In one easy lesson...

Difference of instrument  E A D G and cords are separate components main difference. Because each harmonica is a separate key. A guitarist will use a capo to change key, a harmonica player will change harmonica. Most common harmonica keys used are C and D.

Knowing your instrument inside and out Knowing the parts of your instrument helps you tell what might be wrong with your instrument. The reef’s angle in your harmonica can change with time and this is the most common problem. So knowing the basic parts of your instrument can help solve this problem. There are three basic parts of a harmonica.

Cleaning a harmonica  Cleaning of your harmonica is important to retain clarity of sound and reduce residue build up that can occur inside and outside the harmonica mainly across the bridge and air holes. The best tools to clean your harmonica with are make up brushes and glasses cloths.

Playing by ear techniques and tricks 1. Draw and blow air: To suck in is to draw giving you a different sound and a different set of notes to if you were to blow in. To bend a note is to long draw or long blow and move your tong up or down to channel air accordingly to control where a note is going to go. 2. To understand the positioning of your mouth on a harmonica you need to feel where the music is going to go. Ask yourself is the tone of the tune you are playing high or low. Left is low and holding back on a harmonica and right is high showing more confidence in playing. Left low notes and right high notes. This is important in anticipating where a song is going to go and in recognising keys when they are played, to feel the music.

. 3.Natural ability is a big part of playing by ear this is when the speed of learning is fast and certain things can be accomplished. If you think you have enough skill you can try a different type of bending. By shaking your head or shaking the harmonica you can produce wavy notes like a hum. This gives a more softer approach to a tune. 4. Rifts again can only be achieved with a base of skill. A rift is a braking not that sounds ruff. To cores a rift in a note you blow or such air through your teeth while bending at the same time. 5. A fun way of learning is to try out different possibilities of sounds with words. A great example would be to speak “he” into the harmonica; other words that generate sounds are “to to, ta ta, bow, duck, and jibber jabber.” To act frustrated and swear into the harmonica works well even the F word is very effective to generate varying sounds.

. 6. Stance when playing: if you are too confined by for example leaning forward you can decrease your ability by not being able to use the full potential of your lungs. To lean back when standing or sitting allows for more room for you to open out your lungs with a clear path for air to travel. 7. Beat Box: This technique is the use of beat box through a harmonica then amplified through a mike. To grasp this technique you need to first know the names of the artist who perfect this technique by mixing both forms of music. You nearly need to force almost too much air through the harmonica quickly to make this technique effective. Dave Crowe And Yuri Lane Are the main examples of beat box harmonica playing

. 8.Dealing with the mike to achieve effective use. Position of the harmonica over the mike can make all the difference in getting a clear path of sound when gigging. Angling the harmonica downwards close to the top of the mike above its centre then cupping both of your hands to hear what you play is the best position. 9.Who is the best to learn from? Adam Gussow is probably the best teacher with a harmonica. He is in a word a genius. By following his You Tube videos he takes you from the very basics to the highly skilled tricks. A good video to start from is Adam Gussow secrets revealed.

Brands to buy  The cost of a harmonica averages from ten euro to thirty in Ireland. Different brands are different quality and that effects cost. Harmonicas tend to only last a few years until they need to be replaced because the reefs get too distorted from their positions. The common harmonicas people buy in Ireland are Lee Oscar sets as they tend to be a cheaper brand for good quality. German brands like Hohners are slightly higher quality and they take less effort to work air into. But the truly best harps are vintage for a real period sound that can’t be reproduced, e.g. An Eco is a nice more common to come by harmonica.

Listening to the masters  The material you play with should at first be slow. The best music I can suggest to work with at beginners stage is old blues. Artist such as Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, Johnny cash, and John Lee Hooker are a few of the original greats that played the railroad sound of dirty blues, and rhythm blues.

Have Fun and Enjoy!  Music is a hobby and it should be enjoyed as one. Fun in varying the way you practice is important to retain interest in any form of music. So the way to approach playing harmonica is to not try so hard and gain confidence and judgement in building your ability through relaxing with the instrument you play. Have fun in the way you play.

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