I need pointers on how to play a harmonica

I got one for Christmas, I’ve been tootling on it every day and can make some fairly coherent noises, but no real “music.” I’ve always been under the assumption that harmonicas were popular working-class instruments 'cuz they were easy instruments to learn (as well as cheap and portable!) Does any one on the boards know how to actually play one? If so, are there any tips on how to play it you can impart over the internet? Or is it something I actually have to take lessons to learn how to play?

Try to find a little book called “Country and Blues Harmonica for the Musically Hopeless.” It comes with a little Hohner. The goofy book is great for learning the basics. It’s fun, humorous and totally lives up to its title.

Here’s the D18 quick ‘n’ dirty ™ harmonica lesson:

  1. lick lips to get lots of saliva on 'em, and pucker up like you’re gonna really kiss the object of your affections real good
  2. if the object of your affections is available, kiss him/her, because kissing is much more fun than playing the harmonica
  3. assuming the OOYA is unavailable, or that you’d rather play the harmonica anyway, try to open the back of your lips like you’re gonna drink from a straw. You need a nice tight little aperature
  4. place puckered lips on harmonica
    5a) blow
    5b) draw (i.e., suck in)
  5. try to adjust aperature so you get one note at a time
  6. on the draws, experiment with widening your throat (like you’re gonna try swallowing a golf ball) and lower the back of your tongue. If you do it right, the note will bend (flatten) and sound all bluesy. The first time you pull this off is orgasmic.

The main problem for beginners is that not all the notes of the scale are on the harmonica (unless you’ve got one of those travesties that have the full scale). You’ve gotta learn to make due with what’s available.

Hope this helps until a real harmonica player comes along and says I don’t know what I’m talking about. (Which may be so, but the above works for me!):wink:

Anyone care for the D18 quick ‘n’ dirty fiddle lesson?

In regards to playing a wind instrument, the positioning of the mouth is generally referred to as the embouchure. Aperture works too, but, I’m just being nit-picky.

I don’t really have any tips for playing, but my father is a self-taught harmonica player, which does lead me to believe if you have some musical knowledge, it can be easily done.
My SO got a harmonica and a lesson book, with CD, for xmas last year, but has yet to learn to play, as it causes our cat to become insanely cuddly with the player, thereby preventing him from playing, really. But that’s a story for another thread…

Do start the other thread – I want to hear this! :smiley:

And to add something here: it helps, when you play a single note, to roll your tongue and blow through it. Good thing to do when switching from chords to single notes, so you don’t have to contort your mouth as much…

My harmonica tip:

A big, bushy mustache is most definitely counter-indicated!

I bought a cheap harmonica on the subway a few years ago, thinking I could learn how to play it and then get one of those harness-type thingies for the top of my guitar… You know, I’d have this whole Dylan vibe going!

Anyways, I got home, puckered up and blew a scale along the harmonica. And the plastic housing on the top of my new harmonica grabbed hold of my 'stash, and exfoliated a large strip of my upper lip! :eek:

Astrogirl found this far funnier than I did.

I thought you had to be in prison or on a cattle drive at night to play the harmonica??

learn something new every day

You have to imprisoned while on a cattle drive. The only exception is if your first name is Blind, and your middle name is a fruit.

Therefore Blind Lemon Rabinowicz is exempted. Others must saddle up.

I echo the advice to start by learning how to play a single note at a time.

Next figure out where the notes are that make up a scale.

blow 4
suck 4
blow 5
suck 5
blow 6
suck 6
suck 7 <- not a typo
blow 7

That sequence will play a major scale in the key of the harmonica. (A C harmonica will play C major). Outside the 4 -> 7 range, things get a little weird.

The reason the sequence changes at 7 is that all of the blow notes make up a major chord. (Again, on a c harmonica, the blow notes are C E G C E G C E G C)

Next step is to learn a couple of cheesy tunes that you can play in the octave from 4 -> 7. When the Saints go Marching in is a good start.

If you are still into it at that point, go buy a book :wink:

Good luck.

I bought myself a harmonica about 15 years ago when I went travelling. I had no previous musical experience. I still carry one around with me.

There was already a thread started, so I just posted my reply.