From: Michael Will Date: Sun, 24 Mar 1996 17:54:33 -0800 Subject: Re: Any suggestions?
Muhl wrote: > > I want to start learning how to play th harmonica. Does anyone > have sugjestions on what harmonica to buy and what instruction I might > need. I have been reading music since I was five or six so I don't need a > BEGINNERS beginner book.
It sort of matters what style music you want to play. For the blues, get a 10-hole diatonic harmonica in the key of C. What kind isn't all that important. I'll recommend any of Hohner: Special 20, Golden Melody, Blues Harp, Big River Harp Lee Oskar (normal "Major" tuning)
Remember, these small diatonics come in all keys. Eventually you'll want different keys--probably all of em! For playing with guitar the best keys to start with are, in order: C, D, A, G.
There are lots of books out there. For someone with a good musical background I'll recommend "Mel Bay's Complete Chicago Blues Harp" by David Barrett. It even comes with a CD so you can hear what stuff is supposed to sound like.
For the technique of bending, David Harp's "Bending the Blues" is a good one.
For classical or jazz, I'll recommend a chromatic harmonica. The Hohner model 270 would be a good starting chromatic. No book recommendation here--I'm sure there are good ones, I just don't have any.
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