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The modern harmonica was invented in 1821 by a German clockmaker named Christian Buschman who put fifteen pitch pipes together to create an odd little instrument. At first harmonicas were produced as a sideline, but in 1857, Matthias Hohner decided to manufacture them on a large scale and went into production in Germany.
The harmonica spread all over Germany, and all over the world with the mass emigration of Germans in the latter half of the nineteenth century. By the time of the American Civil War, the harmonica was well established in the United States and many soldiers on both sides played them. At first the repertoire in the State for harmonica consisted of folksongs, fiddle tunes, marches, hymns, and the like. The harmonica most definitely was originally not meant to be used for blues!
The origins of blues harp in the South remain blurry in spite of all the research that has been done concerning the blues. W.C. Handy recalled hearing train imitations played on the harmonica as early as the the 1870's, and this was a likely sources of blues harp. The discovery that the notes could be lowered in pitch by changing the pressure exerted on reeds was probably an accidental one, but still, the "blue" notes of the African vocal scale and the moans and cries of the field holler had been successfully reproduced on a new instrument. By the 1920's, blues harp was a common sound in the South.
After World War II there was a large shifting of the black population from the rural south to the urban north, especially Chicago. Starting from the late thirties, four giants of blues harmonica recorded and performed in Chicago: Sonny Boy Willianson, Little Walter, Big Walter Horton and Sonny Boy Williamson (a.k.a. Rice)
Together these men created the sound of the Chicago-style blues harmonica with its various moods and voices and sounds, ranging from eerie howls and raucous yells to whispers and sighs. It was a compelling sound, demanding and getting instant attention.
A second generation of harpers, Junior Wells, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield, Charlie Musselwhite and others, learned the art directly from the older masters.
Paul Butterfield (1941-1987) was among the greatest of this second generation, and did much to popularize the harmonica as a rock instrument.
The advent of rock n' roll in the mid-fifties caused the sales of blues records to drop, and many performers had to seek other livelihoods - even Muddy Waters, whose bands always featured a harmonica player, found that audiences didn't care for slow blues in the nightclubs of Chicago.
Meanwhile, the blues were being discovered in Europe, especially in England, where young guitarists with names like Eric Clapton, Beck, and Page were wearing holes in their records figuring out the riffs of B. B. King, Albert King, and other American blues guitarists. The blues-based British rock invasion of the late sixties repopularized the blues, but by then they had moved on to R & B, soul, and jazz. Unfortunately, the creators of the style got none of the credit until 1964, when The Rolling Stones appeared on the TV show "Shindig" along with blues legend Howlin 'Wolf.' (The Stones got Wolf on the show by refusing to play without him)
Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and other famous musicians of the 'sixties all played the harmonica and helped establish it as a rock as well as a blues instrument. With the resurgence of interest in the blues, the fate of the blues harp playing now seems secure indeed.
The harmonica itself consists of a wood or plastic body called a comb, two brass reed plates, and two nickel covers. The diatonic harmonica, which is the most popular model, has ten holes. Each hole in turn provides one of two different notes, depending on whether you are exhaling (blowing) or inhaling (drawing). The 20 notes available on this harmonica cover a range of three octaves and are arranged in such a way that only the middle octave contains a completescale. The lower octave lacks the fourth and seventh steps of the scale.
If you're looking for a fun, portable, inexpensive ($5 - $50) musical instrument, this harmonica is definatly for you.
Chances are, your first harmonica will be made by The Hohner Company. Hohner makes lots of models of harmonicas, but I'd recommend buying one of these four harps on the price chart below.
In the comparision chart below, all models mentioned have nickel-plated covers. I'll try my best to keep this updated whenever I need to.
Online harmonica stores!!
Harmonica prices at Kevin's Harps
www.kharps.com
Hohner Big River Harp - $13.99
Hohner Special Twenty - $17.89
Hohner Blues Harp - $17.99
Hohner Golden Melody - $18.99
Prices at Joe's Virtual Music
www.joesvirtual.com
Hohner Big River Harp - $9.57
Hohner Special Twenty - $15.57
Hohner Blues Harp - $16.17
Hohner Golden Melody - $16.77
Prices at Coast to Coast
coast2coast.com
Hohner Big River Harp - $9.50
Hohner Special Twenty - $15.00
Hohner Blues Harp - $15.50
Hohner Golden Melody - $16.00
*Note that the Hohner Golden Melody will not fit in a regular sized harmonica case.
For the first few days, blow gently in the harmonica. Some of the high notes won't sound very good. Avoid the temptation of blowing as hard as you can, intead slowly increase the amount of air pressure.
There's an old tradition which says the first thing you should do to a new wooden harmonica is dunk it in a glass of liquid for about 10-20 minutes. The recommended liquid varies from plain water, to draft beer, to whiskey. It swells the wooden body of the harp, making an airtight seal between the reed plate and the body. This does actually work, possibly up to 100%, but I really wouldn't recommend it, because in the long run, it shortens the life expectancy of the instrument.It can even turn it into a lethal weapon!! (to your mouth and tongue, that is) Eventually, the wood shrinks back to less than it's original size, making a tiny gap between the body and the reed plate that's just big enough to catch an important piece of flesh. So... I wouldn't recommend it.
Keep your harmonica in it's case whenever you're not playing it; this is especially true if you keep it in your pocket. Do this, and your harmonica will sound good a lot longer!
References:
Harmonica.org One of the best harmonica references!
Harmonica Helpers:
The diatonic harmonica reference!!
Your #1 source for harmonica info!!
Harmonica Links!!
Don's harmonica hints!!
Online lessons!!
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This site has downloadable lessons!!
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