Harmonica Vibe

If we were doing a word association thing and I said the word harmonica to you, what immediately comes to your mind?  For quite a few people words like cowboy, campfire, lonely, haunting are just a few that immediately pop when they think of harmonica.  For me, it's the cowboy sitting by the fire all alone under a star-filled Western sky playing a haunting tune with his dog curled up nearby.  Harmonica connotes this bluesy sound like none other.  And I love that vibe....a lot.

Harmonica History

The harmonica is one musical instrument that has not been around for very long.  When you think of the grand scheme of things, the harmonica is barely 200 years old...or young.  It was conceived and created in Europe with musical historians telling us that it's first appearance was in Vienna, Austria.  It's interesting that the harmonica appears in the United States at roughly the same time and out in the frontier West of the US at that.

Reading personal accounts and diary entries from soldiers in the War between the States or the Civil War, both sides found solace in this instrument that they could "tote in one's pocket" --- the harmonica.  It is also said that President Abraham Lincoln carried a harmonica in his pocket.

Harmonica Likes

Probably the thing I like most about the harmonica is the blues sound.  Alone or as an instrument accompanying a band, the harmonica sets a tone and creates a sense and feeling that most people can sense deep within their bones almost as much as they actually hear with their ears.  I've heard harmonica players that can create a sound that seems almost like a person crying.  It's like a quiet wailing.  Then there's this frenetic feel that certain harmonica playing can emote.  It's a wild sound!

A close second of things I like about the harmonica is that it is convenient.  There are just not too many instruments like the harmonica that you can put in your pocket and carry around with you.  A lot of harmonica players call this instrument a harp.  But think of what  most people mean when they picture a harp.  It's not a mouth organ kind of harp.  It's big and bulky and not easily portable.  The harmonica is not like that big harp.

Another like for the harmonica is that practically anyone can learn to play it because just about anyone can afford a starter harmonica.  A good starter harmonica can be found for under $50.  And you can even find decent harmonica lessons on the Internet for little or no charge.  Someone doesn't have to be rich to obtain and learn to play the harmonica.

Yet one more thing I like about the harmonica is that it lends itself to many music styles.  While I've mentioned blues already along with the folk and western types of music, it lends itself to pop and country.  Just this week I've seen major television music productions with the harmonica featured as a part of the music gig.  In this case the harmonica had an electric amplifier that made it easy to distinguish with a rock band of all things.  But it created a vibe, a sound that no other instrument could create.

Now, take a minute and enjoy this more current take on harmonica sounds....

Harmonica + Beatbox: Final Cut

For more about the harmonica, check out Wikipedia's really good article when you click on the link HARMONICA.