|
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 347
Location: Reno, NV | I'm looking at getting a harmonica to play around with. Nothing fancy, just something to fill that "Neil Young" gap.
With so many choices and such a broad price range, Im completely lost.
What does someone completely new look for? Im looking something "decent" but not neccessarily "great", but Id like something great if it's in the budget.
What is "standard" tuning for a harmonica?
Can anyone recommend one under $50 that would be OK? Or is that too little $$$ for something decent? Perhaps post me a link to a few on MF that would be good.
Thanks.... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | Each Harmonica comes in a specific Key.
I think a "C" is a good start.
A Chromatic slide option can add some possibilities as well as difficulty.
Once you know who's style you want to learn locate a Teacher.
They are easier to carry on a plane! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Hohner. Go for a Blues Harp. $30 or less. Good quality to start out on. Pick the key that works with what you generally play in. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 4833
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | For my money ($.92US today) Cross Harp is much easier to fake your way through than blowing the right notes in the right key.
EG: You play/sing the song in A, you blow the D harp. You will need one harmonica for each key you play in...(unless you get tricky and use the D harp to play a D melody as well....but then you're wa-ay beyond my skill level.)
Don't pay more than $50 each for now. Don't pay less than $12-15 ever. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | i play and recommend Lee Oskar harmonicas. the plastic comb doesn't swell or shrink like the wooden ones and the sound is absolutely clearer. also, Lee Oskars have removable/replaceable reed plates.
the reeds in a harmonica distort fairly easy and usually within a 3 month period of time on average if they are played with any frequency. this makes the notes flat. it is not your playing, it IS the harmonica that sounds not quite in tune. the reed plates cost about half what the harmonica costs.
you can find Lee Oskars on eBay starting at about $20.00 but closer to $40.00 in your neighborhood music store. they come in all keys/diatonics and cross harp style also. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | the oscars or hohners, can't go wrong, till you start blowing on it!!!! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | The last Hohner Blues Harp that I bought was $8! (1986) And I thought that was alot!
Used to get them for $3.95 at the "Yellow Orange" poster shop, along with Wheat-Straw papers and Mr. Natural Comics.
So the concept of "for under $50" just sounds strange to me.
I do have a Koch Chromatic, but I had forgotten that I own it until just now. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | I started playing harmonica with I was 6!!!! and the Hohner's were $2.
One big Hohner 64 note with chromatic slide that I paid $16 for.
I still have 2-3 of my originals from back in the day.
I just wish I hadn't lost interest and stopped playing them.
I used to be pretty good but I haven't played one in 35+ years. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
July 2005
Posts: 3411
Location: GA USA | I've been playing since I was 12. I recommend the Hohner Marine Band. I guess you'll just have to buy them all and see for yourself.
And fillhixx is right. Learn to play cross key for that lonesome sound. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 5567
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | I play Hohner Echo harps...They're expensive but last if you take care of them...they have a unique sound thats great for a guitar player using a holder; you can bend notes nicely and draw while getting the vibrato as if you were palming...I use a two octave one in G most of the time and its the one I had at the tour. The holders leave something to be desired but I've tried them all and have two that work ok. Unfortunatly I brougt the wrong one to the tour; it worked but took a lot of messing with.
Blessings... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2005
Posts: 117
| My grandpa has played the harmonica since he was a little kid. He told me about how his harmonicas were worthless back then, and now some are worth 50-100 dollars. He has an awesome chromatic that he built from 3 chromatics that were each broken in different parts.
He's amazing, I want to practice harmoica so I can get as good as him. It takes a bit to get used to the scales even though it seems like it would be easy since you can only play one key.
Say your harmonica is in the key of C, you can only play the notes of the CHORD C by blowing in... so blowing in it's
c e g c e g c e g etc
Breathing out is how you play the other notes.
I think that's right? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 782
Location: Waurika OK | Yak,
I have a Hohner Chromatic and a Hohner Echo, both in the key of C.
You can have them if you wish, send me your address.
They are probably over 35 years old, but have been played very little and are like new. As CWK said, "can't go wrong until you start blowing it." |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 627
Location: Cherry Hill, NJ | Simple answer: Hohner Marine Band. Keys of D and G. for easy Neil Young stuff. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | I play the harmonica. The only way I can play is if I get my car going really fast, and stick it out the window. I've been arrested three times for practicing.
:D |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | :D :D |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Try playing two different things on two different harmonicas . . . simultaneously.
THAT's what playing a concertina(instrument from Hell) is like . . . |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Just remember that with a diatonic (10-hole) harmonica there are essentially 2 basic playing techniques (this is an over-simplification, so it will either help or hinder) You have "Straight harp" where you use the same harmonica key as the key signature of the music (think country/folk styles, Charlie McCoy etc) Then you have what is known as Cross-Harp or 2nd position. This is used for blues styles to get the bent notes, flattened 3rds and flattened 7ths. Here you use a harmonica which is a 4th above the key of the song. To play in C you use an F, for D you use G, E use an A etc, for G use a C etc...
I can't play harmonica, but I've played with a bunch of people who can play really well, which is how I know. Try a google search on "2nd position harmonica" or "cross harp" or "straight harp" for a more in-depth explanation |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 5332
Location: Bluffton, SC | :D :D
Glad to see the OFC MoTY award hasn't got you resting on your laurels, Paul. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | To get started, any diatonic (10 hole) harp will do.
When you get good, go the Lee Oskar route. Slightly easier to bend and the replaceable reeds option is good.
To play Neil Young, you'll need a 'G' for Heart of Gold, an 'A' for Out on the Weekend and a 'C' for Comes A Time.
If you wanna play My My Hey Hey along with the album, you'll need to detune the guitar 2 semitones (DGCFAD) and use a Bb, but if you want to play it in normal tuning (EGBDF) you will need a 'C'.
Use Temps guide above to select the right harp for different blues keys.
Hope this helps.
BTW, Sonny Terry taught me to play blues harp. (Well, one of his books anyway.) If you get a self-teach book, make sure it's got a CD with it. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Some of you might find this excel file handy for working out which harp to use with which key.
I've posted a PDF version as well. Just click on either 'diatonic.xls' for the Excel version, or 'diatonic.pdf' for the Acrobat version.
The appropriate program should open them up on your 'poota, then you can save it to wherever you want. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 347
Location: Reno, NV | Nevermind guys... I decided to focus my musical efforts elsewhere.
...Like the guitar, where they belong. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | muzza,
mahalo for the excel file. i haven't been playing harmonica long, however, i sure am enjoying it and learning more every time i do play it. it helps soften the pain of my debilitated vocals right now. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | You're welcome Randy.
And your vocals are still out???? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | yes, muzza. and i just completed a 10 day course of antibiotics due to a major sinus/bronchial infection! i think i gotta get away from the volcano! |
|
| |
Who knows about Harmonicas?
