Morning Has Broken
Here’s a beautiful Springtime tune to play on the harmonica in C. It’s called Morning Has Broken and it’s been sung in schools for many years.
It became popular in 1972, when Cat Stevens took it to N0.6 in the pop charts. But the melody was originally a folk tune from Scotland. Let’s investigate some more, and then learn how to play along on the harmonica.
Should old acquaintance be forgot..
The Toot Suite would like to wish all its fans a very Happy New Year 2012. It’s been a successful first year at the Suite, and we thank you all for continuing to drop by.
Fittingly, here’s our final offering of 2011.. Auld Lang Syne on a 10 hole harp
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Josh Cooper from Sussex, UK
Congratulations to Josh Cooper (9 years) for participating in the UK’s annual National Harmonica League (NHL) Championships 2011, where he was awarded 1st Prize in the Junior Section!
Josh attends regular HarpsCool group sessions at his Primary School in Sussex and was coached by HarpsCool Sussex Director, Richard Taylor. Here’s video footage of his performance..
Silent Night
Here’s a classic Christmas tune in two parts, which sounds great performed a cappella on the harmonica (without backing music).
It was written in a village near Salzburg in Austria, where it was called Stille Nacht. Why not learn the tune and play it at School, in Church or to your family for Christmas? (more…)
Little Leap Forward by Guo Yue & Clare Farrow
Here’s a musical story which doesn’t actually feature a harmonica! It was written by someone who plays a Chinese relative of the harmonica called a Bawu.
The Bawu looks just like a traditional Chinese flute, the Di-Zi. It is made from a long piece of hollowed bamboo, it has finger holes and just like the Di-Zi, you blow the Bawu to make it sing.
So how on earth could the Bawu be related to the harmonica, how is it different to the Di-Zi and what is the story of Little Leap Forward?
Come with us on a magical journey to China and all will be revealed.. (more…)
Harpbox jam hot
You’ve heard of beatboxing right? You take a microphone, some attitude and make like loose change in the tumble dryer. Well what if you threw in your harmonica?
The answer is you’d be harpboxing. Here’s our main man Yuri Lane taking harpboxing to the people of Chicago.
