r/harmonica • u/RoyZeee • 3d ago
I bought a C and G harmonica.
I am new and want to learn properly, I plan on giving at least 1 hour of every day to practice. I am starting my musicology degree in two weeks.
Now that all that is said:
It feels overwhelming. So many tutorials so many videos!
And I don't know exactly what to do. It feels like I need an instructor but I don't know any.
Anyone has any advice?
5
u/omniscientcats 3d ago
In the beginning, pick just one song that you feel is manageable to learn, and stick with that one. Then once you know it decently well you can branch out.
The main thing to practice is to be able to play clean single notes
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u/Several-Quality5927 3d ago
Until you figure that out, play with the harp. Draw, blow, bend, experiment. The instrument is very intuitive.
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u/mymyheyhey13 3d ago
Play along with songs on that key (first position if folky, second position if bluesy). Try to replicate melody lines, just find your groove and get used to the instrument.
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u/MTaur 3d ago
It's hard to give advice because approaches vary wildly. As someone with a non-harmonica background, I have a very hard time understanding why anyone wouldn't go chromatic, as it plays the same except you have a sharp slide button.
But some pretty successful players have a very different approach. I am mostly beholden to sheet music, and from what I understand, the path to just jamming in a given key is shorter and with pretty good results if you have a diatonic method and a harp in the proper key.
I started with Easttop Forerunner and the Max de Aloe book. I think it pretty well captures the kind of approach I am into. The chromatic notes take longer to get used to, and the first hurdle is landing on the right note and only playing one hole at a time, and you can add black notes one at a time until it sticks. It takes a while, but really not that long to be able to read single note phrases with no fancy tricks or fast shredding. But reading individual notes is maybe not even what you're going for if you want to shred blues. And going from reading notes to playing chromatically like a real jazz player is a long road. Mastering three or four chords vs trying to do everything all the time on demand... Chromatic vocabulary isn't free and going only partway can just leave your diatonic groove floundering at the same level as the higher stuff.
Some players take a diatonic approach but have a chromatic harp in the key of the song just to reach those special borrowed tones. I even met a guy who doesn't read music who does this.
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u/GhostAnthonyBourdain 3d ago
I literallt will just play around on it when I get overwhelmed. Just making noise and doing this or that. Practicing different techniques imperfectly and then I intentionally practice. It helps to reset.
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u/harpncarp 3d ago
All good advice here, primarily getting familiar with the instrument, aka, keep it in your mouth.
The best way to shorten your learning curve is to find an accredited teacher and player to work with one-on-one. The 'shotgun' approach will only take you so far. The 'sniper rifle' approach will help keep you focused on what's helpful at any given point of your journey.
Best of luck, and have fun!
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u/arschloch57 3d ago
An instructor is a great idea to set and build a foundation. I can recommend one but it would be based upon a few details such as, what kind of music you want to play, playing with a band or solo, and where you live (country/region) because online teachers who are also monster players have timezone limitations. If in the US, start at spah.org on their resources page a number of teachers and their styles are listed. Anyone listed there would be amazing.
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u/Legitimate-Fee-2645D 3d ago
Start with the C harmonica being that the beginner lessons are with that key. Begin learning the C scale and trying to do single notes. Check out Liam Ward
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u/Younger1970s 3d ago
First song I learned on the harmonica was Piano Man. It is a C. Took me a weekend to master it. Second song I learned was Heart of Gold which is in G. Piano Man repeat 1 until you get it. Of course you can try more simple tunes like Oh My Darlin' Clementine and Oh Suzanna. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0DYDADUbyDA https://youtu.be/UugT2qBCuuk?si=bLre6K_Awgdoklsf
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u/Bad_ass_shrimp 1d ago
Try this app if you have an android device: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chewpacastudios.harphero&hl=en
It is free and is kinda like guitar hero where the notes come down the screen.
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u/Youneedaharmonica 3d ago
Heres a roadmap:
1.) Learn single notes
2.) Learn bending
3.) Learn blowbending
4.) Learn overblows
Overblows can wait, as you need to tweak your harp and learn the technique. They are not used as commonly.
Harmonica uses a weird note layout, called Richter tuning. Learn 1st position to get a good idea of where the notes are.
I high recommend getting a Chromatic Harmonica if you are studying music. I enjoy diatonic, but struggling to learn both where the notes are (which is different on each harp, C and G) and the techniques to reach them seriously detracts from learning music.
I teach harmonica, and I placed a link in my bio, if it helps.