Build quality and reliability are also often commended. Cons Since it has a wooden comb, the downside for this is that it swells when it gets moisture and it may cause lip injury after long periods of time. It takes a bit more effort when it comes to taking it apart for cleaning and tuning, but with proper care, it's built to be durable and long lasting.
Many users mentioned the holes were smaller and its built-in wooden comb were stiffer compared to other harmonicas they have tried. It showcases an airtight design and recessed reed plates for faster sound production. Its comb is made of plastic, which is durable since it doesn't absorb any moisture, while its classic reeds and tuning provides great response and rich tone.
Pros As expected from an industry standard instrument, amateurs and professionals alike rave about how well made it is. It's sturdy plastic comb with recessed reed plates are what makes it comfortable to play as well as easy to clean and maintain. Since its plastic comb is less prone to moisture, it's less likely to wear and tear after long periods of time. Cons Although it is reported by some beginners drawing on some of the holes were a bit challenging for them, many of them still find it easy to use when it comes to bending techniques.
Overall At a reasonable price point, this harmonica is an exceptional choice for both professionals and beginners alike. It's recommended for beginners and for blues players to start with diatonic harmonicas.
They come with 10 holes and are tuned to a major or minor scale of specific key. For example, if it's tuned to the key of G, it will only play the G major scale. Although you can play blues on a chromatic harmonica, diatonic harmonicas are a befitting choice for playing blues, country and folk because of the additional drawing and bending techniques needed to produce that "bluesy" sound, and the missing notes from the scale.
As mentioned above, harmonicas are tuned to a specific key. Many of the songs you will learn are also tuned to the key of C. Most blues harmonicas are played in what's called a "second position" or also known as a "cross harp". This means playing the harmonica tuned to a perfect fourth below the original key of the written music by using the 2 draw hole as a root note instead of using the 4 blow hole used for the first position and original key.
If the music is written in G, then a C harmonica is used in the second position. This is the most common position used for playing blues. Choosing a comb material matters more in terms of maintenance. There are four kinds of materials produced: wood, plastic ABS , plexiglass and metal. For beginners, it's best to go with plastic since it's easy to maintain and is comfortable on the lips. Metal combs are also another option that's less prone to wear and tear due to screws, though they are a bit more expensive.
Wood is also another common material produced and they are much more prone to moisture, which can cause swelling and may leave cuts in your mouth while playing the harmonica, yet some people say that they give a much "warmer" sound and don't mind the efforts of maintaining it. The cover of the harmonica is what creates the acoustics. It all depends on what type of sound you are going for when it come to choosing the type of cover design. A lot of affordable to mid-range priced harmonicas have traditional covers where the back of the cover is more open producing a bright and clear tone.
Another type is the cover-all design, which slightly muffles the harmonica, but resonates it more to produce a full, warm, and mellow tone. Metal covers produce a brighter sound while plastic produces a much softer sound. The quality of the harmonica are usually is on par with the price, especially with ones that are well built with high-grade materials.
If you're a hobbyist, a budget option would suffice. Harmonica positions are basically how harmonica players describe the way in which they play different scales on a harmonica.
The relative note layout for each key is the same. This means that once you can know a tune on a harp in a certain key, you can easily play it on any other key using the same holes. So, this makes the term useful for communicating with other harp players. However, this term is rarely if at all discussed with other instruments.
On a C harmonica, the lowest note is a C note hole 1 blow. The C note is the central pitch, the natural tonic. Therefore, this harmonica can be said to be tuned in C Major. There can also be other ways to determine the key of harmonica.
Notice that the notes which are usually on hole 1, are now on hole 2 and there are two new notes on hole 1. Such harmonicas have been made. Should we say that this harmonica is tuned in the key of G since the lowest note hole 1 blow is now a G note? Well, the blow chord is still in C, and the scale is still a C major scale.
So, we can still call it a C harmonica and the extra hole makes very little difference. Different playing positions allow us to play in different keys on a single harmonica. Since there are 12 keys G, A, Bb, B, C, etc , there are in theory 12 different positions on a harmonica. Looking at the note layout above, we can tell that for playing the C scale, we can start at either 1 blow, 4 blow, or 7 blow.
The note of C would be the focal center of our music — the tonic. To play in different keys on a harmonica, we just have to make some other note as the tonic. To play in the key of G on a C harmonica cross harp , we would have to start and finish all the scales on the note of G and play G chords. Draw notes 1, 2, 3, 4 make up a G chord! So, the G note would be the new tonic. Each key creates a different mode or effect. Playing music in the key labeled on the harmonica is called. Playing straight harp means playing in the actual key labeled on the harmonica.
In this position, the expressive upper register is exploited to play folk tunes, ragtime and many other types of melodies. Harmonica wizard Gwen Foster recorded some really amazing first position tunes in the s and 30s. This means you can play in the key of F.
The Bb is a lovely in between harmonica. It is not too high and screechy or too low and slow. Instead, most techniques will feel relatively easy on it. Indeed, traditionally Bb is the harmonica you start on to learn playing overblows. This is suitable for playing in the key of D. It is a very low harmonica and sounds best when you are playing rhythmic chugging and slow melodic phrases.
The F harmonica allows you to play in the key of C in 2nd position. It is a very high harmonica and when you are practising by yourself it might feel like it is screechy and strident.
Do not worry about this. I was the newbie. I lived that life from through If you are reading these words, then your own journey has just begun. What harmonica should I buy? And what key? Why not go with the classic? Many players swear by them. Recently I've tried Seydel and Bushman harps. They are both excellent instruments. Still, I always come back to the Marine Band. This is particularly true for the lower keys: G, A, B-flat. It has something to do with the pear-wood comb, which grows slightly more brittle and resonant as it ages.
Satan" Magee--the guy playing guitar in the photo above--and I played a Hohner Marine Band on every single track. But when they pick up a D harp, they have no trouble. I'd start off with a C and a D. Do you need a different harmonica for songs in different keys? And this is one of the first things you need to get under control.
Basically this means that you focus your playing on the draw notes of the bottom half of a hole diatonic harmonica; the draw notes are stronger, have more soulful tone, and, most importantly, can be "bent"--meaning that you can lower the pitch of the notes by changing the shape of your mouth.
This lets you produce the blues scale fairly easily. But it also means that you have to get used to the idea of playing a harmonica in a key other than the key stamped on its coverplate. Here's a basic cross-harp chart covering the most common blues keys. In two years? Here are two videos--one by an American, the other by a Bosnian--that help answer that question.
The first player, Ron Marr, had been playing for 15 months when he recorded his video; the second, Predrag Antic, had been playing for two years. They both started from scratch with my lessons:. I can't get a good sound out of the 2 hole draw on my C harp.
I'm sure it's broken. It's not broken. The problem is your embouchure. Here's a troubleshooting guide I wrote for a friend who runs a Chinese harmonica instructional website. Their 2 draw is weak, 'breathy,' flattened below perfect pitch. The first is about embouchure. The second is about breathing. To sound a clear, strong 2 draw, you should pucker your lips like a goldfish, making them big and fat, and narrow the inner part of the pucker into an opening roughly the size of one hole on the harmonica.
Make big, fat lips. If you allow the harmonica to slip away from your lips, even a very small amount, your 2 draw sound will fall apart. First, sound a clear, strong 2 draw. Now tap your foot in a medium-speed beat, and sound the 2 draw for seven beats, using one continuous breath. On the eighth beat, quickly reverse direction.
Breathe out. Important: relax your lips a little on the eighth beat and allow some of the air to escape between your upper lip and the upper coverplate of the harp. This is crucial.
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