I never realized how meditative the harmonica is. Trying to breathe through the higher notes and the draw 2 is takes serious meditative relaxing... I feel like I just broke through a mental block on it
Tom, have you ever tried to teach the harmonica to someone with copd ? I'm a 75 year old Vietnam Vet with copd and I'm interested in learning to play a harmonica . Do you think it's possible ?
I've had a harmonica for a few years, I remember looking on YT for lessons, found some but none were that helpful or insightful or were one off type tip videos that made it hard to find a path of progress. Now I see your stuff and its exactly what I had been missing.
After playing/practicing the harp for over 7 years, I still work on breathing a few minutes every day. It seems like I'm just getting the hang of it. Nothing is more basic or important than properly breathing through the harp.
This is the Most useful tutorial for beginners in harmonica. Have been struggling to breath, losing count cause i had to pause and most important not enjoying and relaxing. Breathing is important to all kinds of instruments. Thnx for this dude.
Thanks for the tips. That's one of my major problem when I play: breathing. Then, I can't bend or holding my bend properly. I'm getting more in the harmonica right now...how long should I practice in a day? And, by the way, keep on the good work. I love your videos and lesson from your website ✌😎
THIS. IS. THE. BEST!!! Been singing for over 30 years and this is the first time I’ve actually learned how to breathe like this. Was well aware of the diaphragm and how to use it...the way you said it made it so plain. Thank you.
Extremely helpful - in particular the tip about listening for the air on the draw and feeling that cold patch towards the back of the mouth when you get it right. That last tip alone seemed to be key in helping me to hit the F on 2 draw whereas until now I've been hovering just below F#. Thanks a lot!
True story . . I am doing a puppet skit with a camel puppet named Camille and she confesses that she has spent a week learning the harmonica. So I was searching on RU-vid for instructional video and luckily found yours. Ironically, I myself have been interested to learn. Thank you for your time and talents.
It is a basic thing and I do it fine until I play a song or something. Wow, I really am going to back up here and focus on diaphragm breathing every day! This is a great video and it is crazy how I know about diaphragm breathing and even watched your video here before, but I am really realizing how super important this is to grasp because it affects everything when playing the harmonica correctly to achieve good bends, clear notes, songs, vibrato, etc. The control of the breath is everything!! Thank you Tomlin!! :)
Thank yoy so much! I started learning recently and i was doing the exact mistake you mentioned.. i was sucking the air... Now its clear.. will practise correct breathing now.. thanks
Great video, fundamental stuff. I am a beginner and had trouble with the 2 draw until I went back to basics completely relaxed and used my diaphragm. After that it became easy peasy to produce long pure notes on the draw. Thanks so much
Lots of good harmonica instructors out there but Tomlin is excellent and always my go to. Excellent breathing lesson - clear and concise. Thanks again, Tomlin!
Bless you bro!!! thanks so much :) have been able to play all notes on my C harmonica but have always struggled to draw an 8 on my A harmonica, butttt finally I have managed to make that hole make noise as I realized I was partially "sucking" instead of "breathing". Thanks again, spent ages trying to figure it out ahah
Great lesson. I'm having trouble with "air inventory". The Beatles' I Should Have known better is -34 ~ 45 -45 45, where -34 ~ = five 8ths and the rest = one 8th each, and that is six draws and two blows. It doesn't take long to figure out that we need more exhaling! How is that done? nose? or overblow during the two 45s? How do you do it?
I think the hardest thing is to take a technique that you are good at, and and do without thinking, and try to explain it. Very good job, thumbs up, and cheers to you! Long Train Running? I love that song and can play it too. I ought to teach that!
So I've been having this harmonica lying around as well, and I've just decided you shall be my teacher :P I don't know a thing about harmonicas (yet :P ) but I am starting with a Hohner Pro Harp MS, I guess it'll do the job! So far I found it a bit hard to inhale properly but no rush, like you say, it'll get there ^ Greetings from Greece and thank you for the lessons!
Hi Lexie - great to have you on board. Breathing is really tough on the harmonica as it needs to be as relaxed and light as possible. Keep persevering and you will get it :-)
Fantastic guy . I new I was doing something wrong so simple explanation only because he explained it thoroughly. My go to guy for tips now. Can't wait only two days and I been picking it fast. Already play guitar . I heard it strengths the lungs to which I need. Excited. Nice was mate nice one.
Thanks a lot Tomlin! I learned almost all (besides the book from Sandy Weltman) of what I can play from you. Great video, fundamental stuff - and i ignored it until now!! Sooner or later i'll join your school too. Best regard from Switzerland
As a trained classical singer, I know how to breath diaphragmatically. The issue I have with the harmonica is how to get a breath while I'm playing a riff, as with Love Me Do, where there are a bunch of draws. It's hard to find a spot to take a breath, at least for a beginner like me.
Hi Tomilin....great video! Do you cover "circular" breathing technique? I am in awe of a player who I think you know...Christelle Berthon....whose ability to hold notes for what seems like an eternity, is due to this technique. Just wondering if you teach it or what your thoughts are on it? I just watched a recent Christelle video where she holds (with expression and dynamics) the same note for 39 seconds and then moves effortlessly to the next note and so on. Thanks and love your videos...they are very well done and extremely helpful!
Hi Tomlin, Thx so much your video really help me out!I've been "Sucking" the hole all the time since I played harp half year ago ,but find the breath and pitch are always not very steady especially when bending.Now I learned I should use my diaphram to hold the steady breath(probably the muscle of diaphram not that strong though)! I also found while breathing by diphram , contact my upper and lower teeth and pull the tongue backwards is a little bit help of forcing myself to use the diphram. Greeting from CHINA!Thanks for making this awesome video!
That is awesome to hear. You will definitely build up your strength and get a more and more stable breath which will make your notes sound stronger. Keep up the good work!
QUESTION Hello Tomlin, great lessons ! Thank you for them. Really helpfull. I just wanted to know if there is ever nose used to breath while playing the harmonica. Do you ever let go some air or draw with your nose while playing ?? I tend to let go some Air if I got too much but not sure if its the right thing to get used to early on. Please let me know. Thank you so much !!!!
Great way to start! Just bought a hapr yesterday and it's great to see these breathing lessons because instinctively I was too tense while breathing! Tonight I'll practice this!! Thanks! Ahh one thing! I bought a C harp. I saw that with that I can play blues in G... but it's the same thing when playing blues in Em?
Cool. First time I've been able to sit here with my brand new Hohner Marine Band Crossover C! Looking forward to lots more education. I'm a literal freshman (though long time guitar player) and I'm ready to climb the heights. Pretty excited. Took your advice on the brand and model of harp. Feels real good in the hand. I'll be around.
hi Tomlin! thanks a lot for the lesson! Is it normal to feel some kind of discomfort in the throat? kind of similar to the one you might get when you have a cold?
Good job on trivially explaining untrivial stuff! Though I got totally confused about the 3 draws 5 blows 6 draws wth mate!!! ;-) Will be ordering my harmonica soon as I have been eyeing it since a while, looking forward to reviewing next lessons.
After four years of trying I could not play any deeper than from my throat, let alone my chest and NEVER from the diaphragm. I simply could not do it despite having tapes and CDs teaching how to do this. I have just this moment followed what you did and again could not do it all these years later. Is is possible for some to have a physical makeup that renders this impossible? I know there is a method that forces one to play from the diaphragm that involves a pipe and a bucket of water but cannot find the video I saw many years ago that demonstrated this.
Thank you for your videos! I am really enjoying them. I am curious about the order of your videos in the 'Beginner Harmonica Lessons' playlist. They seemed shuffled. Do you have them in the order you want people to view them? Or is this RU-vid shuffling them?
Thks again bro your the best, I would love to hear u play Moanin by Art Blakey, I haven't seen all your videos maybe you have so how about it much love mate!
HI i enjoy your lessons very much , writing you from Spain, I just don't succeed in bending, as if I am choking , and I am left without breath, I started 2 weeks ago I admit .could you give me an advice ? Tank you so much
+Pluis Mulder hi Pluis, first of all this is totally normal :-). The first step to being able to bend is being able to play nice clean notes with minimal effort. Then once you can do that (might take a few months) check out my lesson on bending - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CHKjgn_XJiI.html
I've watched and heard what you said, and I still do not understand the difference between sucking and breathing. All inhales and exhales are done with the diaphragm. So, when one sucks air in no breathing occurs? On the other hand, when breathing occurs one avoids sucking?
Hi Salvador, imagine that you are drinking through a straw - this is sucking. The rest of the time we just breathe without channeling the air under higher pressure. Hope that helps. Cheers, T
What about when you are playing a song that doesnt have many draw notes. Right now im practicing the Kesh jig and it has alot of blow notes with a single short draw in the middle. I just run out of air. My solution is to take a gasping breath though my nose during that note but that doessnt seem proper.
+William Jenkins Hi William, the principle is still the same when you are doing blow notes. You want to make sure that you are not using too much air. I would definitely suggest avoiding using your nose.
