The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #25110   Message #550687
Posted By: Les from Hull
15-Sep-01 - 08:45 AM
Thread Name: Help: Good Harmonica for Beginner?
Subject: RE: Help: Good Harmonica for Beginner?
There's some good advice here, Mbo. I thought I might add my tuppence worth.

Huang harmonicas are excellent value. If you are playing to accompany voice and guitar you may need a few different keys, so keeping the cost down makes much sense.

Do you do anything in the key of F? Then a 'low F' is much better than the normal F, which is an octave above and a bit squeaky. I use Lee Oskars by Tombo and they do one. Huang probably don't.

You mentioned playing like Bob Dylan. You'd be better off playing properly! Learn to play single notes rather than the gobful at a time style, although a mixture of styles is probably best. You get more control on single notes, more bend, more vibrato.

Bending notes is not just for blues players. You can get a lot of expression into your playing this way. It's easiest to bend a draw note. Suck on hole 5. Make sure that you've only got hole 5, and none of nole 4 or 6. Now imagine that your harmonica has turned into a lemon! (purse lips, draw in cheeks) Once you've found out what you're doing to make the note bend, you'll have something to work on. Have fun playing the gobiron! I have (for the last forty years, too)

Les