Blues Harmonica

Discover the world of blues harmonica

Blues is the musical genre that really made the harmonica famous. In the beginning, Blues harmonica came from musicians trying to imitate the train and fox chase as well as accompanying songsters who were traveling around. But in the early 1920s, Blues became a musical form of its own and a popular one too! Radio shows and vinyls started to spread across all America and the voice of the Blues grew quickly in all directions and cities.

Because the harmonica is so expressive and such a natural way of mimicking the voice, it rapidly became the most used lead instrument in Blues with the guitar. Some of the most famous Blues harmonica players are: John Lee Sonny Boy Williamson, Jazz Gillum, Sonny Terry, Little Walter, Big Walter Horton, Georges Smith, Junior Wells, Carey Bell, Rice Miller (Sonny Boy II), Billy Branch, Sugar Blue, Paul Butterfield and Charlie Musselwhite.

There are numerous nickname for the word harmonica used by blues players like Tin sandwich or Mississippi saxophone. Blues harmonica is ninety percent of the time played on diatonic harmonicas and the most popular keys are C, D, G and A.

The best harmonicas for blues music

Blues, Rock, Folk, Country,… : Choose a Diatonic Harmonica

The Harmo Polar and the Torpedo are ideal choices to play Blues harmonica and their phosphore bronze reeds are well suited to play the Blues. But again Harmo Custom Shop harmonica models offer even more options with their wood covers that are second to none. Some players would occasionally use a chromatic harmonica in this case very often a 16 hole chromatic harmonica would be their weapon of choice playing in Dm most of the time. Little Walter and George Smith have both recorded numerous instrumentals on the chromatic. The Harmo Angel 16 is a good way to play blues harmonica but why not also give the Admiral 64 a try? Thanks to its heavy brass comb the Admiral has a warmer sound that will growl like a saxophone.