Wood is also another common material produced and they are much more prone to moisture, which can cause swelling and may leave cuts in your mouth while playing the harmonica, yet some people say that they give a much "warmer" sound and don't mind the efforts of maintaining it. The cover of the harmonica is what creates the acoustics. It all depends on what type of sound you are going for when it come to choosing the type of cover design. A lot of affordable to mid-range priced harmonicas have traditional covers where the back of the cover is more open producing a bright and clear tone.
Another type is the cover-all design, which slightly muffles the harmonica, but resonates it more to produce a full, warm, and mellow tone. Metal covers produce a brighter sound while plastic produces a much softer sound. The quality of the harmonica are usually is on par with the price, especially with ones that are well built with high-grade materials.
If you're a hobbyist, a budget option would suffice. If you are serious about learning, it's more difficult to learn on a cheap harmonica since its poor construction causes air to leak out making them hard to play.
The first edition was published in and the latest edition was published on January 12, Because a particular model of a blues harmonica comes in several different keys, we decided to take the approach of only rating ones in the Key of C because the ratings are similar across the different key versions of a particular blues harp.
This means you can use our guide to decide on a model you like and then buy it in any key you want. Once we had established this approach we looked at the models available from major music gear retailers in the USA and placed 27 diatonic harmonicas on our short-list for closer examination - you can see them all in the Music Gear Database. We then gathered feedback and reviews about each harmonica, we got this from online retailers, forums, blogs and music gear review websites and videos.
For this update, we analyzed over 28, sources that we used for the Gearank Algorithm to produce our rating scores out of for each harmonica. We then used those results to select the highest rated options to recommend above. We also used those review sources to report on what musicians say about each model we recommended. For more information about our methods see How Gearank Works.
Here are the key people and sources involved in this guide's production - click on linked names for information about their music industry backgrounds. Drawing from his experience in performing and recording, he teaches guitar and bass and mentors young artists to be better musicians. And when he is not busy playing or tinkering with musical gear, he puts on his entrepreneurial hat, which helps fund his passion for collecting guitars, mecha figures and Gunpla kits.
Denise Azucena : Supplemental writing. Jason Horton : Editing and Illustrating. The videos above have been embedded in accordance with YouTube's Terms of Service. The individual product images were sourced from websites, promotional materials or supporting documentation provided by their respective manufacturers.
Our January update resulted in the following harmonicas coming off our recommended list above:. As a result of our January update the following harmonicas came off our recommended list above but you can still see our analysis of them:. I've tried all the major brands in the past year, having gotten serious about getting better in early I now own 57 harps, and I like the 3 Lee Oskar minor key and 2 major key harps I have pretty well.
I feel the same about several Hohner Special 20s I'm pretty happy with. I don't like the feel of the Marine Band on my tongue when tongue blocking. I've been disappointed with several Seydel Session Steels, which have an orange comb, feels nice and smooth, but often has balky reeds in holes 2 and 3 that are harder to get a decent sound from even for my F and G harps.
I haven't tried regular key diatonic Suzukis due to reading some negative reviews about their playability--that's hearsay though, so I can't be critical without firsthand experience with them. I should get one or two and try them, I guess.
Seydel classic are my favorite. I have a few Suzuki Manji, and several Hohners like marine band deluxe, special 20,and rocket. I've heard that Lee Oscar's are not a good harmonica especially for bending if you're a beginner. If I had to recommend a good, decent priced harmonica for someone starting out I'd recommend a Hohner marine band or special The marine band has a wood comb and the sp20 has a plastic one.
Once you progress or can afford to spend a few more dollars on a good quality harmonica I'd say a Seydel classic, or Hohner crossover. Skip to main content. Fender Blues Deluxe Harmonica.
Eastar Major Blues Diatonic Harmonica. Hohner Marine Band Hohner Special Harmonicas 4. Gift Vouchers Harmonicaland.
For diatonic harmonica the logical order is : First get a harmonica in C. C is the best key to get started because the length of the reeds is average and it's also the most common key in music. Out of all 12 keys a harmonica in G has the longer reeds and a harmonica in F has the shortest reeds, C is right in the middle for reed length.
A C harmonica allows you to play easily in the key of C as well as bluesy tunes in G and D and it is also one of the best option to play in all 12 keys on a single harmonica. The next keys recommended for intermediate players are: Harmonica in A, D and G. Those keys are the most common harmonica keys used in Blues, Country Music and Rock along with the C.
The Bb harmonica is a very good choice for jazz standards as most of them were written and played on Bb instruments such as the Trumpet and Tenor saxophone. On the chromatic harmonica it is easier than on a diatonic to play in all 12 keys on a single harmonica. Next in line would be a G chromatic harmonica and Low C for a lower range or Bb for the saxophone and Jazz buff.
Also note that 14 and 16 hole chromatic harmonicas are only available in C. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments , rolling luggage , pillows for side sleepers , natural anxiety remedies , and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
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