(Part 2) Best products from r/harmonica

> Is the harmonica an instrument that beginners can learn?

Piano is definitely easy-mode for learning about the foundations of music. Its typically much more expensive however, even small electronic keyboards can cost hundreds (and don't have the best feel when playing either).

However, the certain set of songs the Harmonica was originally designed to play, is going to be the set of beginner songs that you'd practice with a Piano anyway. These are your "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "Mary had a Little Lamb", and the like. In fact, a book like America Harmonica Songbook will contain nothing but beginner friendly songs (on Harmonica OR the piano).

However... the Harmonica has a number of advanced techniques. Bending and Overblowing are difficult maneuvers needed to unlock certain notes. (notes that are just... there... on a Piano or other instrument). Chords are also difficult, often requiring tongue-blocking (ie: an octave blowing through holes 1 and 4 while tongue-blocking 2 and 3).

Performing the techniques aren't necessarily hard. But performing them in a musically coherent way? That will take years of training your lips, tongue and throat to do all the techniques. It probably won't take you much longer than a week or two before you can perform an overblow for example, one of the hardest notes to sound. But to play it with a rich tone, accurately, while thinking about chords (and everything else going on in a song) is what takes the years of practice.

Not that any instrument is easy mind you. Playing a set of chords in triplets with your left hand, while playing them in 4/4 common time in your right hand on a piano also takes years of practice. I guess what I'm saying is... music gets hard.

If you want to mess around with 1st position songs (America the Beautiful. Happy Birthday. Mary had a little lamb), the Harmonica is more than acceptable. There's a ton of songs to learn in this simple style.

If you want to pull out a Whammer Jammer? That's gonna take years to learn.

Intensive practice can yield good results if you're sensible.

Temper your expectations.

• You learn at the pace you learn; you won't get good overnight.
  
  
• Treasure your victories, however small. A win is a win.
  
  
• Be patient with yourself.
  
  Pace yourself.
  
  
• Break up your practice into shorter sessions so you don't burn out.
  
  
• Work intensively on one small thing at a time.
  
  
• Break your learning into "chunks." It's easier to work on one chunk at a time and then string them together.
  
  
• Work on something, go away for awhile, then come back again, but don't wait too long. Learning can evaporate if left too long, but can be strengthened by short intervals between working on the same thing.
  
  
• Alternate practice with other activities so you stay fresh.
  
  Don't give up.
  
  
• Frustration is always greatest just before a breakthrough.
  
  
• Consistency will get you there in time.
  
  Learn from the best
  
  
• Get a good harmonica book or video course. (I humbly submit that mine, Harmonica For Dummies, with 408 pages, tons of audio examples along with online videos and animations, is one of them).
  
  
• Learn about good learning strategies. I recommend Daniel Coyle's The Little Book of Practice.

When it's time to polish the metal, head to your local version of Walmart or Amazon and pick up some aluminum polish. I use Mother's. It's strong enough to work on the metals harmonicas use, but also pretty gentle. Just rub that on and if your cloth starts going black it's working. Get that elbow grease going and every few minutes wipe it off so you can see your progress. Repeat until fine scratches are gone and it's shiny new.

If you have deeper scratches, then you'll need to use sandpaper in increasingly finer grades first. 120 -> 220 -> 400 -> 1000 -> aluminum polish will take a seriously messed up cover plate to shiny new in about 15 minutes total. It's pretty easy to do.

This pack of sandpaperwill do hundreds of harps

Mother's polish

I have three of these. C, A, and G. They were the first that I bought. They are awful harps. They will only hinder and frustrate you as you attempt to learn to play. Out of tune, difficult to bend, and they totally lack the full sound you get from a better harp.

My wife is a professional musician and she gave me the best advice I've ever received when it comes to shopping for a harp. She said when it comes to buying a first instrument, always, always get the best you can afford. If you're serious about learning that instrument it's a great investment. You'll appreciate it more, it will make learning easier, and when you reach the point that you're actually good at playing you won't have to "upgrade" to something more serious.

With that advice, I bought a Suzuki Promaster in the key of C and proceeded to develop in leaps and bounds over the last few years. Trust me, you will be blown away by the difference.

tl;dr: Get a good harp. Don't mess around with cheap Chinese made crap.

Take a look at the sidebar. There are pointers to web sites that can get you started. Or you could go old school and pick up a book like Jon Gindick's Country and Blues Harmonica or Harmonica for Dummies. The dummies author, Winslow Yerxa, also has a good Blues Harmonica for Dummies. Or you could just start playing with it. Good luck! Have fun!

It's not quite as cool looking as your example, but if you're looking for Dylan specifically there's the Dylan Signature Hohner that comes in a box that looks like this:

Pic 1

Pic 2

It's not really that much cheaper at about 120$. I also don't own it so I cant tell you how well the box is suitable for your needs.

I'll have a look if I can find anything else closer to your example pic.

EDIT: Just went through the Amazon reviews and some of the customers complaned that the received only the harmonica in a plastic bag (without the case). Make sure that wherever you buy it you get the box with it. You can send that harmonica my way anytime btw :)

I dont know any as I taught myself based on my knowledge of other instruments. I would recommend if you are going to do it to spend your money on a real book sixth edition to get a bunch of jazz melodies/chords and irealpro to practice soloing over them. I think the embouchures pretty similar so you shouldnt need much besides forcing yourself to actually use the slide (jazz tunes tend to go through a few keys so you will get a slide workout). Some of the guys on slidemeister have strong opinions on chromatic books if that peaks your interest.

If you ever want a theory book I recommend: https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Music-Concepts-Applications-Vol/dp/0070654743

Its serious but I learned so much. One thing that might help you is looking up functional harmony. Its basically the theory of what chords lead where. It changed everything for me because I learned to imply other chords on top of simple progressions while stilling moving with them.

I've looked at that Seydel case before. I've heard varying things about it- specifically that it was difficult to access harps quickly during a gig.

It does look nice for $80. I might give it a shot. Essentially I just need it to hold 13 Special 20's, a Super 64, a Bulletini and cable. Looks like it will do the job.

https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Harmonica-Case-by-Harmo/dp/B06WWP47BL

That one also looks interesting. I don't know if it will fit both a chromatic and the mic+cable.

That's perfect man... $22 with shipping from Amazon... thanks for that tip!

I searched C# and Db on google... surprised this one didnt show up... I must not have scrolled enough. Thanks again!

https://www.amazon.com/Diatonic-Harmonica-Harmonicas-Beginners-Professional/dp/B01GH146GE

https://www.amazon.com/Orange-Crush-Mini-3-watt-Micro/dp/B0798TJW8Q/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=orange+mini&qid=1555957325&s=gateway&sr=8-3 I am probs getting this one, then. It would sound nice with a distortion pedal.

I learned on this. I swear by it.