Harmonicas
About Harmonicas
The harmonica features simple playability, affordability, and portability. Harmonicas are capable of producing an impressive variety of tones considering their modest size and expense, and this versatility is showcased in the music genres in which the tiny mouth harp plays a part.
The harmonica is very unique compared to other wind instruments and even other musical instruments. It is exceptionally small and easy to carry around, simple to play even for beginners, and inexpensive. Despite all that, harmonicas are used in a lot of musical genres by professional musicians. Blues, western, and rock are some of the obvious ones. Sometimes you will hear them even in jazz and classical music. Having a better understanding of these instruments will help you make the right choices when you are shopping for them. Read this article to find out more about them.
Four best harmonicas for beginners
In some places around the world, people refer to harmonicas as “mouth organs.” In fact, this name makes sense because the sound of the harmonica is somewhat similar to that of a traditional organ, and they are played with the mouth. But unlike organs that are often large and expensive, you can buy a harmonica for a couple of hundred dirhams and fit them inside your trouser pocket or your backpack. As you have already decided to buy a harmonica, then you might as well get the best one out there. Here is a list of four best harmonicas that are great for beginners.
Hohner Harmonica Special 20
This harmonica from the well-known musical instrument manufacturer Hohner is good looking and also reliable. On the outside of the instrument, there is a plate that offers shiny metal finish covering the plastic reeds. As the mouthpiece of the instrument is not hard, it is comfortable to use the Hohner Special 20 even for really long playing sessions. It doesn’t feel tiring or uncomfortable on the mouth even if you play it continuously for a couple of hours. The sound and build quality of this piece of the instrument make this model useful for the beginner students and also professional players.
Lee Oskar Diatonic Harmonica
Compared to most other harmonicas, this one has a shorter form factor. Not surprisingly, the shorter form factor does limit the octave range of this harmonica from Lee Oskar. However, the holes that are on this instrument are slightly larger than other models of the comparable range and quality. This also makes the sounds fuller and more resonating. As every single hole is large, it will be easier for beginner players to isolate each one of them and learn to play single notes, which is something beginner students struggle to do with regular models.
Hohner Marine Band Harmonica
Here is a good choice if you are looking for a vintage looking harmonica. Another really interesting feature of this harmonica is the use of wooden reeds instead of plastic reeds. Unlike modern models with enclosed construction, this model features a bunch of side vents on either side. These vents not only make the sound louder but also make it more vibrant and brighter. Many people consider this model to be one of the best among vintage harmonicas. The reed, which is actually responsible for the sound, is made from bamboo wood with rounded-off corners.
Seydel Blues Classic 1847
The most notable thing about this instrument is the design itself. The design is in no way what anybody would consider modern. But neither is it vintage. The design of Seydel Blues Classic harmonica is, in fact, a blend of modern and classical elements. Moreover, the construction quality of the instrument is also excellent, and so is the sound quality. However, all is not rosy about this instrument. One thing that keeps people from buying this model is the price. It might cost you four of five times the money of a normal model if you are buying the Seydel Blues Classic 1847.
Tips on how to buy Harmonicas Online
Finding the right model of harmonica that suits your preferences and skill level can be harder than you might think. For one thing, not all harmonicas are the same. Broadly speaking, there are at least three different types of them. And that’s not all. There are even more differences between models that you have to be aware of if you want to figure out which one is right for you. Here are a few things to keep in mind while you are shopping for harmonicas.
- Octave range – Not all harmonicas have the same octave range. In fact, the most basic model of them will have only two octaves while the professional models will have up to three octaves. For beginners, it is better to start learning a more basic instrument. Having fewer octaves means you have fewer things to care about. Moreover, these basic models will have larger holes for each note, making it easier to isolate them while playing.
- Quality – The quality of a harmonica depends on a few different factors. First of all, look at the materials of the instrument. The reed material should be flexible enough to give a decent sound quality but durable enough to last for a long time. Traditionally, wood was the only material for making reeds. However, these days, there are models with plastic reeds that offer comparable sound quality to that of wooden reeds.
- Design – Unlike instruments like drums and keyboards, the harmonica is something that will be very visible to the audience while you are performing. Moreover, the design will also affect how you perceive the instrument. Therefore, consider the design quality of the instrument as well while you look at all the other functional aspects.
- Price and durability – Similar to most other musical instruments, harmonicas also come in a wide range of prices. While the most affordable of them will only cost you less than a hundred dirhams, there are models that cost over three thousand dirhams. This makes it necessary to decide how much you want to pay for them even before you start shopping.
If you are a musician, you will need many other things apart from the musical instruments themselves. These include things like microphones, audio cables, mixers, preamps, amplifiers, speakers, instrument holders, instrument cases, and cleaning kits. You can find any of these easily using our shopping search engine . It will also let you compare the prices and features of different products and pick the best one among them. So, don’t forget to check out all the other amazing products from the musical instruments category.
Question & Answer
What harmonica should a beginner buy?
One of the hardest things for beginner players to figure out is to figure out what type of harmonica to buy. This can be really hard if you are not aware of how the harmonica works. Basically, the greater number of holes a harmonica has, the more octaves it can play. But one undesirable side effect of having more octaves is that each hole will have to be smaller to accommodate all of them. That is why it is ideal to start with a model that only has two or two and a half octaves. Also, look for models that are affordable so that you can move onto a better model after mastering the basics.
What does diatonic mean in music?
In music, Diatonic, a stepwise arrangement of the seven natural pitches that form an octave without altering a key or mode’s defined pattern. In the case of a diatonic harmonica, they can only play the notes of the two or three scales by default. That means, if you want to be able to play all the scales like a chromatic harmonica, you will need twelve different harmonicas corresponding to different ranges. On the other hand, a chromatic harmonica can technically play all the notes of a chromatic scale. There will be a sliding bar on the side of these models that will allow you to alter the scales.
Where to buy harmonica online in the UAE?
Harmonicas are one of the most popular types of wind instruments thanks to their small size and affordability. Despite the fact that these are simple instruments, you should be careful about all the various aspects of them while buying. Fortunately, there are some excellent places where you can find harmonicas in the UAE. On Shops.ae, you will find a wide variety of harmonica models from various categories. Moreover, you will find really good quality models for incredibly affordable prices from brands like Hohner, Suzuki, Seydel, Lee Oskar, Fender, Mini, and Shure.