Lessons-Practice-Theory

I think it is both fascinating and empowering as a player to have a solid understanding of why the harmonica makes a particular sound: like a sympathetic reed bend, an over-blow, or that dying cat sound we’ve all made at one time or another… I always seek out new learning opportunities, and for a relatively small instrument, the harmonica provides us with an exceptional number of things to study and explore. By practicing a concept on the harmonica, and exploring the physics behind achieving the desired effect, we can better train our muscles to more reliably produce the tones we desire. It’s a similar principle to a sports scientist helping an athlete understand the mechanics behind their sport and their training, only we’ll be doing it with music!

The harmonica also provides an opportunity for musicians familiar with other instruments to reinforce their knowledge of music theory. The blues harp approaches familiar topics in music theory from a perspective altogether different from the piano or guitar but builds a more complete understanding of those concepts that can be translated back to other instruments you play. There are excellent lessons to be learned in transposition, improvisation, harmonic theory, and more.