How to Hold a Harmonica

Playing the harmonica can be lots of fun. But before you start taking lessons or playing the blues, you need to understand that how you hold your harmonica affects its tones. Holding a harmonica properly gets the best sounds from it.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Harmonica

1. Hold your harmonica so that the low notes sit on your left. Harmonicas have printed numbers from 1 to 10 over the holes, with 1 being the lowest note and 10 the highest.

2. Get comfortable playing single notes before you try anything fancy with your harp or your hands. Move the harmonica, not your head, to play the different notes.

3. Slide your harmonica between your left index finger and thumb, against the web of your hand. Allow the rest of the fingers of your left hand to cup the harmonica. Wrap your right hand over the left to create the largest airtight cup possible. This technique, cupping, is the single most important lesson in harmonica holding.

4. Open your hands for more volume; close them for a more muted sound that seems like sound trapped inside your hands.

5. Flutter the outer hand that cups the harmonica when you reach notes that should be held longer. The fluttering leads to a vibrating or wavering effect that alters the volume.

6. Hold your harmonica consistently. Consistency with holding allows you to quickly find the notes you need to learn to play.

Tips & Warnings

• Good posture and breathing techniques aid harmonica playing. Remember to stand straight with your head up. By placing the harmonica far back into your mouth, you can breathe into it instead of sucking air (and saliva) in and out.
• A few lessons with a harmonica player can teach you a lot about holding a harmonica.