The First Harmonica Lesson

Harmonica World Apr-May 2020

In 2008 I launched Harmonica Academy, an online teaching platform, which included Chinese and Spanish versions. This combined project has chugged along since then, I'm known as an online teacher. However tertiary engineering teaching has been my "real job", and despite the various teaching sites I've rarely had face to face harmonica students.

These days however my time is mostly devoted to music, so I now give private harmonica lessons to make ends meet. As music teachers know, the market  is skewed to beginners, hence my students are mostly novice players. Introducing harmonica to these individuals is a distinctly rewarding professional challenge, beginning with the first lesson.

In Sydney Australia, my home town, I'm just about the only harmonica teacher, at least according to Google. Hence my phone brings a steady stream (or steady trickle) of new student enquiries. I keep these calls short, leaving detailed questions for the initial lesson. I gave one last night.

I teach from home, in my office/music instrument storeroom. This faces the street, so I see the new students arrive. Their first impression is a nose through the door, our dog Bella, who welcomes all visitors alike.I start by asking newcomers why they have chosen harmonica, and if they have played music before. "Piano Man" by Billy Joel, and Bob Dylan are common motivations, at times there was beloved family member who played harmonica. Other instruments have often been tried, generally with limited success and long ago. Some students are retired, and would like a musical instrument in their life. An upcoming event, a wedding, a reunion, with an imagined harmonica performance will sometimes spur initial lessons.

I then ask what music my new students listen to. This can indicate where lessons should head, maybe blues only, or perhaps first position melodies. Folk are often shy to reveal the music they like, gently drawing them out begins the musical discovery which future lessons bring.

Next I introduce myself by playing two items, a blues (I sing as well), and a traditional fiddle tune, my speciality. I play guitar and harmonica in a rack for this, and explain to students that this is my audition. They are generally thrilled to hear this music, it is usually their first encounter with an experienced harmonica player. I believe it important for a music teacher to establish credentials in this way, albeit briefly, so that students see first hand a desired outcome for their efforts, led by someone who can deliver it.

Preliminaries aside, I then introduce breathing exercises, to instill correct posture and use of the diaphragm rather than the chest. Then I show how the harmonica is held. It took several students before I hit on a good method for explaining the cupped hand position. I get students to place the heels of their hands together, as if catching water, then close their hands. Usually this works straight away, those with smaller hands may take longer to get it right. My initial focus is to get new students to look like harmonica players, through correct posture and hand position. Correct sound comes later.

Now for the harmonica. Usually students have bought one, often a new Hohner. A good start, unless it is the fifteen dollar "Silver Star", which, although a worthy instrument for the price, will impede progress. Sometimes an ancient instrument will appear, a family heirloom, which is barely playable. I may try an on the spot repair, but generally advise an immediate upgrade. Once my students become established, and are looking at different keys, I steer them to better models, the more expensive Hohners, or the Seydel 1847 Classic. Students are always thrilled with the sound of these premium models.

Finally, some music. We start with a long exhale through holes one and two. Then an exhale and inhale. A good sound on the low draw holes usually eludes new students. Pushing the harmonica further into the lips however reduces the hissing air which accompanies these first notes. We then do four exhales, four inhales, and a final exhale to finish. Having achieved this rough sound, we clean it up by adding tongue articulation, via a "taa" sound. I get students to describe what their tongue is doing when "taa" is vocalised, then whisper it, then apply it to the harmonica. It usually works.

I then pick up the guitar and play along with this four out, four in repeated rhythm exercise. Students are pleased to have been in a guitar jam so early on.

By now the first lesson is done. I finish by welcoming the new student to the community of harmonica musicians. While some fall by the wayside, those who remain provide me with as many rewards as a teachers as they gain as developing musicians.