How a decades-long patent race produced the slide mechanism that let the harmonica play jazz, classical music, and Motown —…
Continue readingBlog
The Harmonica Crosses the Atlantic: Blues, Country, and the American Sound (Part 2)
How a cheap German pocket instrument became the sound of the Mississippi Delta, the Grand Ole Opry, and Chicago's electric…
Continue readingThe Birth of the Harmonica: A Story of Rivals and Reinvention (Part 1)
Everyone credits one teenage inventor with the harmonica in 1821. The real story is messier, more interesting, and involves at…
Continue readingThe harmonica, a small but mighty musical instrument
The harmonica, a small but mighty musical instrument, is cherished for its soulful melodies and bluesy wails. Whether tucked in…
Continue readingWas the harmonica the first instrument John Lennon learned to play?
There seems to be some confusion or misinformation regarding John Lennon’s first instrument. While John Lennon was indeed a talented…
Continue readingHugo Diaz: Legend of Tango
Hugo Díaz was indeed a renowned virtuoso of the harmonica from Argentina. He was born on September 10, 1927, in…
Continue readingThe History of the Harmonica: The Sheng
The harmonica was developed in Europe in the early part of the 19th century. Free-reed instruments like the Sheng had been…
Continue readingMan with the harmonica
Harmonica is the secondary protagonist of Sergio Leone’s epic 1968 Spaghetti Western film, Once Upon a Time in the West. He is…
Continue readingBest harmonica for beginners
Diatonic For beginners, a good harmonica to start with is a diatonic harmonica in the key of C. The diatonic…
Continue readingBob Dylan
Mr. Tambourine Man (Live at the Newport Folk Festival. 1964). Bob Dylan and his Harmonica…
Continue reading