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OT - Harmonicas


hotmess

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Are there any harmonica players here?

My older brother likes to play harmonica. He picked it up from my grandfather. He's pretty good, knowing little about music, just diddling around. His technique is great.

Anyways, I kind of want him to get better at it, so I thought it'd be cool to get him a either a decent new set, or maybe one cool harmonica that isn't like something he has from a standard set.

What would somebody recommend as an Xmas gift for a harmonica player that has a good bang-for-buck value?

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I have played off and on for the few years now. They are fun instrument once you get the fish-face technique to blow into just one hole. I have a bunch of Lee Oskar harmonica, nearly every key but B-flat currently. They have proven to be durable under my use, allowing you to bend and over-blow within reason. I also picked up a Hohner Low D and an 18-hole chromatic. I don't recommend chromatic for beginners.


Then pick up a Bottle O' Blues mic (http://www.bottle-o-blues.com/), plug into a Bad Monkey and have fun.

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Get him Jerry Portnoy's "Blues Harmonica Master Class." Tons of technique and info, and Jerry is a great teacher. Make sure he also has a harp in the Key of C - Hohners are good. If he's a blues guy, get him any CD by Little Walter, Big Walter or Junior Wells. Inspiration goes a long way.


PS: Yes, forgot about Sonny Boy (I and II)!

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Quote Originally Posted by A.P. Ryder

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If he's a blues guy, get him any CD by Little Walter, Big Walter or Junior Wells. Inspiration goes a long way.

 

This. I wouldn't say I'm a great (or even very good) harmonica player, but pretty much everything I know came from a Sonny Boy Williamson CD. One of the great things about blues harp is that there aren't that many notes, so if you hear a lick you like, chances are you can "find" it on your own instrument.
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Quote Originally Posted by macadood

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we were just talking about this...


harmonica is tough, i cant get the technique down at all to only blow into the one hole frown.gif

 

Same here. It just eludes me. I play (or at least played) reeds too, which you'd think would give me some advantage - but no joy. I have bought harmonicas at least a half dozen times. I've tried different method books, tapes - I've never broken through with the dang thing. I love blues harp though - I'd love to be able to play that, or melodically like Stevie Wonder does.
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Quote Originally Posted by macadood

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we were just talking about this...


harmonica is tough, i cant get the technique down at all to only blow into the one hole frown.gif

 

Nah, harmonica's easy if you know how. Just make sure you're playing in the right key. If you're playing on your own, just learn how to bend notes (takes bit of trial and error, and suck hard).


Once you can bend it's just a case of mucking about as if you know what your doing - as long as it's not a chromatic harp it'll sound great thumb.gif


Best thing about harmonica is it's the only instrument you can eality keep in your pocket and practice at bus stops.

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i used to play hohner blues harps, more for fun than anything real. but it seems after some time playing at least one fin sounds dull or is "blocked" in one way or the other.

any tips how to avoid this?


later i bought the blues starter set from hohner, you get harps in the 7 most important keys for only 55$ and a bag-case for them.

thought it is a great deal, but those cheaper ones are not interchange able with the parts of the blues harps or the others, so you can't get replacement parts if you need to (see first paragraph)


and the second downside of the cheaper ones (beginner set), the single chambers are more far away from each other than on the blues harps. this makes it easier for beginners to hit the right note. but if you want to blow or suck two or more chambers at once, you need more air to blow, which makes it more difficult if you are used to the smaller chamber spaces.


currently i make fun with the starter set and maybe if i need something to record with i have almost every key and can handle it with good enough sounds.

if you or your broither want to use it as "main" instrument, you should look into the better versions.

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Quote Originally Posted by MrChrisos

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Nah, harmonica's easy if you know how. Just make sure you're playing in the right key. If you're playing on your own, just learn how to bend notes (takes bit of trial and error, and suck hard).

 

The way I learned note bending (from a Mel Bay book IIRC) involved changing the shape of your mouth and throat by jutting your jaw forward at the same time as sucking harder. Apparently it's a bit like deep th...


what? I didn't say anything.


 

Quote Originally Posted by MrChrisos

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Once you can bend it's just a case of mucking about as if you know what your doing - as long as it's not a chromatic harp it'll sound great thumb.gif


Best thing about harmonica is it's the only instrument you can eality keep in your pocket and practice at bus stops.

 

You might even make some cash biggrin.gif


When I was at uni I used to have my harmonica in my coat pocket most of the time. My flatmate used to {censored}ing hate it when I'd pull that thing out.

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