Learn Harmonica Notes, Scales, & Songs

Have you been wanting to learn an instrument but aren’t sure which to choose or where to start? For many people, their decision of which instrument to learn is based on what kind of music they want to play, but it’s also perfectly acceptable to choose an instrument just because you like its sound and its many possibilities. Whether you have specific genres in mind that you want to master or just want to learn a new skill, taking online harmonica lessons is a great place to start.

Reasons to Learn Harmonica Notes with a Professional Teacher

Learning to play harmonica notes, rhythms, and songs offers several unique benefits that other instruments may lack. However, the act of taking up any kind of music lessons has many overarching pros that drastically outweigh any cons there might be. Here are some of the primary reasons you should consider taking online harmonica lessons.

The harmonica is known as one of the smallest and most convenient instruments on the market today. Despite being able to project its sound over impressive distances, the typical harmonica can easily fit in your pocket, making it easy to take on the go. While other instruments like guitars and violins can have bulky and heavy carrying cases, you’ll never have to worry about inconvenience with your harmonica.

The harmonica’s size is precisely the reason that harmonica players are so easily added to any musical group or jam session among friends. Without any pesky cables to plug in or any setup required at all, the players of these instruments can simply layer their harmonica notes over the musical texture whenever they feel is right without having to worry about any technical or physical drawbacks.

Another reason why new musicians looking to start playing an instrument may choose harmonica over other options is its amazing affordability. Guitars typically start at a few hundred dollars on the low end, and similar instruments like ukuleles and violins can be priced similarly. Though some high-end harmonicas can edge into an expensive price range, starter models can be found in nearly any music store for under $15. The only instrument that has the harmonica beat on price is the voice!

The History of Harmonica Notes in America and Abroad

For many, harmonica music has a distinctly American sound. It often reminds listeners of classic rock and folk music from the mid 20th century as well as the distinct Southern blues of the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Though the harmonica was a significant player in many original American music styles, the instrument got its start in China thousands of years ago.

The original harmonica was called the Sheng, a Chinese instrument that was constructed from wooden bamboo reeds. The instrument was unique to China and surrounding Asian countries until it spread to Europe in the 18th century. There, instrument makers experimented with new modes of construction for the Sheng, which was now referred to as the Aura.

It wasn’t until 1825 that the harmonica as we know it was created by a European instrument manufacturer named Richter. This version of the instrument was built with 10 holes and 2 reed plates with 10 metal reeds in each, the same as the modern harmonica. The design of the instrument is such that on any given hole, two different notes can be played, and the note will be determined by whether you’re breathing out or breathing in.

Though getting the hang of playing harmonica notes properly can be difficult, it’s certainly one of the most unique designs for a musical instrument out there. The instrument was a big hit as soon as it made its way to the United States in the late 19th century, vastly influencing several different musical styles and providing all kinds of American musicians with a completely new and original sound to include in their performances.

Like we said earlier, the harmonica is one of the most affordable instruments available today. Therefore, it’s no wonder that the instrument became so popular in genres like bluegrass and blues, which historically were born out of the musical endeavors of common people without classical training. In this way, the harmonica has become one of the primary voices of independent musicians that reject the old ways and aim to forge their own path.

Why You Should Invest in Online Harmonica Lessons

Learning harmonica notes and basic technique online can be a great way to get your journey started and gradually feel more and more comfortable with the instrument. However, most musicians learning on their own will eventually reach a point where their skills surpass their ability to teach themselves or improperly learned technique will catch up with them, sometimes in a major way.

At TakeLessons, we believe that working with the right music educator for your needs and goals can completely revolutionize your practice. When you have a teacher to guide you, your weekly progression will be much more focused, leading to increased productivity during your practice sessions and an overall faster rate of improvement.

Working with your teacher during your online harmonica lessons is much more than just learning harmonica notes and slowly putting songs together. Your high-quality, experienced harmonica teacher from TakeLessons will be able to provide you with crucial technique information that will prevent injury and lung fatigue. Additionally, your teacher will be able to use their expertise to educate you about all of the different possibilities of your instrument that you may not have been aware of before.

Additionally, having someone to hold you accountable is one of the most important parts of building any skill or practice. During your busy day-to-day life, it’s easy to push off music practice because you think you have more important or more immediately rewarding things to do. However, you’re doing a disservice to yourself when you don’t prioritize the things you set your mind to, even when they feel inconvenient. Plus, even though building up your harmonica skills can be a long journey, it doesn’t mean you won’t feel immediately rewarded after a great practice session!

Improve Your Harmonica Playing with Individualized Online Lessons

If you’ve been waiting to sign up for harmonica lessons until you have enough free time to go in person, you’ve officially run out of excuses. Online music lessons with TakeLessons are just as individualized and effective as in-person lessons and even offer certain benefits that in-person lessons can’t.

Plenty of people with the goal of learning an instrument feel that they just don’t have the time in their schedule for it. When you have to commute to in-person lessons, it can take up to 2 or 3 hours out of your day between driving there, taking the lesson, and going back.

With online lessons, you’ll never have to budget out your travel time again and you can use it to get a head start on your other tasks for the day. Plus, if a 1-hour lesson is still too long for your availability, you can opt for a 45-minute or even 30-minute meeting instead. In fact, some students even find that they feel more focused when their lessons are within shorter timeframes.

How Can I Find the Perfect Teacher?

The extremely high quality of our online harmonica teachers on TakeLessons makes it difficult to make a bad decision in terms of your instructor. However, different students will respond to the same teacher in varying ways depending on each person’s personality and the teacher’s style of instruction. That’s why we make it as easy as possible to find the perfect harmonica teacher to suit you and your goals.

For each teacher on our list, you can peruse their training and length of teaching experience as well as the levels they teach and their starting rate for lessons. If you want more detailed information on a certain teacher, you can read their bio on their personalized profile to learn more about them and their background in their own words.

We also recommend using our customizable search function to enter your availability, your age or the age of your child if they’re taking lessons, and your budget for weekly lessons. This basic information will narrow down your search, so you’ll only have to choose between teachers that definitely have the same ability as you and fit within your price range.

If you’d like to get a feel for a teacher’s personality and style through the lens of a student, you can read the reviews left on their profile by previous students. These reviews will give you some insight on how the teacher typically organizes their lessons, what types of styles they prefer to work on, and what their personality is like.