learn to play the harmonica

AND a tutorial book (Thanks Cyn!) It’s a Hohner Marine Band in C, and it sounds beautiful. (And looks beautiful too!)

Harmonica is not easy! The book is teaching me to use the tongue-blocking method, which involves holding your mouth over four holes and blocking three of them off with your tongue. It’s kinda crazy, though I understand its benefits – you would be able to switch between single notes and chords very easily for a start. But man, it’s hard to do. I suppose it’s like training your fingers to develop muscle memory for common chords on the guitar. Except with your tongue. I never expected to have to become so intimate with it! :)

the harmonica is a much more complicated instrument than I thought! And I thought the guitar was restrictive… but there are fascinating ways people have developed to work around the harmonica’s restrictions, and those are the more advanced stuff that will come later. For now it seems I need to get a diatonic harmonica in C – which still feels wrong, because I love my sharp and flat keys (and the non-diatonic notes) – but everything I’ve read recommends the diatonic for the beginner. Besides, the diatonic ones are around £20, which is affordable, whereas the chromatics are £60 upwards – not the kind of money I can afford to spend right now, at least not until I sell the electric guitar. So a diatonic harmonica it is. Looks like it’ll be a Hohner Special 20. Will try to get it next week, along with some kind of instructional book. Really looking forward to learning to play it – exciting times ahead :)

but something I’ve always wanted to learn anyway. Wish I had thought of this before this month’s RPM Challenge! Hopefully next month I can do some research into what kind of harmonica to buy (the ones in specific keys – aren’t they really limiting? There must be some reason why not everyone uses a chromatic?)