

Indeed. When I tell my friends that I want to play the harmonica, they laugh of me and tell me that playing the harmonica is easy and that everyone can do without practice.. And they tell me to play the guitar instead..

Do you have any recordings of what you've done?

[deadsuperhero]

Harmonica's are awesome. They're a bit hard at first, but you pick up the skill really easily. It's a fun thing to do during class at school.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

I used to play the harmonica when I was a kid.  Man that was ages ago.  It's one of those instruments that feels like you're playing a little game rather than performing.

[Andail]

I can't really play it, but I like to try it on whenever I feel my songs could use some more folkiness. I played it for this piece (which I uploaded to the cl some time ago).

[vict0r]

Yay! Now I have just gotten my very first harmonica!

A Hohner 10-hole diatonic harmonica in the tone of "C". Whatever that means.. I'm off to learn the ways of music!


And of course, a picture:

[Adamski]

Make sure to learn to play single notes by covering the correct holes with your tongue. Also learning how to bend notes is essential for playing almost chromatically on a non-chromatic harmonica (you can't play sharps/flats on one tuned to C for example) - it's also probably the most difficult skill to learn as it takes a lot of practise to get your mouth and tongue to make the right shapes to get the reeds to vibrate in different ways.

Should be able to play 'Love Me Do' in no time at all though!

[Harvester]

I have a 10-hole diatonic harmonica in the key of D, but don't know how to play it since I can't find any tutorials on the Internet. The only thing I know so far is to play single notes.

[vict0r]

@Adamski: I don't understand how I could play single notes by using my tounge. A tutorial I watched told me to use my under lip in some strange way.

And do you have any tabs on "Love Me Do"?


@Harvester: Try to make your own songs then!

[Hudders]

I play harmonica. It's a very cool little instrument.

I used to have a 48 hole harp but I gave up on that really quickly. The ten hole version is much easier to cope with.

[vict0r]

Yay!

I just had a dream about harmonicas and suddenly woke up feeling 100% awake. So I pick up my harmonica and start some breathing practice I learnt somewhere. I decide that I should try to learn some real songs, so I search through the interweb and find some beginner tabs.

And about an hour later, I now play "Mary had a little lamb" and "Blowin' in the wind" pretty decent (in my opinion), with tabs of course!

[Becky]

@Adamski: I don't understand how I could play single notes by using my tounge.

Basically, you cover three holes at a time with your mouth, and block the two you don't want to let air into with your tongue. It gives you much more flexibility and dexterity than trying to use the bottom lip, and it makes it easier to bend notes too.

Edit: Whoops, this is Adamski logged in as Becky if you hadn't guessed!

[Harvester]

Any links for the tabs on the Net?

[vict0r]

What the...? Cover two of the holes with my tongue? How can that even be possible?

And Harvester: Here's some beginner songs and lessons

[Harvester]

Hey, thanks man!

[vict0r]

I don't know if those will work with a D-tuned one though...

[Captain Lexington]

Sorry, I totally forgot about this thread.

www.harptabs.com is where I go for all my tab needs.

I can't really play as many songs as I should be able to given how long I've been playing (since November), although I play a mean 'Battle Hymn of the Republic.'

I could post a recording of that I made for a documentary, although it might be a bit embarrassing. My grandfather gave me a good tip today, and that is to play the scale (do, re, mi, etc.)  up and down, which appear to be 3, -3, 4, -4, 5, -5, -6, 6

(- means inhale, which is pretty standard in tabs.)

I just got a new Hohner Special 20 Diatonic C (Key of C means the lowest note--1--is C.), for my grandparents' 50th anniversary.

[Harvester]

I don't know if those will work with a D-tuned one though...

Of course they will work. It will be the same melody in a different key.