Hohner M533016 Blues Harp - Key of C, Chrome

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The first three positions cover the vast majority of harmonica playing, and these positions have names as well as numbers. They are: The key played in this style is one fifth above the nominal tuning of the harmonica, e.g. a C harmonica is played in the key of G. Therefore, to be in tune with a normal guitar tuning of E, an A harmonica is often used. This is because by playing the C harmonica in G, or A harmonica in E, the dominant or seventh chord is produced in place of the tonic chord, and in the blues, all chords are typically played as dominant (seventh or ninth) chords. The sound is quite good and powerful. Certainly, this is a harmonica that will be considered as one of the Most Versatile Blues Harmonicas you can buy. It's recommended for beginners and for blues players to start with diatonic harmonicas. They come with 10 holes and are tuned to a major or minor scale of specific key. For example, if it's tuned to the key of G, it will only play the G major scale. Although you can play blues on a chromatic harmonica, diatonic harmonicas are a befitting choice for playing blues, country and folk because of the additional drawing and bending techniques needed to produce that "bluesy" sound, and the missing notes from the scale. position (or "double cross harp" or "slant harp"): Dorian mode. Playing the harmonica a full tone above its intended key. This gives a dorian scale between 4 draw and 8 draw, though once again bends and overblows give players a variety of options. Blues players can achieve a tritone by bending the 6 draw. On a diatonic, starting hole is hole 1 draw. On a C-chromatic, starting hole is hole 1 draw, resulting in D-minor with a raised 6th. This is the traditional way of playing Blues on Chromatic.

If you don’t understand the numbers I’ve assigned to the chords in the Blues progression below, please see my blog, Harmonica Chords for Beginners . As mentioned above, harmonicas are tuned to a specific key. 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". This means playing the harmonica tuned to a perfect fourth below the original key of the written music by using the 2 draw hole as a root note instead of using the 4 blow hole used for the first position and original key. If the music is written in G, then a C harmonica is used in the second position. This is the most common position used for playing blues.This model is made in Japan and comes with a slightly different shape, which is considered by some easier to hold. The stainless steel cover though, is what you would expect to find on other instruments. This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. ( September 2017) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)

As expected from an industry standard harp, amateurs and professionals alike rave about how well made it is. It's sturdy plastic comb with recessed reed plates are what makes it comfortable to play as well as easy to clean and maintain. Since its plastic comb is less prone to moisture, it's less likely to wear and tear after long periods of time. Yar-Shater, Ehsan (2003). Encyclopædia Iranica. Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 7–8. ISBN 978-0-933273-81-8. While there are many variations of the 12-bar Blues, the most common and simplest chord progression is this: I I I I

This particular harmonica is meant as an entry level option, with an affordable price tag that will easily appeal to beginners.

History of the Harp". internationalharpmuseum.org. International Harp Museum. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016 . Retrieved 18 June 2016. Whether you play the harmonica or not, most people have heard of Hohner. Founded in Germany in 1857, they not only make harmonicas but also specialized keyboards like the Clavinet, Accordion, and Melodica. The Fender Blues Deluxe Harmonica is another proof of Fender's success outside their usual market - which is guitars and related gear. Galpin, F. W. (1929). "The Sumerian Harp of Ur, c. 3500 B.C.E.". Oxford Journal of Music and Letters. X (2): 108–123. doi: 10.1093/ml/X.2.108.Lawrence, Lucile; Salzedo, Carlos (1929). Method for the Harp: Fundamental exercises with illustrations and technical explanations. New York, G. Schirmer. as an Introduction and Complement to Carlos Salzedos̀ Modern Study of the Harp by Lucile Lawrence and Carlos Salzedo The alternative system and possibly more common design is Richter tuning. This is better for playing chords. The lower sections of the harmonica playing the dominant and tonic chords on draw and blow, respectively. If you were playing in ‘C’ then this would be C and G. BCE. The instrument had great popularity in Europe during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, where it evolved into a wide range of variants with new technologies, and was disseminated to Europe's colonies, finding particular popularity in Latin America. Zvelebil, Kamil (1992). Companion Studies to the History of Tamil Literature. BRILL. pp. 145ff. ISBN 90-04-09365-6.

Inglefield, Ruth K.; Neill, Lou Anne (1985). Writing for the Pedal Harp: A Standardized Manual for Composers and Harpists. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-04832-4. The Marine Band 1896 is one of the original blues harps designed by Hohner and has been a staple ever since. The Richter-tuned harmonica, or 10-hole harmonica (in Asia) or blues harp (in America), is the most widely known type of harmonica. It is a variety of diatonic harmonica, with ten holes which offer the player 19 notes (10 holes times a draw and a blow for each hole minus one repeated note) in a three- octave range. Harp". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016 . Retrieved 30 April 2014.

THE HOHNER COMMUNITY

Since it has a wooden comb, the downside for this is that it swells when it gets moisture and it may cause lip injury after long periods of time. It takes a bit more effort when it comes to taking it apart for cleaning and tuning, but with proper care, it's built to be durable and long lasting. Many users mentioned the holes were smaller and its built-in wooden comb were stiffer compared to other harmonicas they have tried. Hohner is not saying that this is a replica of a vintage version of the original, far from it. But it does have some of the original design parameters that allowed those early Blues players to get those sounds and bent notes. A great little harmonica for either starter or improvers who are trying to bend it as ‘Sonny Boy’ did. It is good to see that the seventh harmonica has a B flat tuning. This is more practical for playing Blues harmonica than a straight B scale would have been. They are all ten-hole instruments. In Armenia, the harp has been used since the fourth century BC. [ citation needed] Common usages included weddings and funerals. [39] The "Antler Cup with a Feast Scene", found inside a vessel in Nor Aresh and now preserved in the Erebuni Fortress, depicts a harp. [40] Information about early medieval Armenian musical instruments has been found in Armenian translations of the Bible. [41] [42] [43]