Content

• Method 2 of 3: Basic Harmonica Playing Technique
• Method 3 of 3: Advanced Techniques
• Tips

1 Choose a harmonium. There are many different types of harmonies available for purchase, which vary in purpose and price. Today, you can buy diatonic or chromatic harmonics. Any kind of music can be used to play the most popular music like blues or folk.

• Diatonic harmonica is the most common and affordable type, and of course the cheapest. It is tuned to a certain key, which cannot be changed. Most diatonic harmonica are tuned to the key C. Types of diatonic harmonica include blues harmonica, tremolo harmonica, and octave harmonica.
  • The blues harmonica is common in the west, while the tremolo harmonica is more common in East Asia.
• Chromatic harmonica is a type of harmonica that uses a mechanical apparatus to control which holes produce sound. The 10-note chromatic fundamental can only play one full sound (just like the diatonic harmonics), but the 12-16 hole chromatic harmonics can be tuned to any key. Chromatic harmonics are significantly more expensive than most diatonic harmonics; a high-quality chromatic accordion from a well-known brand can cost more than 10,000 rubles.
  • Due to its customizability, the 12-note chromatic harmonica is generally preferred for jazz music.
• A common abbreviated term for a harmonica is "harmonica". This name derives from other traditional names including "French harmonica" and "blues harmonica". As long as the context is clear, the words "accordion" and "harmonica" can be used interchangeably.

2 Learn about the harmonica. The Harmonica is a reed musical instrument that uses brass reeds. The tabs are used to create tone when you blow or blow air through the holes. The tongues are mounted on a plate called a tongue plate, which is usually made of brass. The part of the harmonic in which the reed plate is installed is called the ridge; as a rule, it is made of plastic or metal. The harmonic mouthpiece can be built into the comb, or as in chromatic harmonics, screwed on separately.Protective panels for the rest of the instrument can be made of wood, metal or plastic.

• The chromatic harmonic guide is also made of metal.
• Depending on whether you breathe in or out into the harmonica, different notes are produced by the reeds. A regular diatonic harp is tuned to C (C major) as you exhale, and G (G major) as you inhale. They complement each other perfectly and there is no need to add additional holes.
• The reeds inside the harmonica are thin and wear out over time. Easy play and regular maintenance will allow good sound for as long as possible.

3 Learn to read harmonica tablature. Like guitars, the harmonica can be played from the tablature, which simplifies the notes on the sheet music into an easily observable patterned system of holes and breaths. The tablature is also suitable for large chromatic harmonics, but it is slightly different from the diatonic tablature and is usually used less often.

• Breathing is marked with arrows. An up arrow indicates exhalation; down arrow - inhale.
  • Most holes on a diatonic harmonic produce two “adjacent” notes at a given scale, thus playing C and then D in the same scale, this is done by blowing into the corresponding hole and then drawing air from the same hole.
• The holes are numbered from the lowest (left) note to the highest. So the bottom two notes are (up) 1 and (down) 1. At a 10-hole harmonic, the highest note will be (down) 10.
  • Some notes of the normal 10-hole harmonic overlap, especially (down) 2 and (up) 3. This is necessary to ensure the correct playing range.
• More advanced methods are indicated with forward slashes or other small mark. Diagonal oblique arrows indicate that note curvature (discussed later) is required to get the correct sound. Chevrons or forward slashes on chromatic tablature indicate whether to hold the button or not.
  • There is no standardized tablature system that is used by all harmonists. However, once you practice and master reading one type, most of the other types are easy to master.

Method 2 of 3: Basic Harmonica Playing Technique

1. 1 Play notes as you exhale. The very first thing to do is practice with your new instrument by playing the notes. Select a hole or multiple holes on the mouthpiece and blow gently into them. Adjacent holes are usually designed to automatically harmonize the melody with each other, so try to produce a pleasant sound by blowing three holes at the same time. Practice by blowing one hole, then playing chords multiple holes.
   • This type of playing is called "direct harmonica" or "first position".
   • As you might have guessed, the number of holes you blow through is partially controlled by your lips. Eventually, you will learn how to use the front of your tongue to block holes (this is necessary to maintain control over the notes you play). We will talk about this below.
2. 2 Take a deep breath to change the notes. Keeping in mind that the air must be inhaled gently through the reeds, inhale, increasing the notes by one step. By inhaling and exhaling through the mouthpiece, you can access all of the harmony-tuned notes.
   • This kind of playing is called "cross-harmonic" or "second position". Cross-harmonic notes are often suitable for blues riffs.
   • If you have a chromatic harmonica, practice pressing and holding the button for additional control over the notes you play.
3. 3 Try to play the entire range. On a diatonic harmonic tuned to C, the C scale starts at (to) 4 and rises to (to) 7. The standard from / to pattern is repeated except for the 7th hole where it switches (inhale and then exits).This scale is the only full scale on the C-tuned harmonic, but it is sometimes possible to play songs on other bands, provided they do not require missing notes in the range.
4. 4 Practice. Keep practicing playing the range and individual notes until you feel comfortable playing only one note at a time. Once you are able to achieve the desired control over the instrument, choose simple songs and practice on them. Tabs for songs such as "Mary Had a Lamb" and "Oh Suzanne" are easy to find on the internet.
   • Try to add flavor by playing several notes at the same time. The next step in your practice is to loosen the control a little and add two-note and three-note chords to the songs that you practice by playing two or three adjacent holes at once. This will help you control your mouth and breathing more and play the songs more resonantly.
     • Don't play everything in chords! Try adding a chord at the end of a verse or phrase. The important thing is to learn how to switch between single notes and multiple notes.

Method 3 of 3: Advanced Techniques

1. 1 Pay for lessons. From now on, if you start practicing under the guidance of an experienced player, you will see fast and technically sound results, although you can, of course, continue to learn on your own. Harmonica lessons vary in price and frequency; feel free to try a few lessons from one teacher and then move on to another if the first one doesn't suit you.
   • Even if you are taking lessons, continue to rely on guides and books to improve your game. There is no reason to ditch other materials just because you supplement them with professional pursuits.
2. 2 Skip the holes. It's easy to get used to the pattern by constantly forcing air in and out through the harmonica, but once you start playing more advanced songs it is necessary to practice some holes in order to reach others. Play songs on notes that require you to jump over a hole or two, such as the American traditional Shenandoah melody, which has to jump from 4th to 6th hole near the end of the second phrase (on a standard C diatonic).
   • Practice skipping by pulling the harmonica slightly to the side and then returning to the desired position (to further familiarize yourself with the position of each hole), as well as stopping the air flow without removing the harmonica (to practice more with breath control).
3. 3 Play with both cupped hands. To begin with, you probably held the harmonica with your index and thumb of your left (or non-dominant) hand and moved it while playing. Add your right (or dominant) hand to the game. Rest the heel of the right palm and the thumb of the left hand, and then place the edge of the right palm together with the left so that your fingers close around the left pinky. This will create a “sounding hole” that you can use to influence the sound emanating from the harmonic.
   • Add a soft melody or yell by slapping the sounding hole, opening it and closing it. Use this technique at the end of a verse to add emotion or just to practice.
   • Create a locomotive horn effect by starting with an open sounding hole, then closing it and opening it again.
   • Play a muffled, quiet sound, leaving the sounding hole almost closed.
   • You will likely find that this position forces you to hold the harmonic at an angle with the left edge pointing down and inward. This position is actually perfect for other techniques, so take advantage of it.
4. 4 Learn to block your tongue. Tongue blocking is a great way to turn single notes into beautiful chords without breaking the original notes. By using the side (rib) of the tongue, you will block some notes of the chord, and then partially lift it as the note is sounded to add them.This technique takes practice, but the position of the hole should naturally help you achieve good results.
   • First, open your mouth to cover the first four holes of the harmonica. Using your tongue, block holes 1 through 3 and play a straight note on hole 4. If you did everything correctly, you should only hear the playing (up) 4. When you do this with ease, play a steady note and then raise your tongue. in the middle to achieve the appropriate sound.
   • Language blocks can be used to add waltz-like or polo-like lightness to songs by alternating with single notes or any number of other different ways. They are very malleable. Practice using them until you feel confident improvising from song to song.
5. 5 Start learning to change notes. Probably the most advanced technique, in terms of the sheer amount of practice required, is changing notes. Changing notes is the art of actually changing the notes that the harmonica plays, making the air flow denser and clearer. Harmonica masters can transform a diatonic harmonica into a chromatic harmonica simply by changing the notes. For now, practice using it to play flat notes to expand your repertoire.
   • The basic technique for changing notes is to make the lip opening very, very small and dramatically draw air through the lips into the opening, the position of which needs to be changed. Stretch out the cross-harmonic notes and gradually purse your lips until you hear a change in tone. By tightening your lips more or less, you can further control the tone of the note.
   • Be very careful when practicing changing notes. Because the air crosses the tabs so abruptly that it can easily loosen or bend them, destroying the instrument. Finding a balance between not changing a note and changing it too much requires patience and caution.

Tips

• When people start playing the harmonica, it doesn't sound very good at first - most take time to learn how to make good sounds. Practice every day and don't give up.
• As the notes change, breathe in / out very deeply. Changing the notes on a harmonica requires a lot of preparation and strong lungs.