playing the harmonica

I know it's come to be considered a toy some kids play on, but how do you actually learn to play the harmonica? Being able to play along to different tunes and actually make some sort of music, dylan, etc..anyone have any good points on starting to play? Different chords at different ends, etc. I'd really appreciate it, thanks

 

chords are the same as they are on piano and guitar, you just gotta know the notes, which are different for each key of harmonica.

i never really could play until i downloaded a whole bunch of instrumental bluegrassy psychedelic jams and jammed along with them.... i suggest doing that... that and copying a bunch of bob dylan harmonica solos

 

possibly an instruction book as well

they teach you how to bend, and some technical stuff if you wanna sound real good like tounge blocking and such...but yeah, i still like chucks advice of just playign along to bob dylan and other stuff like that that has harp in it

a chord is when you just play more than one hole/note at a time, and if you know what key the song you want to play is in, you can just make stuff up on that key of harp, and just blow more than draw and it sounde decent enough

 

a lot of people have trouble learning how to bend...

i picked up on it fairly quickly after listening to george bend like a harmonica-bending robot. .

... so sorry i couldnt think of anything better. .

 

i can't really bend, but i'll blame that on used to playing baritone/trombone in band--it proobbly isnt a good excuse, but i am using it

 

there's almost no such thing as a good excuse, just use whatever you can come up with. :H.

though that one is very believable.

 

start out with a c harmonica
for a beginner i'd highly recommend a lee oskar major diatonic. the most playable harp around IMO

buy an instructional cd/book. that's how i got started. check out one by a guy named david harp

 

I play freestyle. I just listen to a song and I can emulate it on the harmonica. I'm not playing it note for note the same, but as long as it sound right, who cares?