Harmonica

Many a good harmonica player has blasted away at one of our jam nights and are still playing in bands formed via the club today, so for all our harpin' friends out there we have provided harmonica resources, a small selection of free harmonica tabs and lessons, Books for beginner to intermediate level and of course links to great harmonica sites.

For those unfamiliar with the Harmonica it is a small handheld instrument made of metal that is played by blowing and sucking air through small holes containing a number of fine reeds that move back and forth. This vibrates the reeds inside producing a variety of notes and sounds.

A Chromatic Harmonica has two sets of reeds that are tuned to a diatonic scale of C major and C sharp major, when one scale is in use, a spring device activated by a button blocks off the other scale.  The harmonica's range varies from 3 to 4 octaves depending on it's size and can be purchased in different keys.

New Stuff !
Cross Harp Chronicles
Bi monthly online magazine mainly serving the blues harp community but also covers blues music and other general blues/music related issues plus a comprehensive set of free blues harp tabs!

Check out the free online harmonica lessons sites

Events & Broadcasts

• Beef Stew's Blues Playground "Southern New England's Number One Sunday night radio program!" Many blues links.



• Beginner's Harmonica Course with Mat Walklate
  Manchester Adult Education Service
  Abraham Moss Adult Learning Centre
  Crumpsall
  Manchester
  Every Monday 6-8 pm from 8/9/03.



• Sydney Harmonica Festival Harmonica festival and school from Sydney, Australia. "I'd like to invite you all to the first Sydney Harmonica Festival. If you love to play the harp, then this is the event you've been waiting for! Whether you're a beginner or an advanced player I know you'll have a great day listening and learning with some of Australia's most talented musicians."- Doug Lyons



• Wet Dog Blues - Harp Radio "I'm now studying Blues Harp, and I thought one of the best ways to totally immerse myself in the instrument was to host a Blues show and play harp songs exclusively. I hope to eventually do a live show a day, and circulate a pre-programmed show the rest of the day. Listeners are free to email me and I will read their emails on the air in real time. *Also, I will take requests."



• Yellow Pine Harmonica Festival "Hundreds of harmonica players and thousands of spectators gather each year to play and listen to every form of music conceivable... From classical to blues, bluegrass to rock, traditional to jazz, it's all there and being played by some of the finest amateur (and a few professional) harmonica players in the world!"

HARP FUN & HUMOUR

• Blue Quiz UK Do you really know your Harp Players?

MANUFACTURERS & RETAILERS

ORGANISATIONS & CLUBS

• Center for the Study of Free-Reed Instruments
  "The center FOR THE STUDY OF FREE-REED INSTRUMENTS (CSFRI) is devoted to fostering and serving as a resource for scholarly research on all aspects--organology, sociology, repertory, performance practice, etc.--of all free-reed instruments, from the harmonium, so popular in India, and mouth-blown sheng family of Southeast Asia, China, and Japan to the western "art-music" repertories for the English concertina and accordion to the many types of "squeezebox" and harmonica as used in myriad folk traditions."



• Denver Mile High Harmonica Club
  A club for harmonica players of all skill levels and musical interests.



• France Harmonica
  the Harmonica Association of France. The site is available in both French and English pages accessable from the front page. It also contains information about the 1999 World Harmonica Festival, held in France.



• GHC
  Gateway Harmonica Club was organized in 1987 for the purpose of preserving and advancing the playing of harmonica music in the Greater St. Louis, Missouri (USA) area. In the period since its founding, the club has provided not only fellowship, learning and enjoyment for its members, but also a source of entertainment and cheer for audiences both young and old.



• Google Directory Harmonica Organisations Links



• HCI
  (Harmonica Collectors International)



• HOOT
  The Harmonica Organization Of Texas has articles, photographs, events, newsletters, instruction, and links to all the best harmonica sites on the web plus message boards, classifieds, on-line harmonica store, 4-sale or trade, and chat rooms for the harmonica enthusiast.



• HTAB
  The Harmonica Teachers Accreditation Board is a subsidiary of the NHL and is dedicated to making sure that the quality of harmonica teaching throughout the world is continually improving. If you want to find out about accredited instructors local to you then contact these guys!



• LARHA
  Los Angeles Regional Harmonica Association. "One of the primary goals of LARHA is to promote the many harmonica gigs throughout the Greater Los Angeles area, and indeed all of Southern California. Of special interest to all players are the unique jam sessions currently being held at various venues."



• National Harmonica League UK
  Britain's national harmonica club, run by volunteers with members world wide, supporting and encouraging the playing of all types of music on harmonicas by organising events and workshops plus produce a bi-monthly magazine 'Harmonica World'. Excellent list of open jams and harmonica workshops available at the website.



• Open Directory Harmonica Organisations Links



• SPAH
  Society for the Protection & Advancement of the Harmonica the national institution for the harmonica.



• SPAH's International List of Harmonica Clubs and Societies
  This page compiles nearly every harmonica club and organization in the world. Most of the clubs don't have a web site up, but all the listings include the mailing addresses and/or email addresses for contact

RESOURCES

• Amp that Harp
  Harmonica amp mini FAQ at King Biscuit's Blues site.



• David Barratt's Harmonica Masterclass
  Using Mics & Amps A Starter Course. Matching the Mic with the Amp and other info.



• DMOZ Blues Harmonica Links



• Dutchman's Web Stop of Harmonica Blues
  National blues jam directory. Blues discussion and classified postings. Buy, sell equipment, CDs, posters. Play games, win prizes. Write on the bathroom wall.



• Harmonica Info
  from Coast to Coast music includes maintenance, 'About' types of Harmonica, Tab, Publications, beginners 'To Do' list, How to play Blues Harp and other online lessons plus Free directories listings.



• Harmonica Links
  tons of links to harmonica and harmonica related sites



• Harp-l
  the best harmonica discussion group and resource anywhere



• Harp-l search their archives



• Harp Net
  news, festivals, summer schools, organisatons, albums, magazines and more!



• Harmonica Teachers Network
  Online listing of harmonica teachers worldwide.



• Harp On
  the Harmonica referance site with tuition, theory, links and more at http://go.to/harpon



• Harpin' On
  The home of harmonica! Great resource for everything harp-oriented



• King Biscuit Time
  Excellent blues site with focus on blues harmonica includes sound clips, pictures and blues and harp related links.



• Microphone Element Comparisons
  A useful personal comparison aimed at harmonica players complete with real audio samples



• Mike Will’s Harp reference
  great resource full of info



• Hal Shaw Music
  Mouth Organ (Harmonica) includes Harmonica blues with few harmonica greats.



• The Bluesharp Page
  Pics of vintage harps. The Sherman "Tank" & The "Colonel"

MISCELLANEOUS

• Antique Harmonica Collectibles
  Alan G. Bates' collection of over 2000 harmonicas going back to 1880.
  
  
• Blues-Link Blues Links
  Tons of links to blues sites
  
  
• Bob Corritore
  Phoenix-based harp player
  
  
• Cascade Blues
  
  
• Charlie The Harmonica Man's
  
  
• Donnie MorTone's
  tribute to the late great William Clarke and a whole lot more. Check this fine site out!!
  
  
• Glenn Weiser's
  blues guitar and harmonica page
  
  
• Harmonica & Blues
  page by Javier Argomedo alias Diablo
  
  
• Harpsoft Harmonica Game Co/
  Grab a free trial download of the Bendometer Playing System! Use a computer to play & learn the harmonica with software that includes a Music Game (blast asteroids with harmonica) & Harmonica Tuner (see the notes you play). Site includes tabulature, free lessons, free midi and discussion forum.
  
  
• The HARMONICA PLAYERS WEBRING
  "This Webring of Harmonica Pages is full of information and encouragement for Harp enthusiasts. Several of the pages have music information including harmonica lessons. Some have harps and related items available to sale. Others are about harmonica players and their bands."
  
  
• Howard Levy
  the best diatonic player in the world
  
  
• Little Walter Jacobs
  
  
• Michael Pickett
  is one of Canada's foremost singer/songwriter harmonica players!
  
  
• Pat Missin
  the internationally worshipped repair/customisation guru and oracle
  
  
• Pat Ramsey Band
  it's been 18 years since Pat did all the harmonica work on the Johnny Winter Lp "White Hot & Blue."
  
  
• Paul Lamb
  the best uk blues harmonica player
  
  
• RB Harper's Harp Museum RB Harper's personal collection of harmonicas and accessories (with photos).
  
  
• Richard Hunter's Rootsworld
  
  
• Sonny Boy Williamson 11
  
  
• Sonny Terry
  
  
• The BluesHarp Page
  useful harp information and Blues & Harmonica related links
  
  
• The Harmonica Project
  "The HARMONICA project aims to provide a solid strategic framework for networked access to music and related multimedia services, including technologies, existing and emerging standards, exploration of network options and improved interfaces. This will entail fostering consensus between the broad range of players involved in the field."
  
  
• Virtual Harmonica Museum
  
  
• World Harmonica Champion

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