Harmonica - is it worth the time?

jayswett
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Sat Apr 02, 2011 7:29 am

I just watched HeatnDude's great version of Neil Young's Weekend. If you haven't taken the time, and you like Neil Young, I would suggest taking a few minutes to watch it. You won't regret it.

Anyway, as as I was watching the video, I was once agaiin struck by how much the the harmonica can add to a song, so I'd like to ask the TG community the following 2 questions:

1) How difficult is it to learn the harmonica? We all know how difficult it is to learn the guitar, but what about this much smaller, less complicated instrument?

2) What is the best way to go about learning how to play it? Face to face lessons, books, CD/DVD, online lessons?

Over the last couple of years, there has been some discussion on this forum regarding the harmonica, but I don't recall having reached any firm conclusions with respect to the two questions posed above. I guess what I am tyring to figure out is whehter or not it is worth the time investment for guitar students, with limited time, to learn the harmonica as a means of expanding their musical toolkits.


MarkM
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Sat Apr 02, 2011 9:22 am

Great question Jay. I got a Hohner Special 20 for Christmas and have yet to figure out how to learn and practice it. It would be great if someone where to point me in the right direction as well.



MarkM


Lavallee
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Sat Apr 02, 2011 9:58 am

Good point Jay , I also have a harmonica but do not know where to start ( well that is not exactly true, I know on which side to use it). I think it would a great add on to the site to have lessons on harmonica.

Marc


cosmicmechanic
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Sat Apr 02, 2011 10:03 am

Funny you ask, Jay.

I've been seriously considering going out to get a whole set of harmonicas, and am hoping to convince myself I'm not doing it only on impulse.

A long long time ago, I could play some Bob Dylan (very simple chords) with a harmonica rack on ... that was such fun ...

At the time, it was common to pass the harmonica around to anybody that wanted to try it ... but that was before science had invented bacteria.

Also, there is a kind of "ironic chique" to having the set of harps in an army fatigue style belt as you "belt" out anti-war protest songs.

Pierre


sbutler
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Sat Apr 02, 2011 10:42 am

How many different keys do they come in?


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Music Junkie
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Sat Apr 02, 2011 11:00 am

sbutler wrote:
How many different keys do they come in?
I believe they come in all 12 keys. At least I read somewhere that they did. I often look at them while visiting my local store. I just know at this point it would be impulse for me. I am still struggling with so much on the guitar. ALl I need to do is throw in something else to divide my attention.... :woohoo:

Found this site that had some decent info for a start.

http://www.harmonicalessons.com/beginner_which.html

J


douglalonde
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Sat Apr 02, 2011 11:59 am

Actually I was very inspired by this song that Suzi and Stuart did, June Hymn by the Decemberists. The singer of that band, who plays the guitar, often plays the harmonica as well. However, a friend of mine gave me a hohner-harmonica like a hundred years ago, but at the time I had no idea what to do with it, but of course I've always kept it and I finally got it out of the closet.

The harmonica is in A, so I was lucky because this June Hymn-song is also in A. First I just tried out all the notes on it, wich ones and so on. When 'blowing' all A-chord-inversions, when 'sucking' the notes were: B G# B D F# G# E D F#, so all notes of the Amajor-scale. Then I bought this 'thing' (what's the name?), to put over my head, so I would have my hands free to play the guitar. Well what can I say, just messed around with it and just tried to play it together with the guitar. It is actually véry relaxing!

Difficult: I found the most difficult thing was the breathing and controlling the breathing, but I guess that's a matter of training and getting used to it.

Wich way to go: At this very moment, I think just trying and hear what sounds good or not for that matter. Memorizing wich note is where when playing a certain chord in the key of A.

However, I thought when seeing Stuart play it and HeadnDudes, that it's really really cool to do so, so I guess I'll mess around with it some more!

I hope that both of them can add something to this thread, I'd love to hear some more about it! :)

Cheers

Ness



:)


cosmicmechanic
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Sat Apr 02, 2011 12:04 pm

nesh16041972 wrote:
...Then I bought this 'thing' (what's the name?), to put over my head, so I would have my hands free to play the guitar ...
:)
Can we agree on "RACK", that is, a "harmonica rack" ? Short and sweet :)


willem
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Sat Apr 02, 2011 1:49 pm

Haha, great, yep thát's the one, thanks! :P

cosmicmechanic wrote:
nesh16041972 wrote:
...Then I bought this 'thing' (what's the name?), to put over my head, so I would have my hands free to play the guitar ...
:)
Can we agree on "RACK", that is, a "harmonica rack" ? Short and sweet :)


willem
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Sat Apr 02, 2011 3:23 pm

Hi JAY,,i don't play it often(i have some in diffrent key's)but i find it not difficult to play,,well to play it alone i mean,,when playing it the same time with the guitar its the same thing as with guitar and singin at the same time...

they call them diatonics,,every three holes blowing together it makes the chord were the haromonica key is in(is it a C key,,then the every three notes blowing together makes a C chord,,often they blow more hole's then one..when experimenting you never go so wrong 'cos all the notes belong to the key,,maybe this is easy said but in a way it is treu,,playing bleus,,that is something else ''cos you use a harmonica in an other key then the blues is in,,then you must make notes they are not on the harmonica by tricks(bending)..


IT is a fun instrument and really worth to try when you like it..it is not only blowing and suckin this thing,,there are some old bleus players they could sound it like a saxafoon.....just try them out and ask the salesman how diffrent harmonica's sound 'cos they are not only in diffrent key's but also with diffrent sounds,,,,like it is with guitars...


How to learn,,go all the way's you can get,,,,if you have a friend that play's the guitar then play along with him and try to find the or sing the melody in the harmonica.....


edit.. i read ones in a book,,''just serve the chord that is playing'' Oh when suck the harmonica you can find a second chord on it,,, of course you can blow and suck it hole by hole..


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