What kind of harmonica should a beginner get

Every product is independently selected by obsessive editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission. Picking up a new instrument can feel like a daunting undertaking. Learning to play is often time-consuming especially if you never took lessons , not to mention the fact that many musical instruments — even at the entry level — can be expensive, pricing out any potential players who need to stick to a budget for their new hobby.

The harmonica, though, is decidedly neither of these things. Harps typically have ten holes and are ideal for playing rock, blues, or folk music. Four of the experts we spoke with recommend beginner harmonica players start out with the reliable and well-designed Hohner Special The harmonica has a crisp pronunciation, effortless to play, and easy to master. Although the harmonica is small and light, its playing method can also be varied, and through the movement of the tongue, it can play beautiful harmony and strong accompaniment.

Others such as chords, arpeggios, tremolos, tremolos, tremolos, thirds, fifths, octaves, violin, drums, treble accompaniment, major and minor accompaniment, split chords, accompaniment etc.

It can be played on a small harmonica. Previous: The use and maintenance of harmonica. Log In. There are a number of questions that regularly arise in the day to day life of a harmonica business. This is the first question to ask. Typically having 10 holes and with the capability to bend notes, diatonic harmonicas by their very nature are quite limited in the range of notes that they can produce.

This is why serious diatonic players usually own a number of harmonicas in different keys. So, if you want to play the blues or Bob Dylan style folk, a diatonic is the way to go. Hohner is the most well known harmonica manufacturer, and produces a wide range of models.

Unlike other similar entry level harmonicas that are made in China, the quality control is fairly decent, and the sound is clean if not particularly loud. Bending is relatively easy and the plastic comb means its easy to keep clean. Its significantly louder than the Chinese made Hohners Special 20s are made in Germany and bending is much easier and more fluid. Probably the best value harmonica on the market. The only downsides are the wooden comb, which has only cursory sealing and is therefore vulnerable to swelling, and the traditional construction, which makes it harder to replace reed plates than bolted together harps.

Unlike Hohner, Seydel produces all of its harmonicas in Germany. Therefore, there are only two models that fall within our budget:. It has a plastic comb and durable brass reeds. Build quality is good and it produces a nice clean sound, with bends being available, albeit with slightly less ease than on the Special