How To Play 'Hardcore' Harmonica

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To accomplish this little trick, you have to flatten that curl you've learned to roll into your tongue . . . and you have to do it while you're blowing or drawing a note. That will change the way the air passes through the reed . . . cause the reed itself to distort while it's vibrating . . . and, in turn, "bend" the sound it produces.

Of course, when you really wanna add something special to your harp blowin', you'll just have to teach yourself to play some chords on your of Marine Band.

What you do is you open your lips enough to allow you to blow through four of the harmonica's openings at once. At the same time, though, you press your tongue up against the wooden partitions on the instrument's front and you use it to cover either the three holes to the left (if you want to add a low chord to your melody note from time to time) or the three holes to the right (if you want to add a high chord). And then-while one corner or the other of your mouth concentrates on blowing a steady tone through the single hole that's always uncovered-your tongue is moved (in rhythm!) to cover and uncover the other three openings, thereby adding and subtracting the high or low chord.

That's right. To play chords, you have to be able to do two things at once.

It ain't easy . . . but it sure can drive a audience wild. If you want to hear an ex cellent example of what mean, give listen to The Ozark Mountain Dare devils' version of "if You Want to Get t Heaven". I still can't figure out how the group's harmonica player does it. HE must have two mouths!

CARE FOR YOUR HARP!

Even though there's not a whole log that can possibly go wrong with a mouth organ, you can ensure a longer life for your instrument if you follow a few simple rules:

[1] Vary blow and draw all you like for emotional effect as you play your harp . . . but do try to limit the maximum amount of stress that you put on the harmonica's reeds.

[2] Swallow and otherwise control the flow of saliva as you play. A dry mouth harp lasts longer.

[3] Don't play your Marine Band while you're chewing gum or when you have any food in your mouth . . . for obvious reasons.

[4] After playing the harmonica, tap it a few times against the heel of your hand-face down-to dislodge any saliva or foreign matter that might have gotten into the instrument during its use.

[5] Before putting the Marine Band back in its case, dry its playing surfaces with a soft, clean, lint-free cloth.

ME AND OL' BETSY

There's something so nice and comforting about carryin' a harmonica around in your pocket that I hope you'll give the idea a try. And if you do-and if you're like me-it won't be long before you give the instrument a name and start thinkin' of it as a true friend (in my case, "Ol' Betsy") who can entertain you, inspire you, comfort you, and help you get across life's awkward spots.

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