How many harmonica keys

In particular, you should know that a set of harmonicas in different keys as shown above is needed before joining a jam. Each verse of a song starts the pattern, the key of the song is best found at this point. Consider a blues jam. Your solo might start after two verses, longer if a guitar takes the first solo. Other keys are used but these are the most common, particularly with guitar players.

So, finding the correct key is educated guesswork. First, we review harmonica keys for second position blues. Your harmonica case should be arranged so that these keys are easily located. It helps to take the yellow sticker with the key off the harmonica case and put it on the harmonica, as shown in the picture. While the blues song is going, take a A harmonica and play a 2 hole draw note, very softly so that only you can hear it.

Close your right ear with your right index finger, your harmonica will be easier to hear. Now, does it sound right? If so, then you have a blues in E, and you can prepare mentally for your solo. If the harmonica does not sound right, then play the two hole draw on a D harmonica. Then you probably have a blues in A. Tip- "Move Harmonica, Not Head". A simple playing tip to speed up your movement and add accuracy in single notes. Advantage of 2nd Position over 1st, Bluesy Bends. In this excerpt, Dave discusses some of the reasons for playing in either 1st Position or 2nd Position.

Beginner Harmonica Chords. Dave gives a general overview of what you can obtain from both diatonic and chromatic harmonicas in regards to harmonica chords. However, many would prefer playing it in second position on an F harp F harp in second position is C.

Check positions chart below. The benefit of playing in second position would be that you would be able to take advantage of the highly expressive bendable notes on the lower register of the harmonica to get a real bluesy feel. First position has been an important part of the blues tradition and it lends itself to many things which are not possible in other positions.

Different keys have different tones, and different positions have their advantages and feelings. So, I would really encourage you to experiment with all types of keys and positions. As the name suggests, the diatonic harmonica is designed to play the notes of a diatonic scale. On a Richter tuned harmonica, these are the notes of the major scale. The complete diatonic scale can be played in the second octave, but in the first and third octaves, some of the notes are missing.

By using techniques such of bending, it is possible to obtain many of the missing notes. The overblow and overdraw techniques make it is possible to obtain all the missing notes which cannot be obtained using normal draw and blow bends, giving a complete chromatic scale over three octaves. These techniques allow a diatonic harmonica to be played in a fully chromatic way similar to a chromatic harmonica. Even though the first overblow was recorded in , full use and perfection of the tones awaited the skill and persistence of Howard Levy.

His virtuosity and mastery of overblows opened up a completely new dimension to harmonica playing and took the humble little mouth harp to new heights. Using overbends, it is possible to play in any position and play all 12 keys on a single diatonic harmonica.

This however, is not the case. If a harp is adjusted right, overbent notes can be played just as softly as any other note on the instrument. There are unlimited ways to tune a diatonic harmonica. The standard is Richter tuning. Most harmonica instructions and compositions are based on the assumption that this tuning is in use.

There are a lot of altered tunings which can make playing certain types of music easier e. Irish, Country, or Jazz. This is the traditional Richter tuning with the 5 draw raised a half step. The raised 5 draw allows the major 7 note to be played without requiring an overblow, and also yields a major 7 chord.

In cross harp position, this tuning is good for tunes that have a strong sub-dominant chord. The 5 draw is also bendable, and the normal dominant 7 note is still available using a draw bend. The extra note provided in this tuning is often required in melodies.

The A harmonica is lower, relatively easy to play and permits to perform on E blues in 2nd position. After that, I would buy one F harp for high pitch screaming and crying licks, and a G harp for chord playing and train imitation.

Chords sound better on low pitched harmonica, you may also consider buying a low-F harp for chugging. As you can see, the basis of my choice for a harp is its peculiar sound and the discrete and tangible restrictions to play it. Basically a high pitched harmonica requires specific embouchure, as well as distinctive air level to play it.

Some are easier to bend than others, and it really takes quite a while to get used to playing fluently on a different pitched harp.

For this reason, if you get a G harmonica, a C harmonica and an F one, you will cover more or less a broad spectrum of all the required skills to play on each key.