How To Play 'Hardcore' Harmonica

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Then there are tremolo-tuned harmonicas. Each air passage of such an instrument is divided into an upper and a lower cell and each cell is equipped with a reed . . . but all the reeds are either "blow" or "draw", instead of the half "blow" and half "draw" of a basic harmonica. Besides that, although both the upper and the lower reed in each air passage of a tremolo harp are tuned to the same note . . . one is pitched just slightly higher than the other. This very small difference gives a beautiful "vibrating" effect when the organ is played.

And there are octave-tuned mouth harps, which are very much like tremolo harmonicas . . . except that each double-set of reeds is tuned one octave apart for a stronger and more fullbodied sound.

And there are big and small and doubleand triple-decker and straight and curved versions of most of these variations on harmonica design. And there are special mouth harps designed just for concert work and orchestral accompaniment and the blues and Lord knows what all.

THE BASIC INSTRUMENT

But you can forget about such complicated and specialized mouth organs when you're just starting out. For that matter, you can forget about them even if you play a harmonica for a hundred years. Because-as millions of harp players, ranging from the rawest beginners to the most polished professionals, have amply demonstrated over the years-there is one simple, inexpensive, straightforward, easyto-play mouth harp that (for all practical purposes) will "do it all".

I'm talkin' 'bout the good of Hohner Model HH-1896 Marine Band harmonica. The instrument internationally recognized by farm boys, factory hands, trail-ridin' cowpokes, blues artists, folk performers, and all other devotees of the mouth organ . . . as the handiest, most versatile, most expressive, easiest to carry and easiest to play little musicmaker the world has ever known.

Technically, the Marine Band is a "single reed, diatonic" harmonica with ten holes. Each opening is equipped with one (hence the term "single") blow and one draw reed . . . and every reed is tuned to a different note on the scale. This "doubling up" of two tones in each hole makes it possible for you to play a full eightnote scale (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C . . . in the case of the key of C) by breathing in and out properly on just the four openings in the mouth organ's center (see sidebar with this article). The three holes to the left and the three to the right of the four central openings continue this basic pattern . . . but with certain notes omitted so that chords can be wrung out of the small (it's only four inches long!) instrument.

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