How to Play the Harmonica

The harmonica is one of the simplest instruments, yet one of the difficult ones to master. It is a musical instrument from the 'wind instruments' family, and is played using the mouth. Therefore, it is also known as a mouth organ.

Learning To Play Harmonica

Learning the basics of playing the harmonica is pretty easy, but using different techniques and producing different sounds can be a bit tough for a beginner. There are some requirements that you need to meet in order to learn the harmonica. For learning this instrument, make sure that you do not have any kind of breathing problem. As the very basic playing technique involves blowing and drawing air, it may cause harm to your health. It is a plus point if you are already a musician.

Different Types of Harmonicas

As you might not know, there are different kinds of harmonicas, let me try to explain a bit about them. They all have their individual specifications and sound outputs which can be used in different genres of music. Some general types are the diatonic, chromatic, tremolo, and echo harmonicas. But if you are beginner, it is suggested that you go in for a diatonic one with 10 holes and 'C' as the standard key. For learning, you should go for one in the $20 to $25 priced range. This is because cheap mouth organs are poorly built which may cause them to leak air and not produce the desired sound effect.

How to Play the Harmonica?

Beginner harmonica players need to understand two fundamental things about playing the instrument. One is playing single notes and the other is the holding technique. The universal technique is to hold the instrument covered by the left hand first, with only the thumb below and the other fingers over the top. Then cover the left hand slightly with your right hand, using the same placement manner. Both hands should cover the instrument in such a way that they make a gap between them. This will allow you to make sound fluctuations by flapping the right hand which covers the left one.

When it comes to the notes on the harmonica, each hole can produce two sounds, which depend on whether you blow in or suck the air out. First, you should try to play single notes which is done by just using one hole to get the sound. Single notes can be played by either blowing in or drawing the air from the instrument. Practice on all holes and understand the notes and how many holes you would have to shift for getting a different note exactly. Once you know this, you can move on to playing chords, which includes using more than one hole. Practice using the chord technique.

The best way for beginners to learn is to listen to instrumental songs in which the mouth organ has a major role. Listen to the playing techniques carefully, and practice rhythmic breathing patterns. These rhythmic breathing patterns will produce melody as well as beats. See to it that you do not breathe very heavily and hastily, so as to prevent you from feeling kinda dizzy.

This was just a general guide on playing a harmonica. You will learn faster if you already know to play the accordion, piano, or the guitar; as you would not take much time to understand the music notations on the harmonica.