Make Music On The Harmonica
The harmonica is a very enjoyable and versatile
instrument. A lot of people take up playing the
harmonica as a hobby and often end up playing
professionally, either part time or full time –
so, as you can see, it is a great skill to
learn. There is, however, a tendency to give up
too soon as there is a misconception that it is
hard to learn to play the harmonica. But that
is a myth, going by the number of people who
really enjoy playing it, and when you learn it
the right way, you too can have a lot of fun
with this interesting instrument.
The harmonica is a mouth instrument. It is pre
tuned. Chords are also set up, so that when you
blow, you get one chord and when you draw you
get another. It is not difficult to learn to
play a few simple songs quickly. Getting to the
more complex pieces takes the requisite amount
of practice and you need to develop a few
particular skills when you learn. So let us get
started.
Basic Skills You Need To Play The Harmonica
The basic skills you need to learn are breath
control, tone control, tone production, single
note technique, bending technique, the tongue
blocking technique and to go with these, timing.
Just master these, and you are more than half
way there. It takes some dedicated practice, and
because the instrument is easy to carry around,
you can practice just about anywhere, so long as
you make the time for it. Experts even suggest
that when you play regularly, you probably
handle the rest of your routine better because
your breathing system is more under control. So
that makes it two benefits in one skill for you!
Types Of Harmonica Instruments
To learn to play the harmonica, you need
to know the types available so that you can
eventually buy your own. Let us take a look at
the different kinds of harmonicas:
Diatonic, Blues Harps, Mouth Organs Or
Harmonicas
The most
popular, these diatonic harmonicas have great
tone and are portable. You can play them along
with other instruments simultaneously. With
these unique harmonicas, you can play the flats
and sharps together by busing techniques like
bending, over blowing and over drawing.
Chromatic Harmonicas
With chromatic harmonicas, the flats and sharps
in a scale are played by combining button slide
in and slide out. You can play in any key as ou
have the complete 12-note octave with the sharps
and flats. In each hole of the chromatic
harmonica are four reeds of which two make
natural notes and two chromatic. These are
usually used in jazz and classical music, pop,
blues and funk. Think Stevie Wonder to imagine
some great chromatic harmonica playing.
Tremolo And Echo Harmonicas
These harmonicas have two rows of holes, unlike
the diatonic and chromatic, which have a single
row of holes. In the octave type, the upper row
of holes is at a higher octave than the lower
row of holes. Tremolos have the upper rows a
little off tune so that you hear a vibrato like
sound. In these harmonicas you don’t have to use
techniques like bending and single note.
So depending on which one you want to play, the
options are many.
The Best Harmonica To Buy
That would naturally be your next thought. Which
is the best harmonica to buy? Usually, you
cannot try a harmonica before you buy it since
it’s a mouth instrument. Different makes have
different contours, so you’ll find that some
seem like the perfect fit in your mouth. As a
beginner your aim would be to get familiar with
the instrument, learning to move and play on it,
getting used to the sounds of blowing and
drawing. Gradually you would get a good feel of
the harmonica and be able to decide on the one
that can suit your playing technique.
You have a choice of 12 basic keys of
harmonicas, although, as a beginner it is good
to start with the basic ten hole harmonica in
the key of C, which is a midrange harmonica.
As far as diatonic harmonicas are
considered, there are several excellent brands
like Hohner, Lee Oskar, Hering, Suzuki, etc.
Getting Started With Playing
To be a good harmonica player, you need a good
sense of rhythm, a sense of emotion and enjoy a
style of music so that your personality comes
through when you play. To get started, just hold
your harmonica and try to run your mouth up and
down it, getting a feel of blowing, drawing air
and listening to the notes. You will see that
while some holes are easy to play, some are not.
Holding Your Harmonica
The first thing to learn is how to hold your
harmonica. You can hold it in your left hand, so
that the numbers are facing up. Hole no.1 must
be to the left. Next comes the mouth position,
also called the ‘embouchure’. The right way is
to make a complete seal with your lips touching
the metal case. When you blow a few notes, you
will know by the sound of the notes. Keep your
mouth and jaw relaxed. You basically need to
learn to play one note at a time and develop the
skill. This is done with two techniques called
lip blocking and tongue blocking. You must be
careful not to over do the blowing and drawing.
Then you will learn breath control.
You must remember, as you learn, to diligently
practice the easy songs that you are instructed
to practice. This will help you play the tougher
songs with ease. Instructors advise you to
record yourself when you play so that you know
how you sound when you play back. It is best to
progress gradually. For example, in a new song,
learn the notes first, then the rhythm, and so
on. It is a good idea to use a metronome to
maintain the beat.
The best way to get really good at playing the
harmonica is through practice. You might feel
your lips feeling tired – but as you continue to
play, the lip muscles will strengthen and you
will develop the stamina to play longer.
If you can’t wait to play the diatonic harmonica
like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Huey Lewis and the
like, please visit the following website for
more information and tips that will take your
harmonica playing to higher levels. The
instructional videos are a treat to learn from,
and the books listed here carry in depth
knowledge on everything related to harmonicas
like tablature, techniques and the like used by
professional players. Don’t miss the links that
take you to websites that educate you on
harmonica playing. You can get started with
making music on your harmonica right away.
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