Which Harmonica Should I Buy?

This video offers some advice if you are thinking about buying your first harmonica (diatonic) or you are a beginner who is thinking of increasing the number of harmonicas you have.

If you are asking yourself "what harmonica should I use"? Or "What keys should I buy"? This guide may be helpful. The key message is experiment and discover what models work for you.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• buy
• which
• harmonica
• harp
• diatonic
• hohner
• seydel
• suzuki
• lee Oskar
• Lee
• Sankey

[ztj95]

what if i want to play with a band...what keys should i get??

[leesankeygroup]

@ztj95 Well that depends. If you know the band then ask them for the keys of the songs you will be playing. You need to learn about 'harmonica positions', lots of info online. E.g. C harmonica 1st position is key of C, 2nd is key of G, 3rd is key of D. 2nd position is the most popular. If you don't have a band or want to go to a jam then C, D, A, G, F would be a good start. But eventually it's a good idea to have all 12 keys. Hope this helps, Lee

[gorkiisnear]

I bought a hohner silverstar but I noticed that it's not a great one to start playing. Hohner Blues Harp is a good one?And which harmonica has the best blues sound. What do you recommend?(I'm a beginner)

[leesankeygroup]

@gorkiisnear Good question but as I say this video it's partly a case of experimentation. The blues sound will come from you, not the harp so much. There's no magic. Any of these are fine harmonicas to play for beginners or advanced players - Hohner Marine Band, Hohner Crossover, Hohner Special 20, Seydel 1847, Suzuki Manji or a Lee Oskar. Don't get hung up on this at the beginning! Just play...I started on Lee Oskars but changed to Hohner later, now I use all kinds.

[davidrm3000]

Great !!,, very clarifying for me.

[leesankeygroup]

@davidrm3000 I'm pleased that you found the information helpful. Let us know which one you buy. Regards, Lee

[leesankeygroup]

@davidrm3000 I'm pleased that you found the information helpful. Let us know which one you buy. Regards, Lee

[leesankeygroup]

@burntflame13 Hi there, I missed your other question. The harp at 8.01 is the Seydel 1847. This is also a very, very good harmonica. Beautifully made and lovely to play. It's a good alternative to the Hohner Crossover for instance.

[leesankeygroup]

@burntflame13 Hi there. Try the Hohner Marine Band or Hohner Crossover if you are looking for another Hohner model. They're both excellent. Thanks for watching my videos and glad they are helpful. Lee

[burntflame13]

I have one question, I really like the feature of the bigger holes on the seydell harp due to not being able to nail down single notes just yet, so I was curious which model the one that you show 8:05 is?