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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
What Harp to Start out on
What Harp to Start out on
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Popculture Chameleon
210 posts
Jul 21, 2017
12:39 AM
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I was recently with a few friends who play Harp and the subject of first harmonics actually came up. Basically which harp did you use to learn off of.
Surprisingly the results were pretty mixed and the reasons they gave actually did make a good bit of since.
So there is my question.
With so many harps out now which would be a good one to start with. Besides the slew of Hohners on the market. - Marine band- crossover- rockets- etc to seydel and Manji. What was your reasoning for choosing the harp you started on?
Honestly I don't think any answer would be wrong but I am curious to see which harps are mentioned the most in the post
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the_happy_honker
267 posts
Jul 21, 2017
6:00 AM
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The first harmonica is usually an impulse purchase, something crummy, like a Silver Star or Hot Metal. Then they go to someone who can play and say, "I bought this and it doesn't sound right. Can you help me?"
I do a quick setup and show them how to how to hold it, how to get chords and single notes. I show them that tunes like "Oh, Susanne!" just fall right out of the thing.
Then they say, "Yeah, but I want to play like you do, blues and stuff." And that's when I start talking about getting a better harmonica.
So, factors to consider when buying the SECOND harmonica:
Cost and Reliability - Beginners should have a reasonable chance of getting a harp in good working order. No American Aces or Blues Bands. 35 - 55 bucks should buy you a harp that is reasonably air tight. Don't spend 80 - 90 bucks on a harp, either. The extra money doesn't guarantee a better harp out of the box.
Comfort - Putting a harmonica in your mouth for the first time feels strange and it takes time and practice to get a good seal with a light embouchure. The beginner will also likely grip the harp too hard, so the harp should feel good in the hands, no snaggy metal edges or sharp corners. One can learn to grip softly, but again, it takes time and practice.
I recommend harps with reed plates that are recessed behind a plastic comb. (Special 20s are often recommended to beginners for their recessed reed plates, but I find the cover plate corners and the plastic edges to be hard on the lips and hands. Luckily, these problems are easily solved with a bit of fine sandpaper.)
It used to be that Marine Band Classics were not recommended for beginners, because the wood comb would swell outwards and be very rough on the lips. This has not been a problem for me since Hohner started sealing the combs.
If the beginner is already steeped in blues music, maybe they should consider a Marine Band. It may mean something that the instrument they are playing is the same one that the old masters played.
Size can matter, too. My 7-year old daughter has never played harp beyond huffing and puffing on the toy harp that gets kicked around the house. But she recently decided she was going to play "Itsy Bitsy Spider" for her classmates and asked to borrow a "real harmonica, Daddy." So I rummaged in my harp drawer and pulled out a Golden Melody, thinking she would like the jelly-bean shape and the colourful comb. To my surprise, she rejected it, in favour of a Marine Band, because the latter fit her hands. She also remarked unprompted that the chords on the Marine Band sounded better than the equal tempered GM.
Suzuki Harpmaster / Bluesmaster, Hohner Special 20 qualify as good beginner harps, but I have begun to recommend the Seydel Blues Session. They sound great, they are slippery in the mouth and not a snag anywhere on them. Not as sexy as the steel version, but the build quality is just as good for a lot less moolah.
But whatever harp is chosen, nothing beats having someone make sure the harp is gapped and screwed together properly.
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ejakon
37 posts
Jul 21, 2017
6:06 AM
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My first one was a marine band, the size of it makes it really easy on your lips compared to the special 20, where i found that while lip pursing it would hurt the heck outta my lips. Now that i know how to tongue block however, ive moved on to plastic comb Seydel harmonicas since theyre much easier on my sensitice tongue than a Marine Band.
Although, the ONE harmonica i dont want to recommend for beginners would be a Bluesnaster, might be a awful purchase from my part, but the tone is really awful on it and its not as loud as a Special 20 or Marine Band, which is very problematic when u play for gigs or in the street
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the_happy_honker
268 posts
Jul 21, 2017
6:50 AM
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I agree the Bluesmaster sounds very muted. It has a very narrow "bite-width" and so might be good for someone with TMJ pain.
Seydel's Blues Sessions are very wide and encourage the beginner to adopt a good, wide embouchure.
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