Finding Your Way Around the Chromatic Harmonica
Hello Harp Techs,
For many first time chromatic harmonica players, navigating around “too many” holes, and negotiating a slider button, can be downright scary. Which note goes where?!
My advice is to simplify. Just like many musicians, when learning to play a favorite lick off a recording, use apps such as Amazing Slow Down--to slow down a particular lick (without altering the song key), we can temporarily reduce the number of holes on the chromatic harmonica.
On chromatic harmonicas, such as the Hohner CBH2016 or the Super 64, there are 16 holes. Each group of 4 holes have exactly the same notes found on the other three groups of 4 holes. The distinction is that for each group of 4 holes, there is one octave apart from each other (note: 1L, 2L, 3L, 4L = Low Octave):
| Octave 1 | | Octave 2 | | Octave 3 | | Octave 4 |
C E G C C E G C C E G C C E G C Blow
1L 2L 3L 4L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Hole
D F A B D F A B D F A B D F A B Draw
I found it useful to adopt a technique that Gary Smith taught David Barrett, and David taught me on the diatonic harmonica--during the learning process--focus on just one octave by taping over the holes of the other octaves.
Here, the focus was on the second octave. Note: the last C in each octave will match the next higher octave C. For example, C in hole #4 will match exactly, the C in hole #5 (octave 3), as the C in hole #8, will match the C in hole #9 (octave 4)
Tip #2
Once you get up and going, you might find it useful to install “markers” to easily feel the home base locations of your various C notes. Here, installed on my Suzuki SX56 (14 hole chromatic harmonica) I’m using raised key identifiers that I had purchased through Rockin’ Ron’s Music.
I would love to hear your helpful tips that made you comfortable with "all those holes" found on the Chromatic harmonica.
Your Harpsmith, Kinya
