Harmonica Overview:
[Diatonic vs. Chromatic, 1st & 2nd Position]

The "Basic Overview" is an introductory primer on the two most important types of harmonicas, which harmonica to get, and the 1st and 2nd playing positions.

 Diatonic vs. Chromatic Harmonica



The diatonic is mostly used for blues, country- There are two main types of harmonicas, the chromatic harmonica and diatonic harmonica. Although the chromatic is extremely versatile, the harmonica which is predominantly used in blues, rock, country, folk, etc. is called the diatonic harmonica (blues harp type). It doesn't have all the notes like the chromatic harmonica but many of the notes that are not naturally found can be acquired by "bending" certain draw (inhale) and blow (exhale) notes.

People who play the diatonic harmonica- Players associated with the diatonic would include Bob Dylan, Neil Young, James Cotton, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter, Paul Butterfield, Mickey Raphael, John Popper, Huey Lewis, Jimmy Reed, Sonny Terry, and so on.

The chromatic harmonica is not recommended for the songs on this site- The chromatic harmonica has a button on the side which allows you to play the normal major scale, and with the button depressed, gives you all the half steps or notes in between. This allows you to play any scale, in any key, but you can't bend notes very well on this instrument so you don't get the same "bluesy" sound as on the diatonic. The chromatic is mostly used for jazz, classical- The chromatic is typically used in jazz, classical, and pop music. Stevie Wonder, Toots Thielemans, and Larry Adler are three of the best known players of this instrument.


 Which Harmonica To Get

Start with a basic 10 hole harmonica in the key of "C"- Diatonic harmonicas come in all keys (G, Ab, A, Bb, B, C, Db, D, Eb, E, F, F#), but for beginners it's easier if you start with a basic 10 hole harmonica in the key of "C" (generally speaking, the "G" harmonicas are very low and the "F" and "F#" harmonicas are very high, while the "C" is right in the middle). You can find one in almost any music store.

A cheap harmonica is tough to learn on- Prices may vary, but it is best to buy one for no less than $10 to $15, because a cheap harmonica can be extremely difficult to learn on. Hohner, Lee Oskar, Suzuki, and Huang Harmonica Co.'s all make good harmonicas for around $20- $35 and the difference between them is ultimately a personal preference.

Standard diatonic in the key of "C"- The serious beginner can't go wrong with the standard Lee Oskar diatonic in the key of "C". It is a bit more expensive, but worth the price for it's consistent volumn, tone, and durability. In the Hohner line, the Special 20 is a very good deal.


1st Position (Straight Harp)

Low notes to the left- For now, hold the harmonica by the ends with the numbers over the holes facing up (low notes to the left like a piano). You'll notice if you blow anywhere on the key of "C" harmonica you will get a C chord (C,E, and G notes). Other key diatonic harmonicas are layed out exactly the same, so if you blow into a key of "A" harmonica you will get an A chord (A,C#, and E notes).

1st position is mostly blow notes- When you play mostly blow notes on your key of "C" harmonica you will be in the key of "C". This style of playing is called 1st position or "Straight Harp". This is typically used for simple melodies like "Oh Sussanah" and widely used in a folk context, a la Bob Dylan.

Simple "Straight Harp" jamming- If you take any major keyed-song and the same keyed major harmonica (i.e. key of "C" for both) you can instantly jam along with it if you stay in the middle of the harmonica and primarily, but not exclusively stick to the blow notes. Resolution to the key of the music can be found on holes 4 and 7 blow.


2nd Position (Cross Harp)

For blues, use 2nd position- If you want to play to more blues based music, your first choice would not be the 1st position (or Straight Harp) style of playing. This is where you would want to use what is called 2nd position or "Cross Harp" style of playing.

2nd postion is in a different key- To play in the 2nd position (cross harp), you should stick mostly to the draw notes at the low end of the harmonica (holes 1 through 5 draw). When this is done you are no longer in the key of the harmonica, but actually in a key which is a perfect 5th (or seven 1/2 steps) up from the key of the harmonica.

You're playing your "C" harmonica in the key of "G"- So, if you play in 2nd position on a key of "C" harmonica you will now be in the key of "G". This is the way most blues, rock, and country players will use the harmonica. Take a look at the table below to find the 2nd position key for different keyed diatonics.

2nd postion is mostly draw notes at the low end- If you want to jam to a song while playing 2nd position (or Cross Harp) you must primarily, but not exclusively, play the draw notes at the low end of the harmonica. Resolution to the key of music can be found on hole 2 draw (and later on, also at holes 3 and 6 blow).

The advantage to 2nd position is the bending- The big advantage to the 2nd position style of playing is that all these low draw notes can be bent down for effect and will soon give you all the missing blues notes.


Summary of 1st and 2nd Position

Remember, 1st position (or Straight Harp) is mostly, but not exclusively, blowing in the middle part of the harmonica (hole 4 blow is a good starting point and home base for 1st position). 2nd position (or cross harp) is predominately, but not exclusively, drawing at the low end of the harmonica (hole 2 draw is the best starting point and home base for 2nd position). On a key of "C" diatonic harmonica, 1st position playing is in the key of "C" and 2nd position playing is in the key of "G".