Shawn Leonhardt

Bending on a harmonica creates a richer sound and expresses passion in the instrument no other technique can match.

We sometimes bend notes to create those not present on the diatonic harp. Other times, we bend out of expression. Much of the emotion that comes from the blues harp originates in the wails and cries created from bending of notes.

While note bending is a technical skill, there’s also a certain level of feeling that comes into play. Here we’ll look at what bending means and then cover some specific techniques and best practices for learning how to bend.

What does “bending” on a harmonica mean?

Bending on harmonica is a technique where you change the shape of your mouth to pressurize the airstream and lower the pitch of a note. In doing so, you’re able to play semi-chromatically (half-steps) on an otherwise diatonic harp. For example, you can’t reach a C# on a C diatonic harmonica without bending.

Some other instruments allow for bending notes as well. For example, guitarists can physically bend a string up or down to raise its pitch.

Draw (inhale) bending works on holes 1-6 and blow (exhale) bending on holes 8-10 of the diatonic harmonica. Let’s look at the specific techniques for bending in more detail.

Techniques for draw bending notes on harmonica

When I first started playing, I just used a form of vibrato learned from playing other woodwind instruments to bend my harmonica notes. It turned out I was missing some basic 10-hole diatonic harmonica features that would have made my life easier.

Draw bending is generally easier than blow bending on harmonica, so we’ll start there. Most students also find that either the 4-hole draw or the 1-hole draw is easiest.

Tilting the harp

Hearing how a bent note sounds will help you understand when your attempts at bending are successful. And the easiest way to do this is by simply tilting the harmonica as follows:

1. Start by playing a 4-hole draw—drawing air through the fourth hole to play a single note. Most harmonicists consider bending on the 4-hole draw to be the easiest starting point.
2. Slowly begin tilting the rear of the harmonica (the far end) upward.
3. As the harmonica tilts past 45°, gradually push your bottom lip out to accommodate the harmonica and maintain airflow.
4. Once the harmonica is basically perpendicular with the floor and flat on your face, you’re reached the low point in the bend. Continuing drawing and slowly tilt the harmonica back down to the original position.

You’ll hear the pitch gradually bend down and then back up if you’re correctly using this technique.

Tilting isn’t a bending technique you’ll want to continue using when you play ordinarily—though many harpists will naturally tilt their harmonica at a slight angle when playing (related: How to Hold a Harmonica). It’s just not practical to tilt that much once you start playing faster licks.

But tilting can be a helpful exercise to show you what bending a note should sound like before you move on to more advanced techniques.

Vocalizing “eee-ooo”

This next draw bending technique is basic but helps you begin correctly forming your mouth to bend without tilting the harp. Be conscious of where your tongue is as you mimic these mouth movements. Here are the steps:

1. Stretch your mouth wide as if you’re making an exaggerated “eee” sound.
2. Hold the harmonica to your lips and play a 4-note draw.
3. While drawing air in, slowly narrow your mouth as if changing an “ooo” sound. Your tongue should retract deeper in your mouth and up toward the roof of your mouth, lowering the pitch of the note.
4. Once you reach the low point of the bend, change your mouth shape once more back to the “eee” position, returning to the original clean note.

The key action with this technique is your tongue moving back and up. While the tip of your tongue remains down in your mouth, the back of your tongue should rise, closing the gap with the roof of your mouth. This restricts the space for airflow, increasing its speed and lowering the pitch of the note.

The whistle or “koh” technique

This last draw bend technique builds on the previous two and requires you to change the form of your mouth once more:

1. Whistle normally without using the harmonica. Practice raising and lowering your pitch and switching between drawing and blowing. Notice how your mouth changes each time.
2. Keep a similar shape to your mouth as you play a single 4-note draw. Don’t whistle through the harp. Just try to mimic the same form, as if sucking a milkshake through a straw.
3. Retract and lift the back of your tongue so it begins to restrict the airflow between the roof of your mouth. The front of your jaw should drop with this movement as the note bends.
4. To return to a clean note, drop your tongue and slide it back forward to the starting position, widening your airway.

Once you’ve gotten the hang of this technique, you should feel your soft palate—the soft tissue at the back roof of your mouth—start to rise with each bend. This is the same motion you feel when you yawn.

Continue to practice draw bending on harmonica until you’re comfortable with it. Then you’re ready to advance to blow bending.

Blow bending notes on harmonica

Blow bending is relatively difficult at higher pitches. That’s why it’s best to learn this technique on a lower-key harmonica, such as a G harmonica. It’s also easier to learn to blow bend on hole 8 before moving to the more difficult holes 9 and 10.

Blow bending uses a similar technique to draw bending. The main difference, apart from airflow direction, is that you’ll feel more tension in the front of your mouth. You may also need to blow more forcefully to get your airflow creating the right sound. Here are the steps:

1. Try blow whistling without the harp and practice lowering the pitch.
2. Keep the same mouth form and now single blow on hole 8 in the harmonica. Again, you don’t want to actually whistle here. Just maintain a similar mouth shape while blowing the clean note.
3. While you’re blowing, slowly raise the back of your tongue, pinching the airflow. The “eee-ooo” method can work here but may require more forced blowing to successfully bend. It may also help to close your jaw a bit, narrowing your mouth.
4. Once you’ve reached the bend, lower your tongue once more to return to playing a clean note again.

Repeat this process with hole 8 until you’re consistently bending. Then do the same with hole 9. And once you’re able to blow bend on hole 9, you’re ready to work on hole 10.

Holes 9 and 10 are less forgiving and more sensitive to subtle changes in mouth shape and positioning. Following these steps slowly will help you catch the precise positioning for this technique.

General steps for improving at bending

Being able to bend harmonica is one thing. Being able to do it consistently well, and on demand, is something else. Here are a few practice steps you can take to progressively improve with bending once you get the basic techniques down:

Start with a clean note and bend as low as you can

You’ll likely struggle initially just to lower the pitch with each attempt at bending. But check a tuner or harmonica map like those pictured here to see which notes you’re aiming for with each hole. This should help you start to get a clear sense of when you’re hitting the lower notes.

Bend and hold a note

Bend down to a note and hold it. Then keep your mouth shape and positioning and blow (or draw) intermittently—blow-stop-blow-stop. The purpose here is to further train your muscle memory to each note. You’ll find that even slight changes in your mouth between blows will throw off your technique.

Bend without starting from a clean note

Being able to hit a bend without “bending” gradually from a clean note is the final step to mastering this technique. When you can dependably hit the note straight away, you’ll know you’ve really internalized how to bend.

Conclusion

Whether you want to play the blues or just want to take your playing to the next level, learning to bend on harmonica is essential.

The hardest part about bending notes on harmonica is finding the right way to position your mouth and control your airway. But you should pick it up with a little consistent practice over time.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can start bending your notes more for expression. And that’s when your harmonica playing will really come to life!

Failing to learn proper technique as a beginner is one of the biggest mistakes many musicians make. Bad habits learned early can limit your performance and be hard to unlearn. And improperly holding a harmonica is no exception.

When I first started playing, I held the harmonica the way that seemed most comfortable. This did not go well. My poor grip on the instrument led to muted notes, difficulty controlling volume and even dropping the harmonica at times!

I ended up needing to reset and learn proper technique from the beginning. My goal here is to show you the correct harmonica holding techniques to help you avoid a similar fate.

Steps for properly holding a harmonica

These steps may feel a bit unnatural at first. But you’ll begin to see how important it is to hold the harp correctly as you play notes back and forth. Especially when you draw notes (inhaling through the harmonica) you’ll find a solid grasp keeps the instrument from moving too much—a problem that can lead to playing the wrong note.

The steps below were written with the assumption that the right hand is your dominant hand. Simply substitute left for right if you’re lefthanded. You may feel the need to adjust over time. But get comfortable with these techniques first.

1. Turn the harmonica lengthways so the numbers are on top.

This is the proper upright position for the instrument. For diatonic harmonicas, the numbers will range from “1” on the left side to “10” on the right side.

2. Form a C shape with your left hand and place the harmonica inside.

The side with hole number “1” should be furthest inside the C shape. Rest your forefinger across the top and far back so you can still see all the hole numbers. Grip the harmonica across the bottom with your thumb. Your left-hand forefinger shouldn’t be covering the numbers.

3. Place your middle left finger behind the harmonica.

You should now be holding the harp in the cup of your left hand with your middle finger supporting it in the back.

4. Turn your left ring and pinky fingers toward you under the harmonica, forming a cup shape.

This positioning will allow for a little more resonance when you play. It basically creates an extra sound chamber.

5. Bring your right hand under the harmonica.

Hold your right thumb against the right side of the harmonica for support. This will help keep the harmonica from slipping through as you move the harmonica back and forth to play it.

6. Wrap the fingers on your right hand over the fingers on your left.

You should now have a closed grip around the harp without fully covering it at the front end.

Make sure there isn’t any extra flesh from your hand blocking any of the holes and you can play each one with blowing and drawing air.

Changing your harmonica grip for tone and resonance

There are a couple ways you can vary your grip with your right, or dominant, hand that can be helpful as you become a more proficient harmonicist. Both are helpful to learn from the beginning.

A closed cup for lower tones and a muted effect

Cupping your right hand over the front of the harp and forming a seal with your left hand can create a muted or heavy-bass effect. This adds a character to your sound popular in some styles of play, especially blues.

Open hands for higher tones and greater resonance

You can reach higher notes by drawing back the fingers on your left and right hand to open the front of the harmonica further. This holding technique also allows the sound to carry further from the harmonica.

Alternating between open hands and a closed-cup grip will give you a wah-wah type effect while playing.

Common mistakes when holding a harmonica

A handful of common mistakes when holding a harp are often the cause of new musicians’ struggles to get the right sounds from their harps. Below are some of these mistakes to look out for and avoid in your own playing.

Playing with only one hand

Not only is this sloppy and lazy, but it also takes longer to switch between notes. Jumping from note to note, controlling volume and creating a wah-wah sound becomes much easier when you have both hands firmly gripping the instrument.

Trying to look at the harmonica while playing

You won’t be able to see most of the harmonica if you’re holding it properly. This why harmonica is sometimes called a blind instrument. You’re supposed to play it without seeing it.

Just as your fingers “learn” where the different keys are on a keyboard as you learn to type, your mouth will learn where the holes are on a harmonica. Your technique will suffer if you keep looking down to check progress. A proper grip will keep your eyes out of the equation, allowing you to focus on hearing and touch.

Moving your head instead of sliding the harmonica

We use a specific grip when holding the harp so that all the movements come from our hands and tongues. Our hands will shift the harp back and forth as needed and our tongues will take care of the rest of the movement. Your head should stay still!

Trying to jump ahead in skill without mastering proper holding technique

Don’t worry about vibrato, wah-wah and overblowing when first learning the harmonica. Focus on keeping a proper grip and letting your hands and mouth do all the work. Learn to play each numbered hole individually without moving your head and keep your ears trained so you never catch yourself looking down.

Holding a harmonica while using a microphone or other instrument

You may need to change the way your hold your harmonica if you’re using a microphone or playing a second instrument simultaneously. Not all the above advice becomes moot in such cases. But there are specific differences in technique to understand.

Playing into a microphone

Mounting your microphone to a stand is the best way to record or amplify your harmonica sound without affecting your hold. Simply adjust the stand to match the height of your mouth.

Be sure to leave enough space between your harmonica and mic so your hands can move freely. You don’t want to knock over the mic and ruin an otherwise perfect performance!

If you don’t have a microphone stand, try holding the mic cupped in your hand a couple inches away from your harmonica. The best way to manage this is to use your left ring and pinky fingers to hold the mic in this position. This allows your right hand to be used for extra mic support or for effects, depending on what you’re comfortable with.

Multitasking with a harmonica holder

You may want to play harmonica and a second instrument, like guitar, at the same time. You won’t be holding the harmonica with your hands in this case. You’ll instead need a harmonica holder or rack to hold the harmonica in place for you and free up your hands to play the second instrument.

These holders are placed around the neck and tightened with a screw, so they fit directly over the mouth. Some are made of metal, while others are padded for comfort.

Also, contrary to normal holding techniques, with a holder you’ll be moving your head instead of your hands. Be sure the holder is positioned correctly so you can easily move along all the tone holes. With correct tonguing techniques, you’ll find you can change notes while keeping head movement to a minimum.

I highly suggest beginners learn proper harmonica techniques, including how to hold a harmonica, before attempting to play a second instrument simultaneously. Take care of these basics before you work with harmonica holders.

Conclusion

Many musicians are self-taught these days. Many of us learn how to play thanks to blogs like this and online instructional videos. And while there’s nothing wrong with being an autodidact, it can lead to some very simple problems.

So, pay extra care to getting these techniques down early on in your harmonica journey. A proper grip on the harp allows for clean and smooth note changes. Knowing how to hold your harmonica properly will help you avoid the common mistakes that lead to stalled progress and frustration.

The harmonica is such a fun instrument to play, so let’s make sure you succeed!

Regular cleaning is essential when it comes to many musical instruments. This is especially true for wind instruments, as the saliva left behind can be detrimental.

Harmonica’s are no exception to the rule. The trouble is many people don’t know how to properly clean a harmonica. And without regular cleaning, the reeds and combs can become caked with all sorts of nastiness. This WILL affect the ability for the reeds to sound the proper note, if any at all.

I’ve been playing harmonica as a hobby now for a couple decades. Regular, quick cleanings have helped keep my harp working like new.

Harmonicas that haven’t been routinely maintained may need a more thorough cleaning. That’s what we’ll be focusing on here. In the case below I have two diatonic Hohner’s that have been played by toddlers for almost two years and need some serious TLC!

How to clean a harmonica without taking it apart?

Before getting into deep cleaning, there is one preventative step to take to really keep your instrument in great shape: avoid eating right before playing! And if you do eat first, rinse your mouth out thoroughly, or better still, brush your teeth.

This simple step will keep your harmonica from ever being too much of a hassle to wash. Your harp will stay much cleaner just by keeping your mouth clean before playing.

Limiting the amount of moisture left in your harmonica after playing is another important and easy way to keep it clean. Every time you finish playing the harmonica give it a good tap with the holes against your hand to knock out as much saliva out as possible.

If you have a plastic, metal or sealed harmonica, you can also run it under lukewarm water after each use. But be sure to tap the water out to dry it as much as possible when following this method. Moisture is our enemy in this situation.

Supplies you’ll need for cleaning a harmonica

Below is a list of some supplies that will help you give your harmonica a deep clean:

• A clean towel
• Proper screwdriver
• A bowl or pan to soak the reed plates
• Lemon juice or vinegar for soaking
• Baking soda (optional)
• A soft toothbrush or makeup brush
• Dental tools (nothing to sharp)
• Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol/alcohol spray

There are also harmonica cleaning kits available with nice spatula-like blades to help clean under the reeds. But you’ll generally be fine with just a toothbrush and a soaking. If you’re missing some of the supplies above, you can still give your harmonica a nice deep clean with a light acidic cleaner and a soft brush.

I like to use a dull dental tool to help remove any tough chunks (on the rare occasions I find them). But to be clear, this can ruin a reed and damage the wood comb. Even flat spatula blades can do damage to your harmonica with too much force.

Give your harmonica a deep cleaning in 7 steps

Depending on how often you play, your harp may need a deep cleaning every three to six months. I’d also suggest a deep cleaning before playing any used harmonica you might buy.

The deep cleaning method below works for diatonic, octave and tremolo harmonicas. We won’t address chromatic harmonicas for now, as those are less common and involve more steps.

Expect cleaning a harmonica to take at least an hour from disassembling, soaking, cleaning, drying and reassembling.

1. Disassemble the harmonica

I have two diatonic Hohner Blues Harp harmonicas (C and G) my children have manhandled and need cleaning. Although it may take less time to clean them together, I’ll be cleaning them separately to avoid potentially switching parts by mistake. We don’t need a C harmonica with G reeds!

Pick one harp and start to take it apart. Often the screws on the top and bottom interlock with one another. So as you unscrew the top, the bottom will come out at the same time. Be sure to keep track of which screws belong where.

Now remove the reed plate screws and set them aside so you know the exact order to replace them in. As I take the harmonica apart, I keep the parts in a strict order, and I take pictures. This process can help you avoid confusion later when it’s time to reassemble your harmonica.

2. Soak the reed plates

Soaking the reed plates in a lightly acidic solution for 15-30 minutes helps loosen and break up any grime left on them from prolonged use. You need a light acidic solution that will do most of the cleaning, just enough to interact with any stray particles.

Here I’ll use a slightly stronger solution of lemon juice and warm water because of the harsher treatment these harmonicas have seen. But vinegar will work just as well.

Soaking in a stronger mixture is generally unnecessary. Cleaning your harmonica is all about using common sense and being careful. Let the vinegar or lemon juice do most of the cleaning for the fragile reeds.

3. Clean the cover plates

While the reed plates are soaking, clean the cover plates with rubbing alcohol or really any common instrument cleaner. The famous Formula 65 for guitars also cleans a harmonica cover plate beautifully.

Wipe the cover plates, inside and out, with a nice clean cloth. Take care not to bend the plates, which is a possibility with cheaper harmonicas. You may also want to clean the cover plate screws with alcohol. Just make sure to keep track of where each screw belongs.

4. Clean the comb

If you have a metal or plastic comb, you can simply wash it under lukewarm water with a little soap and use a soft brush to clean it. While a gentle scrub with a dry, soft toothbrush is often enough for cleaning wooden combs.

Any appearance of mold or serious discoloration on a wooden comb is typically caused by excess moisture remaining after playing. Playing a moldy harmonica can make you sick, and replacing the comb is often wise in such cases.

Some harmonicists advocate applying a bit of sesame oil on wooden combs after cleaning. Sesame oil is known to have antifungal and antibacterial properties, as well as providing a moisture barrier. These factors help keep the comb clean and mold-free.

5. Clean the reed plates

After soaking the reed plates, it’s time to clean them with the brush. A few vital points to keep in mind here are:

• Be gentle. Use the slightest pressure to brush the reed plates.
• Brush down the reeds. Never brush across.
• Avoid bending the reed plates. Even damaging one reed can make your harp pretty much unplayable. And then you need to learn how to repair on top of cleaning!

To help remove any persistent grime on reed plates, you can also scrub with a bit of baking soda. Limit your baking soda scrub to 30 seconds or so, to avoid damaging the finish on the reed plates. Then immediately rinse under lukewarm water while lightly brushing downward on the reeds.

Let the chemistry do most of the cleaning. Any difficulty here may be a sign that you haven’t taken enough care to regularly clean your harmonica after play. Even my 10-year-old harmonica that has been used by children isn’t too dirty because simple steps were always taken to keep it dry and free of particles.

6. Leave the harmonica parts to dry

Remember that moisture is not our friend here. And the last thing we want to do is put the harmonica back together while damp.

Spread the parts of your harmonica out on a clean towel to air dry. The parts will typically need 20 minutes to an hour to completely dry, depending on surrounding humidity.

You may be tempted to dry the parts with a towel by hand. But doing so can leave behind tiny towel fibers, which can end up in your mouth later during play. If you’re the impatient type, better to use canned air—usually CO₂— to dry the parts faster.

7. Reassemble the harmonica

Reassembling your harmonica should be a breeze if you’ve kept track of all the parts.

Take one last look at your reeds to make sure they’re dry and have nothing stuck in them. Then place them back into the comb. Insert the screws in reverse order and avoid overtightening. Ensure everything looks good and then put the cover plates on.

You can use a tuner or a tuning app on your smartphone and check each hole to make sure everything is working fine. Find the right notes for your harmonica key and make sure each blow and draw match up with the corresponding notes.

Conclusion

When you take a harmonica apart you’ll realize what a simple instrument it really is. There’s no reason to not take good care of it. If you fail to maintain it, your harmonica can end up being unplayable. And any repairs necessary will often cost more than the instrument is worth!

Each time you play your harp make sure to have a clean mouth. When finished tap out any moisture and every now and again give your harmonica a deep clean. If you follow those basic steps, your harmonica will last you for many years!

Have you always wanted to be a mouth harpist or a mouth organist? No? Well perhaps those words are a bit odd and even goofy. Maybe if we call it a harmonicist it will sound more appealing!

The harmonica holds a special place in my heart, as it was the first instrument I was given as a kid. Now decades later, I’m no John Popper. But I still play the harmonica as a singer and songwriter.

And as a music teacher of multiple instruments, my job is to educate new students on how to get started playing as fast as possible. With that in mind, lets jump right into some of the most common questions about the harmonica!

Background and history of harmonicas

Who invented the harmonica?

A man named Christian Friedrich Ludwig Buschmann (1805-1864) is often credited with inventing the harmonica around 1821. But like many instruments that have evolved over time, the harmonica has more than one contributor.

The earliest harmonicas may have stemmed from a Chinese reed instrument called the sheng (笙). First introduced to Europe in the early 1800s, many instrument makers built on the reed concept from there.

Joseph Richter was one of many harmonica makers in central Europe around this time. He developed the blow and draw mechanism we still use today.

By the 1840s a clockmaker named Matthias Hohner (1833-1902) began mass producing harmonicas. As the century progressed, they became very popular. Even Abraham Lincoln was known to carry one in his pocket! And the Hohner name is still synonymous with harmonicas to this day.

What family does the harmonica belong to?

The harmonica is part of the family of free-reed aerophones. These are instruments that produce sound by moving air over reeds often made of metal. Other instruments in this family are the concertina, accordion, harmonium, pitch pipes and chord organs.

How does a harmonica work?

The harmonica is composed of a few basic parts like the cover, comb and reeds. The comb is the center body that makes up the air chambers for the reeds to vibrate in.

On the top and bottom of the comb are two reed plates, one for blowing air through and the other for drawing air in. The reeds nestle the edge of the comb chamber and vibrate when the air flows, each creating their specific notes. The larger chambers of the comb create lower notes. And the smaller chambers create higher notes.

Harmonicas create their sound when you blow air from or draw air into your mouth through the reeds. The metal reeds create specific music notes based on their length, weight and stiffness. Blowing air out through the reeds will often create a different note than drawing air in.

What is the range of a harmonica?

The range of a harmonica depends on which kind you’re playing. Chromatic 16-hole harmonicas feature all the notes in the scale and have a four-octave range. Diatonic harmonicas, which only have the notes of the specific key they’re in, can vary in range up to three octaves.

Chromatics are great for jazz or any music score that requires changing keys. A simple diatonic harmonica in one key may be more suitable for simple pop and folk music, as you won’t need a wide range.

The chord harmonica, which can have up to 48 chords, offers the widest range. It allows you to play chords that are major, minor, sevenths, augmented and diminished. Of course, with such a high number of chords available this is quite a large harmonica.

As a beginner, it’s usually wise to get a diatonic in the keys that work best for the music you hope to play.

Is harmonica easy to play?

Getting any kind of sound from a harmonica is easy—you simply blow air in or draw air out. Some other wind instruments require learning how to hold your mouth a special way just to get a sound out. But let’s face it. Creating just any sound isn’t the same as playing with the proper sound or tone.

There are a few factors that can make your playing great or awful. Embouchure is how you hold your mouth, lips and tongue on the instrument. Your embouchure can make all the difference.

Another important skill is tonguing notes, where you use your tongue to block the air, so your notes are not all slurred together. Vibrato can also be done with the tongue and mouth giving your sound a wavy quality.

Put simply, the harmonica is rather easy to play. But there are a few techniques you’ll need to practice before you can play well.

What genres of music are most popular for harmonica?

The harmonica appears in many genres of music, including pop, rock, blues, folk, bluegrass, Irish, country, jazz and classical. These days you may even hear harmonica played in some hip hop.

The harmonica can be a very versatile instrument, depending on the type. And modern hardware and software let you adapt the harmonica to almost any soundscape or genre you like.

If you’re like most aspiring harmonicists, you probably want a harmonica for blues, rock and maybe folk purposes. The only other category more popular than these would likely be children’s music. When you start playing harmonica as a beginner the easiest tunes to play are kid’s songs.

Who are some famous harmonicists?

Some examples of dedicated and expert harmonicists are Sonny Boy Williamson II, Mickey Raphael and James Cotton. But like these, many of the top harmonicists are not well known because of the instrument’s secondary role in most popular music.

Instead, you’ll more likely hear a famous vocalist, guitarist or other musician occasionally play the harmonica, though it’s not their main instrument. Some examples are Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan and Neil Young.

Bands with a dedicated harmonicist, particularly as a front man, are generally rare. But some virtuoso players do exist, like John Popper of Blues Traveler.

Buying a harmonica

How much does a good harmonica cost?

These days the music market is flooded with very cheap instruments that are barely playable. And you won’t want a harmonica from the dollar store if you’re serious about learning to play.

Beginner harmonicists will typically want to start with a diatonic or chromatic harp. A decent diatonic harmonica in any key should cost between $35 and $80. A good chromatic harmonica should cost between $90 and $250.

If you go any lower in price you risk buying an instrument with some major defects. All the notes may not sound right. And the reed quality and build will be subpar.

What key of harmonica should you get?

Your goals for playing should inform your decision about which key of harmonica to buy. For example, you’ll most often be blowing in first position if you plan to play straight melodies like traditional tunes. And key of C harp is perfect for first position playing.

You’ll be drawing more notes in second position if you’re looking for more expression like the blues and rock and roll. You’ll need a key that is a fourth above what you’re already playing for second position.

If you have a blues song in the key of E, you’ll need a key of A harmonica. This is because the notes you’re drawing on the A fit the key of E better.

The table to the right shows the most popular keys to play in along with corresponding harmonica keys.

Which harmonica is best for beginners?

In some cases, your best buy is a set of multiple keys, the most common being C, A, G, E and D. That way you can play in a variety of keys. But you might want to buy a single harmonica instead if you’re not fully committed to playing.

Here are some of the best models for a beginning harmonicist:

• Suzuki Promaster – a 10-hole diatonic
• Hohner Marine Band – a set of five diatonic harps with keys in C, A, G, E and D
• Hohner CX-12 – a 12-hole chromatic jazz harmonica
• Suzuki Chromatix SCX 48 – a 12-hole chromatic
• Lee Oskar – a 10-hole diatonic
• Seydel Blues Session Steel – a 10-hole diatonic
• East Top Chromatic – a 12-hole, 48-tune chromatic

Of course, there are many choices out there. Expect to get what you pay for when it comes to harmonicas. And look for a well-built instrument with strong customer reviews.

Owning and playing harmonica

How often should you clean your harmonica?

One of the most basic ways to keep a wind instrument clean, is to keep your mouth clean before playing. Don’t play your harmonica right after eating!

Give your harmonica a quick cleaning after each time you play it. This can be as simple as tapping the harmonica against your hand to get any moisture out. Any foreign objects that get inside can usually be gently removed with a screwdriver. Just be careful not to damage the reeds, which will affect the sound.

Depending on how often you play, it may be wise to give your harmonica a more deep cleaning once ever three to six months (related: How to Clean a Harmonica).

How to hold a harmonica?

Here are the basic steps for properly holding your harmonica:

1. Hold your left hand in a C position, keeping the thumb and finger parallel.
2. Put your harmonica in the middle of that C position and tuck it back into your hand between the index finger and thumb.
3. Cup your right hand it over your left. For an open and bright tone, leave your right hand open. For a muted effect, cover the back of your left hand with your right.

Of course, simultaneously playing the harmonica with another instrument like guitar will require a holder for hands-free play.

How to read harmonica tabs?

Harmonica tablature, or tabs, can get you started playing tunes right away, even if you can’t read sheet music. Harmonica tabs follow a simple system that tells you which specific hole to play, by number, and whether to blow air out or draw it in. Tabs are read from top to bottom and from left to right.

Blowing can be shown by an upward arrow, by “B” following the hole number or as just the hole number alone. Drawing is typically shown by a downward arrow, a hyphen (-) or by “D” following the hole number. If multiple numbers are shown, then we blow or draw all the holes shown.

An apostrophe (’) sometimes follows the hole number to indicate bending a note. For example:

• 2’ shows to play on the second hole and bend a half step
• 3’’ shows to play on the third hole and bend a whole step
• 4’’’ shows to play on the fourth hole and bend a step and a half

Bending in a harmonica is like bending a guitar string to get a different note except you’re lowering the pitch on harmonica, whereas you’re raising it on guitar.

As you advance there are a few more pointers to tablature. But these points will get you started for now. An advantage of tablature is that it’s the same across different keys. So once you learn a song on one key, the same tablature follows for every other.

How long does it take to learn harmonica?

The time needed to learn harmonica depends on several factors. You can expect to be able to play multiple songs on harmonica after a month’s practice. And prior experience with another musical instrument typically helps new harmonicists progress faster.

Harmonica is one of the quickest instruments to pick up, even if you’re completely new to playing music. You don’t have to worry about strings to tune, unlike with guitar or ukulele. And developing the proper embouchure is much easier for harmonica than for other wind instruments, such as the clarinet.

Assuming you bought a decent beginner harp, you’ll be ready to start playing songs with tablature right away. The more often you practice, the faster you’ll advance. Just don’t overdo it at first. You’ll have mouth fatigue, so give yourself at least a day’s rest when that occurs.

Can a harmonica go out of tune?

Harmonicas can go out of tune. And in fact, they all eventually go out of tune after enough playing. Even if you keep them clean, the reeds will wear overtime from blowing and saliva.

If your instrument is cheap, it’s usually best to just replace it when it goes out of tune. More expensive harps are often worth the cost or effort to repair.

Are there any helpful books available for beginner harmonicists?

If you’re really going to get into harmonica playing, I’d suggest a thorough and concise book like The Encyclopedia of the Harmonica. If that book seems too detailed, then keep it simple with Absolute Beginners Harmonica.

Apart from these more general books, you can also purchase a more genre-focused book like Rock n’ Blues Harmonica.