Harmonica Positions

Positions on the harmonica based on a key of C harmonica. (Hint: This is the circle of fifths)

1. C
2. G
3. D
4. A
5. E
6. B
7. F#
8. Db
9. Ab
10. Eb
11. Bb
12. F

Youtube Harmonica Tutorials

Beginner

Jonah Fox
Liam Ward
Luke et al
Tomlin Leckie
The Harmonica Barge

Intermediate to Advanced

Adam Gussow
Jason Ricci
Will Wilde
Konstantin Reinfeld
Kyren Allen

Harp Tabs

Practicing -3"

Old McDonald
4 4 4 3 -3" -3" 3
4 4 -3 -3 3 3 etc

Happy Birthday
3 3 -3" 3 4 -3
3 3 -3" 3 -4 4
3 3 6 5 4 4 -3 -3"
-5 -5 5 4 -4 4

Danny Boy
-3 4 -4 5 -4  5 -6 6 5 -4 4 -3"
4 5 -5 6 -6 6 5 4 5 -4
-3 4 -4 5 -4  5 -6 6 5 -4 4 -3"
-3 4 -4 5 -5 5 -4 4 -3 4
6 -6 -7 7 -7 -7 -6 6 -6 6 5 4
6 -6 -7 7 -7 -7 -6 6 5 -4
6 6 6 8 -8 -8 7 -6 7 6 5 4
-3 4 -4 5 -6 6 5 -4 4 -3" -3 4

Amazing Grace
3 4 5 4 5 -4 4 -3" 3
3 4 5 4 5 -4 6
5 6 6 5 4 5 -4 4 -3" 3
3 4 5 4 5 -4 4 

Yankee Doodle
4 4 -4 5 4 5 -4 3 4 4 -4 5 4 -3
4 4 -4 5 -5 5 -4 4 -3 3 -3" -3 4 4
-3" -3 -3" 3 -3" -3 4
3 -3" 3 -2" 2 3
-3" -3 -3" 3 -3" -3 4
-3" 3 4 -3 -4 4 4

Orange Blossom Special
Verse
6 6 6, 5 6 6, 6 6 6 6 6, 6 6 5 4
6 -6 -6 -6, -5 -6 -6, 6 6 -6 -6 -5 -6 -5 5,
6 6 -7 6 -7 6 -7 6, 6 6 6, 6 -5 5 4

Chugging Use two harmonicas I/IV(lower) Do/Fa E/A (Greene) F/Bb (McCoy/Cash) D/G etc
I |: T(-2 -3) K(-2 -3) T(2 3) T(-1 -2) K(-1 -2) T(1 2) :| 2x
T(-2 -3) K(-2 -3) T(2 3) T(-1 -2) K(-1 -2) T(1 2) (-3 -4)

Train whistle
-4 -4 -3 -4, -4 -4 -3 -4 -3 -2,  3 -3' -3' -3" 3 -2" 2 -1 1? Switch harmonicas
IV |: (-1 -2 -3) (-2 -3 -4) (-2 -3 -4) (-1 -2 -3) :| 3x
|: (-2 -3 -4) (2 3 4) (3 4 5) (3 4 5) (2 3 4) :| 2x
I |: (-2 -3) (-3 -4) (-3 -4) (-2 -3) :| 3x
|: (-3 -4) (3 4) (4 5) (4 5) (3 4) :| 2x

Solo
|: 4 -4 5 4 -6 6 5 -4 :| 2x
4 -4 5 4 -6 6 5 4 -5 -4
|: 6 -6 -7 7 -8 7 -7 -6 :| 3x
6 -6 6 -5 5 4 -4 -3
|: 4 -4 5 4 -6 6 5 -4 :| 2x
4 -4 5 4 -6 6 5 4 -6 -5
-6 -6 -6 -5 -6 7 -6 -5 6 5 6 5
-6 6 -5 5 -4 5 -5 5 -4
-2 -3 -4 4

Work Song Butterfield Style Bb Harp
-2 -2 -3' 4 -4' -4 4 -4 -5
-2 -2 -3' 4 -2 -2 -2" -1 1
-2 -2 -3' 4 -4 -4 4 -4 -5
-4 -4 -5 -4 -5 -4 4 -4 -4
6 -4 4 -3' -2 -2 -2 -2" -2 -3' 
-2 -2 -3' -3' 4 -4'>-4>-2 -3' -4 -2 -2" -1
-4'>-4 -4'>-4
-2 -3 -4' 4 -3' 4 -3' -2 -2" -2 ...

Going Down Freddie King Key D (G Harp)

6 -5 4 -3' -2

Help Me SBW2

-3' 4 -4' -4 -4' -3' -2 -(12) x2
-2" -2 -3' -4 4 -3' 3 -(12) x2
-5 -4 -4' -4, -4 -4' -3' 3 -3' 4 -3' -(12) x2
-[34]tr -5 5 -4 4 -[3 4]tr -5 -4 -4' -4 -3' -2
-4 4 -3'. 3 -3' 4. 3 4 -3'. 3 -3' 4
-4 4 -3'. 3 -3' 4. 3 4 -3'. 4 -4' -4~~~ -4 -3' -2 -(12) x2
-5 -4 -4' -4~~~~ -5 -4 4 -3' -2
-3' 4 x5, -3' -2 2
-[3' 4]tr -(12) x3 -[3' 4]tr -5 -4 -4' -4->-3 -2
-3 4 -4 -4' x7 -(12) x2
-5 -4 -4' -4 -5 -4 -5 -4 4 -3' 3 
-3' 4 -3' 4 -3' 4 -3' 4 -3' -2 -2 -(12) x2

Bring It On Home Zep Riff E (A harp)
4 -4 -5 6 3 -8 7 -7 7 -7 6
4 -4 -5 6 3 -8 7 -7 7

Sunshine of Your Love Dm/G Blues Trochilus 2nd Position
|: 6 6 -5 6 -4 -4' 4 -2 -3 -2 (4x)
7 7 -6* 7 6 -5* -5 4 -4* 4 (2x)
-4 -4 -4 4 -4 -5 -4 4 -4 (3x)
-6 6 -6 6 -5 5 -5 5 -4 :|

Mannish Boy F (C Harp)
-2 4 3 -3' -2 (repeat)
or -(23) (34) -(34) -2 (repeat)

Juke
3 -3' -3 -4 5 6 6 (8x)
-3' -3 -4 5 5 -5 -5 3 5 -4 -4 5
6 -5 -5 5 6 -5 -5 5 -3' -3 2
-2 -2 -1 2 -1 -2 -1 -1

Got My Mojo Workin' E (A harp)
-4 -4 -4 -4' -3' 4 -3' -2 -2"
-4 -4 -4 -3' 2 -2"
-3>-2 -2 -2 -3>-1 -2"
-2 -3' 4 -3' -2 -2" -1
Turn -3 4 -4 4 -3 -1 -1  or -2 -3' 4 -3' -2 -2" -1 -1
-1.... -4.... 1 4

Close to You Blues Trochilus
|: 2 -2 -4 -4 4 -4 5 -3 -3 -4-5* -3 -4 6
2 -2 -4 2 -2 5 -4 2 -2 -4 :|(2x)
6 6 -6 -6 -7 -7 -6 -6 6 6 -6 -6 -7 -7 -6 6 
-8 -8 8 8 -9* -9* 8 -8 -9* 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 -9* 9 -10 :|

Some Enchanted Evening
|: 6 -5* -6 6 6 4, 6 -5* -6 6 6 -7
6 -5* -6 6 6 7, 7 7 7 -6 5 -4
-4 5 6 5 -4 5 :| 2nd 4,
-5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 -4 -4 4, -5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 -4 -4 -4 6
6 -5* -6 6 6 4, 6 -5* -6 6 6 -7
6 -5* -6 6 6 7, 7 7 7 -6 5 -4
-4 5 6 5 -4 5 -4
-4 5 6 5 -4 -4 5 6 5 7 -6 -7 7 -8 7 -7
-6 7 -6 -8 7,
-5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 -4 -4 -4 4 -5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 -5 -6 7 8

Fly Me to the Moon (Blues Trochilus)

|: 7 -7 -6 6 -5 6 -6 7 -7, -6 6 -5 5

-6 6 -5 5 -4, 5 -5 -6 6*, -5 5 -4 4

4* -4 -6 -6 7 -7 6, -3 4 -5 -5 -6 6 -5 5

7 -7 -6 6 -5, 6 -6 7 -7, -6 6 -5 5

-6 6 -5 5 -4, 5 -5 -6 6*, -5 5 -4 4

4* -4 -6 -6, 7 -7 (1st) 6, -6 4 4 -3 4 -4 4 :|

(2nd) 8, 7 -8 -6 -6, -7 -8 7

Scarborough Fair (3rd pos)

-4 -4 -6 -6 5 -5 5 -4

-6 7 -8 7 -6 -7 6 -6

-8 -8 -8 7 -6 -6 6 -5 5

-4 -6 6 -5 5 -4 4 -4

Blues scale

-2 -3' 4 -4' -4 -5 6 (hexatonic minor)

-2 -3" -3' -3 -4 5 6 (hexatonic major)

-2 -3" -3' 4 -4' -4 -5 6 (heptatonic)

Notation remarks:

- draw
* button
' single bend
" double bend
o overblow or draw
. the preceding notes are triplets
, note is longer than the others, like a whole note
~ extended fast vibrato
() play as a chord or double stop
x play this many times
|: :| repeat the part between the symbols
2nd Second ending
[]tr Trill these notes
> bend to or slide to

Harmonica Practice

 Ticka Tocka In Out Metronome

2/20/2026 123 bpm 2:00
2/21/2026 124 bpm 2:00
2/24/2026 125 bpm 2:00
2/25/2026 126 bpm 2:05
2/26/2026 127 bpm 2:06
2/27/2026 128 bpm 2:08
2/28/2026 129 bpm 2:09
3/1/2026 130 bpm 2:10
3/2/2026 131 bpm 2:11
3/3/2026 132 bpm 2:12
3/4/2026 133 bpm 2:13
3/4/2026 134 bpm 2:14

Tuner C 1, 2, 3, 4; G 1, 2, 3, 4 

Tongue block vibrato, bends, and blow bends trill

Overblow

Some Harmonica Websites

 JDR

Kongsheng

Easttop

Seydel

Rockin Rons Music Hohner Seydel Lee Oskar Suzuk Bushman/JDR Konsheng Easttop (free shipping)

Harmonica Land Harmo Hohner Seydel Suzuki Lee Oskar 

Blue Moon Harmonicas Custom harmonicas

I started on Marine Band in the 70s but kept blowing out reeds, then switched to Hohner Blues Harp, picked a Pro Harp in Germany, then Tried the Special 20s but still blew out a lot of reeds.

Switched over to Lee Oskar which seemed a little better than the Hohners. Switched out a few reed plates but they never seemed to play as well after swapping reed plates.

Started trying the Suzuki Bluesmasters which seem to outlast the Lee Oskars and Hohners and I like the continuous cover plates especially when tongue blocking. I think they use phosphor bronze reeds.

For a while I was playing the Marine Band 14 Hole Steve Baker Specials (SBS) which I liked because of the extra octave but I still blew out the reeds on them though I think they lasted a little longer the old Hohner 10 holes. 

I started trying chromatic harmonicas. I got a Chrometta 10 which I really dislike because it is so thick and is difficult to play, a Super 64 which is OK but the valves seem to get sticky after playing a few minutes, a Hering 48 which seems to bend a bit more than the H64, and the valves don't stick quite as badly...but they still stick. Not sure how people play those things. 

Thought I would try some new brands recently. Seidel Session Steel Blues, which I haven't had too long, but I thought maybe the stainless steel reeds would last better. It seems OK so far, but it takes getting used to. 

I got a couple of Trochilus Blues harmonicas (C and A) which really open up the possibilities for playing a wide variety of songs also a Trochilus Chrome Tuned which has the limitation of small range. Trochilus can be very loud and I haven't tried playing them at a gig with bullet mic and amp. I'm not sure how well that would work because of their shape.

I got a Easttop 008k Low F which is real cheap but I was unimpressed. 

I got two JDR Assassins recently which seem to play alright but are just a bit too thick to fit in my case well. I'm not sure I've found anything I like better than the Bluesmaster.

Now looking at buying a few others:

Easttop Maxwell Street Blues $39.99

Suzuki Bluesmaster $39.99

Kongsheng Mars $32.99

Bushman Blues Changer $89.99 (G)

Keys:

Paddy D

I like the idea of having an A note on a C scale.

Harmonica Tablature Charts

Richter Tuned 10 Hole Diatonic Harmonica

Harp Notes