Kongsheng Mars Harmonica Review

I bought four Mars standard Eb, A, D, Dnm (natural minor). I started with an Eb because I only had one Eb harmonica and thought I should have a backup. I really liked how smooth and compact the Mars was. It allowed me to play pretty fast. I decided to buy an A and a D in March 2026 for $31. Finally, I bought a Dnm because I already had Lee Oskar natural minors in Gm, Am, Bm, Cm, and Em. It turns out the minor keys are not labeled the same as Lee Oskar, so a Dnm natural minor Kongsheng Mars is the same as an Am natural minor Lee Oskar. The Lee Oskar natural minors are labeled for second position, and the Kongsheng Mars natural minors are labeled for first position. It was a disappointment getting the same key I already had.

Then I blew the 4 draw reed on the D. Admittedly, I was working it kind of hard playing Orange Blossom Special. The reed was not able to be repaired because it had metal fatigue (tested by plucking the reed). Someone said that you can buy replacement reed plates online, but I don't think it would be worth it for me.

After playing for a while, I found the Mars harmonicas to be a little quieter, which makes them neighbor-friendly. You can overblow them somewhat without adjustment (I'm not really an overblow player). On my A, 5 and 6 overblows work OK, but on 7 and 8 overdraws, I just get kind of a rattle. They have round holes, which may make for more comfortable tongue-blocking. I started playing these with Irish music, and they seem to work really well. I still like to carry these around with me.

Because they are so rounded, they don't sit on a table flat with the holes up; they lean at an angle. The case that comes with it is made of plastic and kind of boxy, like a Lee Oskar case, but doesn't have the connectors that a Lee Oskar case has. They don't seem quite as responsive as something like the JDR Assassin, which can play very loud and has excellent performance.

I guess they might be worth trying for a quiet, inexpensive harmonica with a very smooth feel. I probably won't buy more of them.

The Bong Song

 The Bong Song

I do bongs in morning, I do bongs at night,
I do bongs at parties 'til my eyes are shinin' bright;
I do bongs at breakfast, I do bongs at lunch,
I do bongs at dinner, I do bongs and munch;
I do bongs, I do bongs, I do bongs, all day;
Doing bongs is healthy, good for the lungs, they say;
Bongs, bongs, bongs are lots of fun,
Bongs, bongs, bongs for everyone;

Joe does bongs in school, Steve bongs at the gym;
Joe bongs at the river right before he takes a swim;
Steve does bongs in school, a norseman every day,
Victor thinks it's cool, doing bongs that way;
I do bongs, I do bongs, I do bongs in bed,
Underneath the covers, the pillows round my head;
Bongs, bongs, bongs are lots of fun,
Bongs, bongs, bongs for everyone;

A tree stood at the river, a mighty cottonwood,
Then one year the flood came up and washed it over good;
Then in its limbs we partied, and made a game one day;
Listen real close now, I'll tell you how to play;
Do five bongs, climb the tree, do five bongs and then,
Climb the tree back over, least ways if you can;
Bongs, bongs, bongs are lots of fun,
Bongs, bongs, bongs for everyone;

In our yard stood a building, we called the Garden Shop,
We did so many bongs in it we thought our heads would pop;
On Halloween I passed out, Knuts US on my lap,
My old lady came in, and gave my head a whap,
She stole the bong, she stole the bong, she stole the bong that day,
She gave it to the garbage man, and then he drove away;
Bongs, bongs, bongs are lots of fun,
Bongs, bongs, bongs for everyone;

-4 -4 4 -4 -3 3
-4 -4 4 -4 -3
-4 -4 4 -4 -3 3 -3 -4  -5 -5 5 -5 -4
-5 -5 5 -5 -4 -3
-5 -5 5 -5 -4
-4 -4 4 -4 -3 3
-4 -4 4 -4 -3
-5 -5 5, -5 -5 5, -5 -5 5 -5 -4
-3, -3, -3-3 3 -3 -2

Walter's Boogie

Walter's Boogie Big Walter

 Intro

0:00 -3' -(1=4) -(2=5) -(1=4) -(2=5) (3=6) -(4=7) = means 4 chord. Play chords as 4 triplets with tongue
0:10 gliss 9^ -9, -8 -9^ -8 -7 -6, 6^ -5 -4 -3'^ ^ means accent
0:13 Part 1 (like a walking bassline) I
-3'>-3 -5 5 -4
-3'>-3 -5 5 -4
-3'>-3 -5, -3'>-3 -5
-3'>-3 /-5 -4 -5/ /5 4 5/ -4
0:20 IV
-2" -2, -3' -2 -3', -3" -2 -3"
3 2 3, 3 2 3
-3' -2 -3', -3" -2 -3"
3 2 3, -3 -2 -3
0:24 I
-5 -4 -5, 5 4 5, -4
-3 -3, -5 -5, 5 5, -4 -4, 5
0:28 V
-1 -1, -2"-2', -4 -4, 4 4
0:30 IV
1 1, 2 2, -2 -3" -2>-2" -1
0:33
(I) -2, -1, 1 -1 -2
(V) -2" -1 -1
Repeat part 1
-3 -3' -3 -5 -5, 5 5, -4
-3' -3, -5 -5, 5 5, -4
-3' -3, -5, -3' -3, -5
-3' -3, /-5 -4 -5/ /5 4 -5/ -4
IV
-2" -2, -3' -2 -3', -3" -2 -3"
3 2 3, 3 2 3
-3' -2 -3', -3" -2 -3"
3 2 3 -3 -2 -3
-5 -4 -5 5 4 5 -4
I
-3' -3, -5 -4 -5, 5 4 5, -4 -4, 5
V
-1 -1, -2" -2', -4 -4, 4 4
IV
1 1, 2 2, -2, -3" -2, -2" -1
I
-2, -1, 1 -1 -2 -2" -1 -1
0:58 Part 2
6 6, 6 6
6 6 -5 5 -4
-3' -3" -2
-2" -2" -2" -2'
6 6, 6 6
6 6 -5 5 -4
-3' -3" -2~
-2 -3 -4 5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 -4 4 4
6 6 -5 5 -4
-3' -3" -2
-2 -1 -2 -1 1 -1
-2 -2" -1 -1
1:20 Part 1 (variation)
-3' -3' -3' -5
-3' -3, -5 -5, 5 5 -4
-3' -3, -5
-3' -3, -5 -4 -5, 5 4 5 -4
-2" -2 -3' -2 -3' -3" -2 -3"
3 2 3, 3 2 3
-3' -2 -3' -3" -2 -3"
3 2 3 -3 -2 -3
-5 -4 -5 5 4 5 -4
-3' -3 -5 -4 -5 5 4 5 -4 -4 5
-1 -1, -2" -2', -4 -4, 4 4
1 1, 2 2, -2 -3" -2 -2" -1
-2 -1 1 -1
-2 -2" -1 -1
1:44 Break
-3 -4, -3 -2
-1 2 -2 -3 -3 -3" -2
1 2 3 -3"
-1 2 -2 -3 -3 -2
-3' -3' -4 -5 -4 4 4
-4 -4 -4 -4 -4 -2
-1 1 -1
-2 -2' -1 -1
2:07 Part 1
-3 -4 -2 -5
-(2=3) 4 -3 -1 -4
-3 -4 -2 -5 -2 -5 2 5 2 5
-1 -4 -2 -2" -1 -1' 1
-3' -2 -3', -3" -2 -3"
3 2 3, 3 2 3
-3' -2 -3', -3" -2 -3"
3 2 3, -3 -2 -3
-5 -4 -5, 5 4 5, -4
-3' -3, -5 -4 -5 5 4 5 -4 -4 5
-1 -1, -2" -2', -4 -4, 4 4
1 1, 2 2, -2 -3" -2 -2" -1
-2 -1 1 -1
-2 -2" -1 -1
2:30 Part 2 (brief)
6 6, 6 6
6 6, -5 5, -4 -3' -2
6 6, 6 6
6 6 -5 5, -4, -3' -3", -2
-2 -3 -4 5
-5 -5 5 5 -4 -4 5
6 -5 5 -4 -3' -2
2:51 Outro
6 -5 5 -4 4 -3'
6 6 6 -5 5 -4 4 -3'
-1 2 -2"

Simplified

-(1=4) -(2=5) -(1=4) -(2=5) (3=6) -(4=7)

9 -9, -8 -9 -8 -7 -6, 6 -5 -4 -3'

Part 1 2x
-3'-3 -5 5 -4, -3'-3 -5 5 -4
-3'-3 -5, -3'-3 -5, -3'-3 /-5-4-5/ /545/ -4
-2" -2, /-3'-2-3'/ /-3"-2-3"/ /323/ /323/
/-3'-2-3'/ /-3"-2-3"/ /323/ /-3-2-3/
/-5-4-5/ /545/ -4, -3 -3, -5 -5, 5 5, -4 -4, 5
-1 -1, -2"-2', -4 -4, 4 4, 1 1, 2 2, -2 -3" -2-2" -1
-2, -1, 1 -1 -2 -2", -1 -1
Part 2
6 6~, 6 6, 6 6 -5 5 -4
-3' -3" -2 -2" -2" -2" -2'
6 6, 6 6, 6 6 -5 5 -4
-3' -3" -2~

-2 -3 -4 5 -5 -5, 5 5, -4 -4, 4 4
6 6 -5 5 -4, -3' -3" -2
-2, -1, 1 -1 -2 -2", -1 -1
Part 1 (variation)
Break
-3 -4 -3 -2, -1 2 -2 -3 -3-3" -2
1 2 3 -3"~, -1 2 -2 -3 -3 -2
-3' -3' -4 -5 -4 4 4, -4 -4 -4 -4 -4 -2
-1 1 -1, -2 -2' -1 -1
Part 1
Part 2 (brief)
6 6, 6 6, 6 6, -5 5, -4 -3' -2
6 6, 6 6, 6 6 -5 5, -4, -3' -3", -2
-2 -3 -4 5, -5 -5, 5 5, -4 -4, 5
6 -5 5 -4 -3' -2
Outro
6 -5 5 -4 4 -3'
6 6 6 -5 5 -4 4 -3'
-1 2 -2"