How To Get Great Sound From a Harmonica

Have you tried playing any musical instrument lately? There are many who love playing instruments and try to imitate someone who plays well. This is indeed a way to encourage yourself to perform better and create sounds that are loved by people. But, are these instrument enough to give out the sounds we need? Are the instruments played in movies and albums mere instruments being played or do they have something more to add on to the sound quality? It is true that the better we play the instrument in the right method, the better sound you would get. But, there are also a few additional equipments like the amplifiers; which, when used along with these instruments will surely enhance the sound quality.

Let us consider the Harmonica Amplifiers that are often being used in the music industry. As we all know, Harmonicas are those simple mouth organs that are played by blowing air through them. They are known to be the smallest wind instruments that have been contributing high in the world of music. But, since it is a small piece of metal that is played using the mouth, there should be something that will help enhance the sound coming out of it. The Amplifiers are the equipments being used here.

The Harmonica Amplifiers not only help in increasing the volume of the sound, but also help in making it sound sharper and clearer than the original sound. The amplifiers are basically used to get the sound out through electrical speakers. This is where the sounds are at times modified to create a better effect. Like the amplifiers, there are also few basic microphones that help increase the volume of sound and thus contribute in making it audible in larger areas.

Therefore, it is clear that although the harmonica may give out some broken pieces of sound, the use of microphones and amplifiers will help tune them to create a better and effective sound quality. It is thus seen that the harmonica amplifiers and the other accessories being used are indeed created for the betterment of music.

Harmonica Advice – Help Your Kids To Play the Harmonica

The harmonica, being the smallest wind instrument that is used to add effects in kinds of music is known to be quite portable and easy to me carried around. This makes it one of the most compatible musical instrument that anyone can play. Since it has no minute parts or rough surfaces, it is safe for children as well. Moreover, the harmonics are an affordable instrument and can be easily replaced if one gets damaged or lost.

A number of stores worldwide that offer a wide range of harmonicas for sale, have observed that people prefer teaching their children to play this lovely instrument. It is indeed a great idea! Gifting a harmonica to a child who loves music would be the best option. But, how will the child manage to learn playing it all by himself? If you do not have music classes nearby, you can register your child in a class that is conducted online. Such classes usually make sure that your child learns music right from the basic note and also provides the required notes for practice. But, along with this professional guidelines, there are a few tips that you will have to take care of. It will help you select the right instrument for your child and will also guide you through the right method to be followed while playing a harmonica.

• Make sure your child is old enough to understand what it is. You cannot simply hand over a harmonica in the hands of a 2 year old child. He will wonder what it is!
• Make sure the child is playing the harmonica with a clear mouth. Tiny bits of biscuits or crunches may spoil the instrument.
• Teach the child about how he needs to hold the harmonica. This is the basic step. The lowest note, i.e. the hole #1 should be on the left.
• Teach him to make an “O” with his lips. This is the way one should be playing the harmonica.
• The harmonica needs to be caught as deep into the mouth as possible. This will help in focusing on each note.
• One should learn to breathe through the holes of the harmonica; not into them.
• One should stand straight while playing the harmonica. The body needs to be kept relaxed.
• “Practice makes a man Perfect”. This is something that can help you encourage your child to keep practicing. One day, he will surely master the art of playing the instrument.

Therefore, we see that a harmonica is indeed a simple instrument that can be played by one and all. Just a few precautions and tips as the ones mentioned above, will help in mastering the skills. Gifting this wonderful instrument, that not only will help in contributing to the world of music, but is also beneficial for children and people suffering from respiratory disorders is indeed a great idea.

Tips To Bend Blues Notes

If you have started playing a harmonica lately, you might not be aware of the techniques of bending. You would surely like to play the most recognizable style of blues but in order to do that, you must know how to bend notes. If you are looking for a renowned Blues harmonica shop where you will get good quality harmonica amps, you must visit Honkin’ Harmonica Shop. It is a leading harmonica shop that offers not only a wide range of harmonicas, but also microphones for harmonica. Here are some effective tips to follow in order to learn the techniques of bending Blues notes, as suggested by experts of Blues harmonica shop –

• Use the right harmonica – In order to learn the proper techniques of bending, it is important to use the right kind of harmonica. Instead of using the popular ones, consider investing in a diatonic harmonica that has ten or twenty holes. While using a diatonic harmonica, you play in the cross harp style and while doing so, you have to bend some of the keys in order to access certain notes.
• How should you hold your lips? – Once you have chosen the right type of harmonica, you have to know how to hold your lips. Usually, harp players have specific playing skills to bend on a particular note. In order to do the same, you have to hold your lip in the gesture of kissing someone. The more you practice, the better you will be in avoiding hitting other notes. This will also help you get a more air tight draw.
• Learn to draw on a good hole – Although you can bend on two, one, six or three holes, it is advisable to begin with hole four. Keeping the harmonica in your mouth, play a straight four draw and try to analyze where the air is flowing. If you are doing it in the right way, you should feel the air moving down, up as well as across the top of your mouth. If you try the same technique without the harmonica, you will find that now the air moves from the top to the bottom of your mouth and into your chest. Bending the note correctly is all about dragging down the note to your chest and changing the sound while doing so. Once you learn the basic skills, try repeating those with a harmonica in your mouth.

Use these basic tips to bend blues notes and enjoy the music. You can also consult experts in a reputed Blues harmonica shop to get a demonstration of how to do it right.

Significance of Number of Holes in The Harmonica

If you have the flair for learning music, and are planning to buy a harmonica, you should have a considerable understanding of the mechanism of harmonica and know the significance of the number of holes in a harmonica. If you are looking for a harmonica for sale, you might get a wide range of options at Honkin’s Harmonica Shop, which is a leading Blues harmonica shop and offers best harmonica for beginners. Apart from harmonicas of different range, they also offer microphones, amplifiers and different accessories like palm mic connectors, harmonica gear cases, palm microphone extension leads, Hohner harmonica soft cases, microphone holders, customized t-shirts, harmonica tool kits, and harmonica holders. Whether you need a blues harmonica, a harmonica set, a special harmonica or a Hohner harmonica, you will get everything at Honkin’s Harmonica Shop.

Irrespective of the type of harmonica you are playing, you should remember that the total number of holes in it plays a major role. For instance, there are ten holes in a diatonic harmonica, which is widely used for playing country and blues. However, it can be used for playing any kind of popular music too. A diatonic harmonica allows the players to use the semi-tones and tones that are equivalent to the white notes of a piano. On the other hand, there is tremolo harmonica, which is usually used for playing traditional music. It is constructed with double holes, placed vertically, and each of them contains two reeds, one of which is little de-tuned to the other. When these two reeds vibrate together, they create a unique tremolo effect. This type of harmonica goes well with folk, country, Irish and Scottish music. Chromatic harmonicas are a little advanced in terms of construction, as compared to the diatonic harmonicas. There is a button activated sliding bar in such types of harmonica, which can redirect the air from the hole in the mouthpiece to the chosen reed plate.

For knowing more about harmonicas, you can visit a reputed Blues harmonica shop like Honkin’s Harmonica Shop.

Introduction of Blues Harp Microphone and its Application

Do you know how the Blues Music actually came into existence? It was founded about some thousand years ago. It was then that the songs were sung in a particular tone while the men performed an activity such as hiking, painting the roof or something similar. It was first known to be a set of songs sung in this particular tone that would create a fun environment when many people gathered to perform an activity.

As time passed by, people then introduced the use of instruments for this kind of music. These instruments were later made available in the markets top make sure that the common man could easily afford to purchase one. Instruments like the harmonicas and the harps were widely used in this form of music. While men were still struggling to get things right and create more better tones and musics using instruments along with the songs, they felt the need of more advanced equipments that would help in improving the sound quality of the instruments.

This is when men thought of using harmonica amplifiers and the blues harp microphones. The amplifiers contributed in sharpening the sound and making the music sound better while the microphone assisted in increasing the volume of music. Earlier, microphones were only used along with Guitars. But, since the sound of Guitar was over powering that of the harp and the harmonica, harp microphones were introduced.

There are four basic kinds of blues harp microphones that are now available in the market. They are the Dynamic, Capacitor, USB and Tube. Let us look into the brief details and applications of each of these.

1. Dynamic Microphones: The dynamic microphones are among the most commonly used ones that are quite durable and not too expensive. These are mostly used for live performances or recordings.
2. Capacitor Microphones: these microphones are mostly used for recording. The ones with a larger diaphragm are used for vocal recording while the smaller diaphragm microphones are used for recording musical instruments.
3. USB Microphones: The USB Microphones are those that can be connected to computers and laptops. They are used for recording vocals.
4. Tube Microphones: These are microphones that are made using vacuum tubes. It is used to capture sharp sounds, making the music sound much clearer and better.

These are the basic microphones that are in use. They all are categorized on the basis of how they are made, the material used and the kind of music they are suitable for. Like the blues harp microphones, there are many others as well that are often used with musical instruments.

Some Popular Blues Harp Legends- Keeping The Blues Alive

Afro-American Blues music, a unique genre of music, had originated primarily as a result of the pensive and grey mood and environment in which people usually captivated themselves into. It was the oppressed people who described their vulnerability and their disappointments in the form of lyrical ballads, rhymes and songs. Guitar, drums, bass guitar, piano, trumpets, blues harp microphones and saxophones are the key instruments needed in playing such traditional classical ballads. For blues enthusiasts, especially those who have a penchant for harmonica players (also called harp players by blues musicians), listening to the greats such as Sonny Boy Williamson, James Cotton, Junior Wells, Paul Oscher, Walter Horton, Jerry Portnoy, Carey Bell and Charlie Musselwhite, among others, is a great way to relive that golden era. You can find records of these great harp legends at leading Blues Harmonica Shops.

Here are a few harp legends, who have lent a helping hand in defining the genre and enthralling their audiences:

• Sonny Boy Williamson: He is considered to be the ultimate blues legend. This maestro has been around for quite some time to have played with Robert Johnson towards the beginning of his career and with Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Robbie Robertson by 1965 when he died.

 

 

• Junior Wells: With his exceptional spin on the classic Chicago blues sound, this great artist enthralled audiences by taking them on a musical roller-coaster ride. In his lengthy career spanning almost 50 years, Wells often played alongside Buddy Guy – the famous guitarist. Wells became famous for his vocal interplay and amazing harp solos that defined the Chicago blues harp sound and played a major role in its commercial acceptance.

 

• James Cotton: He is one of the world’s renowned blues harmonica musicians. James Cotton was also one of the leading contemporary Chicago blues stylists. This legendary artist was recognized for the precision and power of his playing.
• Paul Butterfield: He played the flute initially but switched over to the blues harp. He formed a team with Elvin Bishop and toured clubs, where the duo met and played with the likes of Junior Wells, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Paul Butterfield used an unusual technique, where he held the harmonica upside-down (so that the low notes were to his right hand side). His principal playing style was cross-harp, though he was also skilled in the third position.

 

• Big Walter Horton: Though he had a troubled life, his music was beautiful and one of its kind that was in striking contrast to his life. He used a signature style where he blended an uplifting jazz like pitch with blues to create a fluid style that kept the audiences mesmerized. He could play both the first position and the more standard cross harp with equal ease and precision.

Jerry Portnoy, William Clarke, Charlie Musselwhite and Carey Bell are some other legendary blues harp players whose exquisite music is made available by Honkin’ Harmonica Shop – one of the premier UK Blues Harmonica Shops.

 

Judge-Does Harmonica Act as condiment to blues music?

There is everything that is made with the view that it will be used in the right place. There are instances where the usage of such things can be modified. But, this has to be done up to a certain extent. The mixture of things should be done by putting in a little thought whether the combination will really make something beautiful or will simply spoil the essence of both. The best example that can make this even more elaborate is the use of condiments in food. We cannot use them in foods that do not require the taste. They can be added in sauerkraut but for sure cannot be added in chocolates.

Similar to the food that we eat, the musical instruments that are made are also developed according to the music they will be used in. Each instrument has its own specialty that makes it unique and thus makes it a necessary thing to be used in the kind of music it is made for. Harmonicas are instruments that have been used since years. These are the smallest wind instruments that are used specially for Blues Music.

Do you remember the way a chromatic harmonica made the song “Isn’t She Lovely” sung by Steve Wonder sound so pleasing? We would love to listen to many such songs, won’t we? How would you feel finding a harmonica for sale saying that it can be used in a rock band? Won’t it sound shocking? Thus, we all know it by now that you cannot be using a harmonica for something that needs high electric pitches.

If you think of any other instrument, say the electric guitar, or the flute. Do you think it will suit the blues music as good as a harmonica? The answer would be an obvious No! Each instrument is created with an essence that makes it suitable for a certain kind of a sound that will sound nice when combined with the other sounds that will match the music to be played. This adds to the beauty and the quality of the music.

Thus, we can say that a harmonica can be counted as a condiment that adds quality to the blues music. It plays an important role in this form of music as it adds the soothing sounds as played by the player. Like a mustard seed has its own property and cannot be replaced by any other condiment to make the food taste the same, similarly, you cannot replace the harmonica by any other musical instrument. There are a wide variety of harmonicas that are offered for sale in the market now. But, the specialty of this musical instrument is that even the basic model can be used for the blues music.

 

Harp On! The Effect of Harmonica Sound Amplification

It was way back in 1821 when sixteen year old Christian Buschmann first invented the modern day harmonica. Ever since it was first introduced, the harmonica became a popular musical instrument. Later, many people started making use of the wonderful instrument, there were a number of modifications that made it look much better and also brought about a change in the sound effects. These contributed in making the harmonica a better instrument which could then be used for better and larger events.

But, the harmonica being a small instrument, it needed little more enhancements to match up with the other competing instruments such as the guitar. The guitar could then be used with microphones that were connected to them. This made it sound louder and clearer than the harmonica. But, Little Walker the famous blues harp player was the first one who tried using a microphone with the harp. This is when these instruments gained importance and were further developed with additional features.

Today, one cannot say that he is good enough to play like how Little Walker did. In order to make playing the instrument better with a sharper and proper sound, Harmonica Amplifiers can be used. These amplifiers are developed to make sure that they help the musicians to create better sounds using even the simplest forms of harmonicas. The Harmonica Amps can be purchased according to the needs of the musician.

The Harmonica Amps are not something that you will be using constantly for every occasion. Buy as many amplifiers as you need. This will help you collect variety and you can keep changing your style every now and then. You need not purchase the best amp as it is not the only thing that you will be using. You can go in for some cheaper ones that will help you for a while and later you can always move on to the next type.

Harmonica Amplifiers are introduced mainly to help bring out a polished sound that sounds sharper and good to hear. These amplifiers add the effects that may be needed to get the variations in sound and the change in the pitch. They help in bringing out a more polished sound quality that makes the instrument sound good. Thus, Harmonica Sound Amplification is something that will help one to play the blues harp like how the ancient musicians used to do.

How to Choose the Best Harmonica for Beginners?

The Harmonica is said to be an amazing musical instrument. It is an instrument that can be used to produce different forms of music such as the blues, jazz, country, rock and many more. It is known to be a small instrument that can be carried anywhere and is available at a very low cost as compared to the other musical instruments. There are many people who wish to purchase a harmonica and would want to learn how to use it. But, one thing that troubles their mind is “which is the best Harmonica that they can purchase?”

If you visit a Blues Harmonica Shop, you will find a variety of Harmonicas that you can select from. This will either attract you to a piece that looks attractive and you are tempted to buy or even create confusion in your mind that will not allow you to decide up on what you want to buy. The type of the harmonica does not matter much, unless you buy one that is manufactured by a reputed company. Harmonicas are cheap enough and thus it won’t cost you much to pay for one that belongs to a better brand than the ones that are made of cheap material and may cost just a few dollars.

If you are a beginner and are looking out for a harmonica that is best for beginners, you can buy a diatonic harmonica. This is kind of a harmonica does not require a lot of settings and thus can be used with a lot of ease. A Diatonic harmonica that is in the key of “C” major should be the most preferred harmonica for beginners. This is because most of the harmonica instruction books that are meant for beginners are written in the key of “C”. This Harmonica is quite inexpensive and will help you master the skills and improve your playing techniques, breathe control and manage sound variations without making use of buttons for sharps and flats.

There are also a lot of chromatic instruments that are available and can be used once you are familiar with the Diatonic Harmonica. In fact, learning the diatonic Harmonica is considered to be more than enough as it is this type that is mostly used in all forms of music. Thus, you could simply prefer buying a diatonic harmonica over a Chromatic one simply because it costs less and you could use it in various different forms as well.

Understanding the Different Types of Microphones for Harmonica

Whether you are a harmonica player or just a beginner learning the basics, there would be one day when you will think of using a microphone for reaching out to people, to tune the harmonica or even to record the sound that you would be playing. Selecting a proper microphone according to the task you would be using it for will help you in obtaining better results than those that you expected. Thus, you will need to consider many different factors before you select the best microphone for a Harmonica.

There are many types of microphones that you can select from.

1. Dynamic Microphones: These microphones operate on the principle of electromagnetic power. They are often used along with a loud sound source that does not contain much of high frequencies. These microphones are often made use of in live situations where moisture may affect the sound quality level. When these microphones are being used, there is no need to add pre amplifiers to the system.
2. Condenser Microphones: These microphones are well known for their all round frequency and thus can be used in studio recordings. They require a power supply to keep them working. This power supply can be given through a phantom supply or a small battery.
3. Electret Condenser Microphone: Like the Condenser Microphone, the Electret Condenser Microphone also works using the same principle. The condenser plate in a Electret Condenser Microphone is replaced by a plate made using an electret material that helps provide polarization voltage. It does not require a phantom power supply to charge the diaphragm, but an ordinary power supply would be required to charge the in-microphone preamplifier.
4. Ribbon Microphones: These microphones are also known as Velocity Microphones. In this kind of a microphone, a thin metal ribbon is placed between two magnetic poles. A voltage is generated using electromagnetic induction. These microphones do not require phantom power supply. This kind of power supply may destroy the microphone. These are known to be the finest and the most expensive microphones as they have the ability to capture high frequency detail.

As stated above, an individual can decide about the type of microphone would he prefer that would suit the purpose that he will be using it for. Microphones used for Harmonica should also be selected considering these factors as they would help you enhance the sound quality and also tone the instrument. A variety of specialized microphones such as Blues Harp Microphones could be used to enhance the performance of your harmonica.