Don't Belittle the Harmonica
The harmonica is one of music’s best kept secrets. Unfortunately, the instrument has been narrowly typecast. Though you could probably find a harmonica at any Wal-Mart or toy store, the harmonica is not a toy, nor is it mainly an accompaniment instrument. And although it has long been associated with singing cowboys or prison films, it can play lots of music besides “On Top of Old Smokey” and “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.”
The most common types of harmonica are the diatonic and chromatic. The diatonic is based on the diatonic scale and the chromatic is based on the chromatic scale and covers three to four octaves. Chromatic harmonicas have a small slide on the side that moves notes up a half-step. Lesser known types of harmonica are the tremelo, octave (named for the way the reeds are tuned), and orchestral, which includes the bass and chord styles.
I was first inspired to learn the harmonica by Charlie McCoy, the famous Nashville player. I had one of his albums and I knew that he played a Hohner harmonica. I bought myself a Hohner and thought I could play like him, but when I first tried it, it wasn’t so easy.
Blowing into the wooden or plastic comb causes the reeds inside this free reed instrument to vibrate. Since these holes are small, I found it wasn’t easy to locate individual notes. Also, harmonicas are played with a “blow/draw” technique, which was confusing at first. Blowing into the comb gives one note, then drawing air out gives the next higher.
To get started, I used an instruction book with diagrams showing when to blow and when to draw notes. Once I got into it, and got the blow/draw technique down, my lips began to learn where to go!
Soon it was easy to play by ear and I was able to learn some songs. In my repertoire, I play “O, Susanna,” “Traumerei,” by Schumann, minuets by Bach and Krieger, as well as blues, folk, and klezmer tunes. I especially like playing “The Tennessee Waltz.”
I enjoy the harmonica’s diversity. Cham-ber Huang, a Chinese player, pioneered the harmonica as a classical instrument and beautiful classical harmonica music is available. Larry Adler, an American artist, recorded Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” on the harmonica, as well as diverse jazz repertoire. In the 1950s, Borrah Minevitch led an all-harmonica band, and in the 1960s, Jerry Murad and the Harmonicats recorded many popular albums. Stevie Wonder added the harmonica to the “Motown Sound” and Charlie McCoy blazed country trails as a sideman and artist in Nashville.
I get great satisfaction from learning new songs on my harmonica. Personally, I have found that klezmer music plays well on the harmonica. My klezmer repertoire is growing, but my favorite pieces are “Shalom Aleichem,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and “Bei Mir Bist du Schoen.”
One fact is evident—the harmonica is not just for cowboy or prison films. It is a simple, easily accessible instrument with immense potential.
-Joel Bjorling
bjorling@galesburg.net
