Harmonica Lesson for Beginners in 7 Common Keys

This is a follow-up video to my 2007 lesson, "Harmonica Lesson for Beginners".

The idea was to teach a couple of basic licks and scales using 7 different, common harmonica keys. Hopefully this will help the people who do not have, or cannot find a C harmonica.

The second purpose is to get folks thinking about switching harmonica keys to play music in different keys. It is absolutely possible to play music in different keys on one diatonic harmonica, however, it takes a lot of work. You have to start somewhere.

Harmonica Keys: C, A, D, G, Bb, E, F

Tab:

Jon Gindick's Up and Down Blues Lick: 3B, 3D, 4B, 4D
Jon Gindick's Good Morning Blues Lick: 1D, 2B, 2D
First Position Major Scale (easiest one of the three available on a diatonic harmonica): 4B, 4D, 5B, 5D, 6B, 6D, 7D, 7B
Second Position Blues Scale: 2D, 3Db, 4B, 4Db, 4D,5D,6B

Where D= "Draw" or Breathe in, B = "Blow" or Breathe out, and "b" = 1/2 step bend

Please check out my "Harmonica Lesson for Beginners" video for the basics of holding the harmonica and playing single notes.

If you would like more instruction, please seek out Jon Gindick, Ronnie Shellist, David Barrett, Adam Gussow, or Jason Ricci on youtube and on their respective websites. You can watch more of my videos too.

Thanks for watching,
Dan Gage

Category:

Music

Tags:

• seven keys
• mouth organ
• blues harp
• harp
• musical instruments
• harmonica

[santseghotmail]

does the Bb harp has a lot of the same notes as an A and C harp??? I don't really know cause I'm a beginner. Sorry for my english... haha

[12gagedan]

@santseghotmail There are only 12 notes in our music system (they repeat in different octaves). The best thing for you to do is do a web search on "diatonic harmonica note layout" and look at charts of the different keyed harmonicas. That way, you can teach yourself what notes are the same. There are good charts on the coast to coast music website.

[HarPlayer]

Your Cat Slim like hearing you play ; ) Slim was in the whole Vid and left @ the end. look like he was figuring out where the sound was comming from. Can you plays some Octiave's next time in ur play . love Octave Playing . When Joe Filisko does it. It's is Soooo AAAAAAAA Some !!!!!!!!!!!!!! love his playing that what i want to play like. ; )  Harp On

[12gagedan]

@HarPlayer I made an octave video a few years back.  Do you mean a 7 key octave video? hmmm. . .

[jtdbs]

Thanks anyway for the quick answer.By the way your harmonica last year was the marineband.Why did you change it?Any diffrents?By the way I watched your videos quit a bit and you inspired me to get a harp.Mine is in the key of C."Hohner Silver Star" I think and it's not very good,but I suppose it's good for a beginer like me.Thanks again for all your videos and we (the harmonica fens) hope you make more great videos.Thank again!

[12gagedan]

@jtdbs I've been playing Marine Bands and Special 20's forever. I started to work on a video last year, to survey different harmonicas. It was partly for youtube, and partly for myself. There have been a lot of new models of harmonicas in the last few years, and I hadn't tried any of them. So, I started buying different harmonicas. I will eventually make a harmonica buying guide vid. I just really like the Hohner Crossover.

[jawjadancr]

arnt u putting something else on the end of those 2 licks? please provide me the exact tab

thank u

[BluesVinyl]

Thank you for posting this video. Just what I was looking for. My first harp will be a G with that thick swampy blues sound.

[chrisdavies23359]

cant you break a harmonica by blowing too hard? my hole 6 sounds odd all of a sudden lol

[rockplay100]

Damn i bought B harp,but i don't care because it sounds great !!!!!!

[Dzony1996]

how do u do that 3:46

[johninleon]

Hey Dan, just discovered your series of videos and I'm really inspired by them. Two things come outta them for me. one is your love of the music and your desire to spread your knowledge to everybody who'll listen, and two is, well, what a nice guy you are, keep it up man. Johnny, (an English blues fan who never played a note in his life but who now wants to try)

[TheClickman93]

Ehi, you are very good with the Harmonica ... I like your video lessons about it ... can you tell me what kind of Harmonica must i buy for play blues music, for example, i want play Blues Brothers songs ... you know them? yes, of course :) ... I have got 3 Harmonicas: In C key, D key and Ab key. Thank you ... good luck for your future



[harmonica0909]

man!! your so good on teaching!!! keep it up!!!