What key harmonica is best for blues?

It’s best to get a harmonica tuned to the key of C if you’re just starting out. You’ll be able to play up to 3 octaves on a C major scale. Many of the songs you will learn are also tuned to the key of C. Most blues harmonicas are played in what’s called a “second position” or also known as a “cross harp”.

How do I know what key harmonica to use?

If the tune is in a major key, choose a key of harmonica that gives you first or second position, though sometimes you might also consider twelfth position. If the tune is in a minor key, choose a key of harmonica that’s in third or fourth position (or maybe fifth position) relative to the key of the tune.

What key is best for blues?

The scales used most often for soloing in blues-influenced music are minor and major pentatonic. As its name implies, a pentatonic scale consists of five tones, as penta means ‘five’ and tonic means ‘tone’.

What’s the difference between a chromatic and diatonic harmonica?

Types of Harmonicas There are two main categories of harmonicas: Diatonic – which only contains the notes of a specific scale and are mainly used in Blues, Rock, Country and Pop music. Chromatic – which can play all notes in the chromatic scale and are mainly used in Jazz and Classical music.

Which key is higher C or G?

In the major scale, there are eight notes going up the steps from bottom to top. These are the eight notes of the octave. On a C scale, the notes from low to high would be C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. C-sharp, for example, is a half tone higher than C.

What scales are used for blues?

Greenblatt defines two blues scales, the major and the minor. The major blues scale is 1, 2,♭3, 3, 5, 6 and the minor is 1, ♭3, 4, ♭5, 5, ♭7. The latter is the same as the hexatonic scale described above.

Is blues played in major or minor?

However, most people agree that the blues scale is a variation on the major and minor pentatonic scales, and those pentatonic scales are derived from the major scale and the natural minor scale. We can connect all these scales with a little bit of music theory.

Should I get a diatonic or chromatic harmonica?

The diatonic harmonica is the most common harmonica. That said, the chromatic harmonica is often considered best for jazz and complex classical music. So, it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED you start your harmonica journey with a diatonic, which is way easier to learn than the chromatic harmonica.

What harmonica does Bob Dylan use?

Dylan’s harmonica of choice is the Hohner harmonica.

What is a good harmonica brand?

30 Best Harmonica Reviews and the Best Harmonica Brands

  • Suzuki HA-20-C Promaster Hammond harmonica.
  • SEYDEL Harmonica.
  • Suzuki Promaster Harmonica.
  • Lee Oskar Harmonica.
  • Hohner Marine Band Special 20 5-Piece Pro Pack.
  • Suzuki Humming – Tremolo-21-C Harmonica.
  • SWAN Harmonica.
  • Boseno Tremolo Harmonica.

How do you choose the right harmonica key?

If you know the key of the Blues song that you want to play along with, and you want to choose the right harmonica for that Blues, you count up 4 notes from the key that the song is in. Then you will have the right harmonica for the Blues song (or any song you want to play 2nd position on).

What kind of harmonica do I need to play the G Blues?

You can see this is true by checking, “What harmonica would I choose for a G blues?” Count up from the song key: G=1, A=2, B=3, C=4. So we will need to choose a C harmonica to play a G Blues. And you can remember this because, in English, “4” sounds the same as “for”.

What kind of harmonica do I need to play Seydel Blues?

The Seydel Blues Session has hefty stainless steel reeds that produce a lot of volume and its wider hole spacing allows beginners to play single notes more easily. Most harp players end up with a collection of diatonic harmonicas from various makers in a range of keys.

Which is the most common type of harmonica?

If you want to dive right in, you can browse the huge Musician’s Friend selection of all types of harmonicas here. The most common type of harmonica you’ll encounter in pop, blues and folk music—diatonic harmonicas are designed to play in a specific key.