How to Play Scales on a Chromatic 12-Hole Harmonica

The harmonica is also called a "blues harp."

The harmonica is a colorful instrument, especially for playing the blues. Its main limitation, however, is that you can only play one scale per instrument. Players carry up to 12 harmonicas with them at a time: the C instrument for playing in the key of C, the C sharp instrument for playing in the key of C sharp, and so forth. The chromatic harmonica, however, lets you shift the entire scale up a step simply by pushing a slide on the end of the instrument, allowing you to play every note on one instrument. You simply have to learn the formula for playing a chromatic scale.

Things You'll Need

• Chromatic harmonica

Instructions

1. Blow air in hole #1 to begin the chromatic scale. Press the slide in and again blow in hole #1. Draw air from hole #1 with the slide out. Press the slide in and again draw air from hole #1.

2. Blow air in hole #2 with the slide out to continue. Draw air from hole #2 with the slide out. Press the slide in and again draw air from hole #2.

3. Blow air in hole #3 with the slide out to continue. Press the slide in and again blow in hole #3. Draw air from hole #3 with the slide out. Press the slide in and again draw air from hole #3.

4. Draw air from hole #4 with the slide out. Blow air in hole #4 with the slide out to complete your first octave. Move to hole #5 and repeat the entire process (as if you were on hole #1 again).

Tips & Warnings

• Bent notes are a signature sound for the harmonica. (See the Harmonica Club reference for more information on bending notes.) Don't use the slide lever on your chromatic harmonica when you can instead bend a note. For example, it will sound better to bend a D in order to get a C sharp than to use the chromatic slide lever to play the C sharp.

References

• Harp On: Chromatic Harmonica Reference and Resources
• Wikipedia: Chromatic Harmonica
• Harmonica Club: Bending Notes