DIY Homeschooler

10 Tips That Will Make Playing the Harmonica More Enjoyable

1. New harmonicas need to be broken in. Don’t play all-out for the first couple of weeks. Start very, very gently and then gradually add more force.
2. Always rinse your mouth out with water before you play to remove any stray particles that could get inside the harmonica and gum up the works…literally.
3. To help your harmonica last longer, warm it up before you play. Either hold it in your hands or breathe into it a few times.
4. Gently tap the harmonica on the palm of your hand when you’ve finished playing to knock out saliva, food, or whatever else you might have blown into it.
5. Learn to play the blues. Blues is where you’ll learn all the basic fundamentals you need to play anything you want. If you just hate blues, you can get along without it, but you’ll be missing out on a wealth of technique.
6. Listen to other harmonica players and imitate what you like.
7. Don’t waste your money on songbooks. If you want to learn a new song, learn it by ear. The only thing you need a book for is to help you develop your technique.
8. Spend time with your technique. Often you can learn more from one exercise than you can from five songs.
9. Practice, practice, practice.
10. Above all, have fun with your harmonica. Yes, paying attention to technique is important, but enjoying the music is even more important. If you put enthusiasm into your playing, it’ll show.

The funniest thing happened. One actually working through the three parts of this series ended up being a pretty fair harmonica player. After a informal, friendly performance, one observer noted:

You’re pretty good! You should take lessons!

Enough said.

---

Further Reading

Learn How to Play the Harmonica {Part 1}
Learn How to Play the Harmonica {Part 2}

Variations on the Harmonica
Who knew there were so many options?

Try It At Home
Sure, you may need a professional, but first….