Junior harmonica

Hints and Tips 

I Forgot My Harmonica!

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How to join in your group lesson if you forget your harmonica

No need to be sad. Everyone forgets things from time to time. That’s ok. The great thing is you can still come and you can still join in!

But before we start, think hard. Perhaps you did remember your harmonica, but you just can’t find it. You’d be amazed how often we discover it was in a school bag all along.

Still not there? Don’t worry. Let’s look on our time together as a music lesson, not just a harmonica lesson. There is plenty to learn, even without a harmonica. Tell your teacher and they’ll help you join in. Here are some great ways you can still have fun..

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Harmonica Trivia 

Can You Swallow A Harmonica?

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Can you swallow a harmonica?

This is a question we are always asked when we demonstrate harmonica to groups of children. Especially when they see the smallest harmonica in the world – the Hohner Little Lady.

Technically the answer to this question is yes; although we don’t recommend it and it’s not something we’d ever attempt.

Let’s see what happens when Laurel and Hardy try to out-smart each other on their harmonicas. Stan fools around on a toy trumpet first, then finds his 10 hole harmonica. But can you spot Ollie’s 4 hole Hohner Little Lady half way through? Where do you think it ends up? Remember – please don’t try this yourself!

Tunes to Play 

EastEnders Theme

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Rickaaaaaay!

During a demonstration at school today, the children asked us questions about the harmonica.

Normally they want to know the biggest harmonica in the world, how long it takes to learn, or what happens if you swallow one.

But would you Adam’n’Eve it? (believe it?). Today one dustbin lid (kid) asked if we could play ‘Stenders Theme (the theme to BBC TV’s EastEnders). Strangely it’s not summink we normally knock out, but per’aps we’d better oughta start.

Instructions for playing this tune are below. Remember the Purple music is for four hole harmonicas, and Orange music is for ten hole harmonicas. Roll aht the barrel! (more…)

Tunes to Play 

Lady Gaga Harmonica – Bad Romance

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Gaga, ooh la la!

Here’s the one we promise to demonstrate at school…. but then we go and play Twinkle Twinkle instead!

So, just to prove you can play Lady Gaga on the harmonica, here’s the chorus to her hit Bad Romance.

Instructions for playing the tune are below. Purple music is for four hole harmonicas, and Orange music is for ten hole harmonicas. (more…)

Crazy Harmonicas Harmonica Trivia 

Fastest Harmonica Player In The World

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World’s fastest harmonica player

With 103 notes in twenty seconds (or 285bpm), the Guinness World Record for fastest harmonica player is held by Nicky Shane of Santa Barbara, California, USA.

The record was monitored at SRS studios in Santa Barbara on the 8th of September 2005 and the melody played was When The Saints Come Marching In. Perhaps that should be When The Saints Come Sprinting In.

Nicky is a former stand up comedian who more recently has become a leading exponent of heavy metal harmonica. Turn the volume on your computer way down, move all pets to another room and check out Nicky in the following video clip. We present The Star Spangled Banner…

Rock and Roll! Ask a grown up about a guitarist called Jimi Hendrix who played the same tune at a festival called Woodstock in the 1960s!

4 Hole Harmonica Hints and Tips 

There’s A Duck In My Harmonica!

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How to fix a broken 4 hole harmonica

From time to time a harmonica can stop doing what it should do. Instead of playing clear notes, one reed sounds a bit strange. It may rattle, it may not play at all or, as one of our junior players recently discovered, a duck had climbed inside his harmonica. Blow hole 4 made a beautiful quack!

Since the 4 hole Hohner Speedy does not come in its own case, the problem is usually caused by a piece of dust or a small flake that has become trapped under the reed. Occasionally a reed can just get stuck. Sometimes it goes out of tune because the metal has started to fatigue – it’s too tired to carry on and it’s ready to snap off. (more…)