3 Ways To Play Single Notes On Harmonica 

Glad it was helpful!

Thanks so much!

I definitely do after he took the time to explain lip pursing "mouth width" at 2:39-3:12 still not sure how to do that especially without hands but it's a start.

Glad you found it useful! The width of the mouth is so important. Loose, chordal playing definitely has its place, but being able to get a narrow mouth to isolate single notes opens up more tonal possibilities. You're just pulling in both corners of your mouth, as if you're going from an "AH" to an "OO"

@@Learntheharmonica I'm starting to play single blow notes but draw notes are chords no matter what I do? and if I blow then draw then blow again the blow note usually turns into a chord too (2-3 notes).

@@dario_the_viking5472 To be honest I think making sure your mouth/inner lips aren't dry helps, it's a lot easier to slide the harmonica around and keep your lips formed a certain way when they're not dry, I forgot I ever even had this problem. You can play single notes though right? you just kinda push your lips forward but without opening them, wider, best way I can describe it, and as ironic as it sound you can and should put the harmonica in pretty deep while doing that to get a good sound which can also be done without it being in so deep it hurts (sex joke?). Cause if they are dry then the harmonica makes your lips change I think, at-least it seems that way to me, you also kinda have to get used to blowing/drawing without changing the shape of your lips, especially on draw notes I'd say. For example, on a draw note you have to avoid doing things like moving your tongue out of instinct or closing your lips tighter by accident which causes a bend (and so does moving your tongue a certain way/inhaling the air differently, haven't figured that part out yet I'm lazy). Closing my lips too tight is a mistake I make from time to time but honestly not that often, I figured out those (seemingly definitive) ways to bend from this channel too, if you want I can find it again and link it.

@@dario_the_viking5472 Speaking of dry mouth if it ever happens to you mouthwash, SLS toothpaste or both could be the culprit, all mouthwash isn't drying though, sadly mine seems to just be dry regardless, that plus bad taste on... nearly all of my harmonicas now? is stopping me a bit.

@@meh4371 It sounds like you need to work on strengthening your control of those muscles, cuz it seems that those muscles are loosening as you switch between exhale, inhale, and exhale again. Isolate your mouth shape muscles from your breathing muscles. Inhale and exhale naturally would affect the shape of your mouth due to the change in the direction of airflow

Nice!

I need to know as well

I’ve been a u-blocker all my life. It’s what came naturally when I started playing at age 16 (I'm now 76). I learned tongue blocking along the way but only use it in certain situations. Bends, both draw and blow, work just fine with the u-block technique. What I had a hard time with were overblows and overdraws. I can do these much easier with tongue blocking. But really I don’t use these very often, and most people don’t anyway. FYI, the great Norton Buffalo was a u-blocker! Cheers!

Yes and yes! Some players switch the tongue for hole 1, and also narrow it for 2 and 3. It's up to you - some people prefer to use a lip purse for the lower notes. Whatever works. Best of luck!

Yes it is possible, so if the U-block works for you, go for it!

Same here. The only one I knew about was lip pursing. Been trying to develop it. Then saw this video and tried the U method. It was like instant single notes. But it's almost like I need to start over.

I haven't tried the others at all yet and haven't learned lip pursing just yet although I haven't been trying for THAT long due to a late realization I was playing 2-3 (or at-least 1 and a half) notes the whole time (my ego told me I was magically killing it overnight) so I'd say it's fairly difficult but far from impossible if you're persistent I'm sure, at-least I never embarrassed myself before realizing my mistake. Once you learn to suck your cheeks inward (however that works without your hands, I couldn't even do it with mine) but hold your lips open enough to still get a good tone with a single note I'm sure I'll be fine (same goes for me).

Hi Kyren, if it feels comfortable for you then go for it. If you use it from the start then it shouldn’t make anything more difficult. Best of luck!

Yes

Wow!

Don't quit

I go into more detail in this free lesson: www.learntheharmonica.com/post/3-ways-single-notes-beginner-harmonica-lesson

Ngl I'm a u blocker becuase for some reason I cant get the right shape for a lip purser I can slap notes and switch instantly into the octave splits, meaning I can do a sort of hybrid method,, thoguh I think that being a u blocker, vibrato is a bit difficult because I feel like I'm choking on my own tongue and really deep bends are fidgety to get But I am a beginner so this doesn't worry me to much, just keeping at it and keep on practicin'

Update lol I got a preeetty good vibrato now rn I know I've heard it before, this thing where you roll you rr's while inhaling, even while bending, making a really gritty sound with it, not sure how common that is Also I can now slap and bend, my favorite is slaps that 2" and 4' Can now overblow , and even overdraw up to 9 on my Bb marine band deluxe.... may not be that fast and still to work on Reed gapping techniques, but it deffenetly is a start lol, especially with these stock harps (exempt for my own personal gapping work) Also isolate notes with the toots and tats, making it intentionally choppy. Got most of the full range of the Intrument, need work on that 1 overblow, 10 blowbends, and 10 overdraw, part from that, got everything else even starting to pin out them inhale octave splits in say, 3 and 7, 8 and 4 etc. All In all, I can say that yes, you can defenetly play the harmonica efficiently with U-blocking

Couldn't hang in there took too long to get to the point