New harp player.
Hey, I just recently bought a harmonica and am very excited to dive in and start learning how to play it. I have started the introductory courses on this page, but I have noticed that David is asking for us to be using an A harmonica for it. I bought a C note MS -Series harp and was wondering if this will have a noticeable effect on my learning. If so is there other resources I should be using? Also one last thing, where is the best place to start on this page? I see a lot of back and forth between starting on the LOA tab and also the Lessons tab and was wondering where the first step should be. Sorry for the lengthy post. Really excited to get down and jam!
There's a whole beginning section made for the C harmomica. Do that while you shop for an A for later. If money is the issue, head to Ebay and pick up a $15 Easttop 008k in A.
I started in May of ‘18 but just sort of floundered around getting lost in a maze of YouTube videos. I really didn’t make substantial progress until I started the LOA program here. It is very much a step by step program but it really does work.
As for the C harp, as mentioned above there is one lesson that is specifically geared toward C harps. Afterwards, I would invest in an A harp. Although you can work around that, part of this program is intended to help you develop an ear for the music. As a 57 YO without previous musical training, I am amazed at how I can dissect music now. I’ve actually started listening to jazz as well am able to appreciate its complexities in ways I couldn’t before. This ability is crucial to your development as a musician. Playing in the right key will only help you in this regard and will help you get the most out of the LOA program.
Play with the C harp for now but you should plan on an A harp in the future.
FWIW, the LOA program will ultimately require harps in G, A, Bb, C and D and either F or low F. I opted for low F.
I started a few months ago, but due to various demands on my time, have not gotten very far yet ... so as one beginner to another, I can let you know how I'm progressing. To start, I've been playing (mostly for myself) for a lot of years, but not playing very well - so I wanted to start with the basics so I could learn the things I had missed or been doing incorrectly for the past 50 years.
As far as the harp issue, you can probably get by for a while with a C major. Dave teaches the basics using the hole number, not the specific note being played. I think that makes the starting lessons compatable with pretty much any major scale diatonic harmonica. I wanted to pick up several other scale harmonicas, so I have purchased 5 more which were recommended on this site (Low F, G, A, Bb and D). I actually replaced an old D I had that, when I played it, made a horrible taste in my mouth and, since it was an old harmonica, wouldn't be easy to clean and tune. I already had a newer C scale, so it's already part of my set. Obviously they all have different sounds and lend themselves to playing different tunes.
As far as where to start. I started with the Level 1 "prep study", "blues harmonica fundamentals" here; https://www.bluesharmonica.com/lessons/blues_harmonica_fundamentals
Having finished that, I wanted to go into the music theory section, since I remembered very little of my lessons from grade school. I am now on the "Music Theory Study 1" at; https://www.bluesharmonica.com/lessons/music_theory_study_1
So far, I have learned a lot from both of these. I hope this is helpful.