Harmonica FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good harmonica for a beginner?

HARMONICA BEGINNERS Questions and Answers!

Here is our quick guide for harmonica beginners:

Option 1: The Diatonic harmonica

If you want to play Blues, Country, Rock, or Folk music you most likely want to buy a diatonic harmonica
The diatonic harmonica is a 10-hole model that allows you to play easily in 2-3 keys
You will need to learn how to create a good embouchure and then how to bend notes to create extra notes needed and missing in the instrument.
The standard tuning for diatonic harmonicas is called Richter tuning (not to be mistaken for the Paddy Richter tuning that is a specially tuned model)

Here is the note layout for the diatonic harmonica in C:
 

and here is the note layout once you know how to bend and overbend.
Those techniques require a lot of work and many years of practice.

Our best quality price model is the Harmo Polar here:



https://harmonicaland.com/en/harmo-polar-harmonica

It's airtight, designed by a professional American harmonica player, uses phosphore bronze reeds where most competitors use brass that is not as sturdy or bend friendly and has really smooth covers which are perfect for beginners.

If you buy one just get a key of C because that’s the standard key and also because that ‘s the key where reeds have the average length compared to lower keys like G or higher keys like F: C is right in the middle so learning on a C harmonica is the best key to learn on.

A key of C will help you play in C and G

But if you want to play in more keys then you’ll need to purchase couple more keys down the road!
You can wait or take advantage of the discounted bundles for a Polar set of 3 here:
https://harmonicaland.com/en/harmo-polar-set

That includes C, G, and A as well as the Gig Bag 7 and a keychain harmonica
That will cover most of the songs you want to accompany in C, D, G, A, E

Or jump in with the Polar set of 5:
https://harmonicaland.com/en/harmo-polar-blues-pro-set-5

It includes harmonicas in the key of C, D, F, G, and A as well as the Gig Bag 7 and a keychain harmonica
Those keys will cover all the main songs played in Blues, Folk, and Country in:
C, D, E, F, G, A, Bb with 2 options to choose from for each => For instance you could try to play in D with the D or the G.

Option 2: The Chromatic Harmonica


If you want to play Jazz, Classical, or Pop melodies we recommend another model called the Chromatic harmonica. The chromatic harmonica gives you all the notes on a piano without the need to learn special techniques like bending or overbending. You just need to learn how to get a proper embouchure and then you can get started playing beautiful songs.

The standard chromatic harmonica is a 12-hole model in the key of C. There are a lot of models out there in different keys and also chromatic harmonicas in 14 and 16 holes but that’s really not necessary and actually 95% of the professional players use a standard 12-hole chromatic in C when they perform.

We offer a wide variety of options from Hohner, Suzuki, and Seydel but if you’re looking for the best bang for the buck the Harmo Angel 12 is our top choice:
https://harmonicaland.com/en/harmo-angel-12

It's airtight, designed by a professional American harmonica player, uses phosphore bronze reeds where most competitors use brass and is built with a very good quality slider. It’s a professional quality harmonica at a reasonable price.

It also comes in D, G, A Bb and Low C and is available in a 16 hole model if you prefer to go big.

On a chromatic harmonica you blow to get a note, blow and push the slider in to get the same note flat, draw to get another note and draw with slider in to make the draw note flat. Let’s have a look at the note layout of a chromatic harmonica. This tuning is called the solo tuning.

The + sign means you blow or draw while pushing the slider in at the same time
This action will raise the original note a half step up.
AS you can see the layout is pretty similar of the middle part of a 10 hole diatonic but the main difference here is that you won’t have to spend years of practice to get clean flats or sharps … All you have to do is push the slider in.

The chromatic is usually easier to access for people who already play another instrument and also to musicians who are not necessarily interested so much in Blues and the specific sound of bends and overbends.
The chromatic harmonica has a more mellow tone.
A 16 hole chromatic harmonica will give you one more octave in the low register but you could also get a Low C 12 hole and get the first 12 hole of a 16 hole chromatic if you’re not a fan of the upper range that might sound aggressive at times.

3 – How to get started?

The most important technique on the harmonica is called Embouchure. That’s the technique that will help you create beautiful notes and play smoothly. A lot of beginners complain they can’t get all the notes out of their harmonica – sometimes thinking the harmonica is defective – a good embouchure will make you get all the notes clean but also round and warm. That’s the first step towards becoming a good harmonica player.
This lesson by David Herzhaft is the ultimate embouchure lesson that will teach you how to get the perfect tone and what to practice everyday without wasting your time on futile exercises and songs:
https://www.harmonicaschool.com/en/home/203-beginner-lesson-1-embouchure.html

After that you can start working on bends, slowly with this lesson:

Harmonicaland wishes you the best in journey to the wonderful musical world of the harmonica!

Q. Do you have an 800 number to purchase by phone?

A. I’m sorry, but we are a web-only business and not currently set up to handle your phone inquiries or sales. If you have a question that was not answered here or within our Help Pages, you are welcome to email us with your question using our contact form and we will do our best to get back to you within 2 business days.

Q. How do I contact you about product-related questions?

A. Please use our Contact Us page which is also available at the top and bottom of every page. We will respond within 2 business days (typically, that day)

Q. Is my transaction secure, if I pay online and use my Credit Card?

A. All pages of Harmonica Store use “https” which means that your information is encrypted with 128-bit encryption and will travel securely over the Internet. Years ago, credit card security was an issue, but no longer.

Q. How do I complete an online purchase?

A. Once you’ve found the item you’d like to purchase, click the button that says “Add to Cart”. Repeat this as many times as needed until you acquire everything you’d like to buy. When your shopping is complete, click the “Checkout” button. Then follow our quick 4-step Checkout process (done through secure servers):

Step 1: Select the product
Step 2: View your order and account info for accuracy.
Step 3: Shipping Info.
Step 4: Enter payment information.
All done! The final page will be your invoice which you can print out for your records. You will also shortly receive an emailed invoice confirming your order.

Q. Can I pay by check Money Order or PayPal?

A. No, we do not accept checks or money orders. But Accepted PayPal, Crypto, Visa

Q. Who runs HarmonicaStore.com?

A. Eudizelll is the founder, author, and chief programmer who runs HarmonicaStore.com and HarmonicaLessons.com along with his family.

Q. I don’t live in the USA, what are my payment options?

A. Everything We Mentioned Before.

Q. Harmonica Playing FAQs: Do you have any playing tips for beginning harmonica players?

A. Yes. Lots and lots and lots of information about learning and playing harmonica is available at Youtube.

Q. I have a question that was not answered on this page…

A. Please use our Contact Us page which is also available at the top and bottom of every page. We will respond within 2 business days (typically, that day)