45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb

0:00

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

These are the most common mistakes that beginners make on the harmonica.

0:02

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

The last one, by the way, is the most important one.

0:09

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

First one, and this is over-breathing into the harmonica, that means blowing or drawing air too hard.

0:18

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

So for example, when playing a song like Hallelujah, instead of sounding like this,

0:27

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

it often sounds more like this.

0:33

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

It sounds like you're yelling at the other person, not nice at all to listen to.

0:37

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And the solution to that is basically what I like to think of as,

0:42

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

think of blowing or drawing air into the harmonica, that you need the same amount of power

0:48

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

as when you are doing on a spoonful of soup.

0:54

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Not too much, but also not too little, because then you will not cool it down.

0:58

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

But if it's also too much on a spoonful of soup, it's going to fly over the person that is sitting in front of you.

1:05

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Not nice at all.

1:06

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

So once you practice that a bit, you will develop a more fine control over your lungs and over your airstream.

1:12

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And then your harmonica is going to sound way, way better.

1:15

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

The second super common mistake that people make with the harmonica is that they start playing on a super cheap harmonica

1:22

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

that is more of a toy than an actual musical instrument.

1:26

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And then it just makes people think harmonica is not fun.

1:29

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Harmonica sucks. I don't want to play this thing.

1:31

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And so many people quit harmonica because of that.

1:34

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And what I'm talking about is all those harmonicas that cost around $5, $10.

1:40

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

These are not worth your time and money.

1:43

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Don't waste your time on trying to play them.

1:45

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

They have a terrible sound.

1:47

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Usually their pitch is not right.

1:51

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

When you blow air into them, you hear more of the sound of the air other than the sound of the actual sound,

2:01

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

because they are not really tightly sealed.

2:03

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

So your air is running away instead of actually causing the sound of the harmonica.

2:07

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

The number one factor in making a harmonica actually fun to play is simply how fast it responds to your breathing.

2:14

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And if from the moment that you breathe into it to the moment that it makes a sound, there is a slight delay,

2:21

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

it's just not fun and it's just not practical to actually play songs like that.

2:25

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And almost all of the cheap harmonicas are like that.

2:28

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Also, they just feel like plastic.

2:29

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

They don't feel like a real instrument in your hands.

2:32

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

The bottom line is the good harmonicas usually cost somewhere between $30 to $50.

2:38

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Me, as a professional player who plays on stages and in musical studios recording for others,

2:44

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

I actually play a harmonica that costs on Amazon $30.

2:47

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

This has been my favorite in the last two years.

2:50

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

I am not sponsored by any company.

2:52

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

By the way, this is just an amazing model that I found.

2:54

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And the good news is that really over the last several years,

2:58

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

the Chinese companies have broke the market and came in with harmonicas

3:02

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

that are actually better than a lot of German models that cost sometimes twice as much.

3:06

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Like this one, for example, this e-stop lightning that I like.

3:10

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

So it just makes our hobby a lot more accessible.

3:14

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

So that's the e-stop lightning if you want to spend less than $30 on Amazon.

3:18

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

So you can also spend around $20.

3:21

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

There is another model from the same company,

3:23

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

which is called e-stop 008K or 008L.

3:30

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

These are these harmonicas right here.

3:33

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

The white one is 008L.

3:35

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

The black one is 008K.

3:37

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Pretty much the same harmonica, same price.

3:39

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

The difference is in the colors, but they are a bit less good.

3:42

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

So I highly recommend spending a bit more getting this e-stop lightning.

3:45

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Also, you will not go wrong with any of the honor models

3:48

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

that cost around $50, $60.

3:50

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

I like them too, but I just don't think they are as good as this e-stop lightning.

3:55

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Again, this is my personal opinion, but the bottom line is playing a harmonica

3:59

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

that you like and that you enjoy and feels good in your hands,

4:02

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

just makes it fun to play and actually makes you want to pick it up

4:05

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and start getting deeper into this new passion.

4:08

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Another super common mistake that beginners make on the harmonica

4:10

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

is what I call not going for quick wins early enough.

4:14

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And what I mean by quick wins is songs that are both famous and easy.

4:19

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

So playing them just gives you a lot of motivation.

4:22

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Directly, the number one thing that comes to my mind is Piano Man.

4:29

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

If you don't hate this song, I highly recommend start there

4:34

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

because it's very fun to play on the harmonica.

4:37

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

It doesn't demand any advanced technique like, for example, single notes

4:41

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

that usually people learn a bit later on.

4:43

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

So you can literally learn it on day one on the harmonica.

4:45

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And the amazing thing is that it just gives you a lot of motivation

4:49

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and this feeling of, wow, I actually play this super iconic solo on my first day.

4:55

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

I'm actually feeling good at something that I just started today.

4:59

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And I think...

5:00

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

This is something that no other instrument can give you.

5:02

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And it's also a party trick.

5:03

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

So you can just learn it

5:04

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and then immediately you can show it to friends or family

5:07

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and they would be like,

5:08

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

what, do you play harmonica?

5:10

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And they would be shocked.

5:12

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

So things like that.

5:13

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Songs also like Hallelujah is a great famous song.

5:17

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Not hard at all, actually really easy.

5:19

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Also Knocking on Heaven's Door by Bob Dylan.

5:22

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

It's a song that only has three notes.

5:24

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

There are many songs that I teach right here on this page,

5:27

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

which are exactly like this song for beginners.

5:29

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

So check them out and see songs that you both love

5:33

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and also that are also not hard.

5:35

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Instead of going, for example,

5:37

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

for more advanced stuff in the beginning,

5:39

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

like going for learning the blues in the beginning,

5:41

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

which is more challenging than learning songs.

5:43

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Or going to some advanced pieces.

5:46

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And these are things that are just often

5:48

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

going to make you feel frustrated

5:49

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

instead of actually giving you motivation to keep going.

5:52

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Like the unfortunate reality that 90% of people

5:55

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

who start a new instrument or a new hobby in general,

5:57

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

often quit it because it's really not easy in most places

6:02

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

to get to a place where it actually feels like fun

6:04

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and you feel like you can do things.

6:06

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Unless it's the harmonica.

6:07

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

I truly believe harmonica is easy

6:09

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

because it gives you those quick wins.

6:11

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

There's a lot of ways to start feel great about yourself

6:14

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and about how you sound like really early on.

6:17

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Learn Piano Man.

6:18

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Another super common mistake that beginners make on the harmonica

6:21

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

is that when you learn a song,

6:23

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

our tendency is to learn it at the normal speed,

6:26

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

at the normal pace, the normal tempo of the song,

6:29

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

because that's how it's familiar to you

6:31

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

to play Piano Man like this.

6:36

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

But actually, the right way to do it is to start much slower

6:40

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and don't pressure yourself.

6:42

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Because when you try to play it in the normal pace,

6:44

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and you look at the tabs and you barely even know

6:47

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

at this point when you're just starting out,

6:49

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

if you are hitting the right tabs

6:50

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and you're focusing on many things at once

6:52

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and getting a good sound and hitting the right tabs

6:54

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and what are the next steps?

6:55

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And then it's all getting you into this state of panic.

6:59

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

The other option is to simply really start slow.

7:07

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Look at the tabs, read them.

7:09

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

You can even go slower, definitely go slower

7:11

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

than the example I just showed you here.

7:13

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And don't start playing with the original song

7:16

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

in the background on YouTube.

7:17

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Leave that for a bit later.

7:18

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

First of all, just really get to know the tabs really well

7:22

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and start to build that confidence.

7:24

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Otherwise, your playing is just going to stay sloppy

7:26

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and you're going to stay in panic mode forever

7:29

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

when you play the song.

7:30

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

I also, today, when I learn advanced pieces

7:32

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and I learn songs that are challenging,

7:34

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

I always start really slowly

7:36

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and only then I pick up the speed

7:38

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

so it can sound good and it can feel good.

7:40

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Another tip that I have to give you at this subject

7:42

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

is that once you learn how to play, for example, Piano Man

7:46

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

with the original song in the background on YouTube,

7:48

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

which is an excellent way to learn Piano Man and many other songs,

7:52

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

put the original song on YouTube and try to play along

7:55

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

because then you can literally hear all the nuances

7:58

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and exactly how Billy Joel played it

8:00

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and you will get to play it in the most closest way to the original.

8:03

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

But also when you do it, just remember to first slow it down.

8:08

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

On YouTube, you can slow down the video to 0.75 or even 0.5 at the beginning

8:12

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and only then when you're feeling comfortable playing at that speed

8:17

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and it actually sounds similar or identical as much as possible

8:20

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

to how Billy Joel is playing it, only then pick up the speed to 0.75

8:25

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and then to the normal speed.

8:27

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And again, this is a tip for any song, not just on Piano Man.

8:30

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

It's just a comfortable example.

8:31

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Another mistake that beginners often make on the harmonica

8:34

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

is to develop the habit of constantly looking at the numbers

8:38

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

before you start playing.

8:39

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Now, of course, I understand this is how we begin.

8:42

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And for example, if we go for a song that starts on the 4-blow note,

8:48

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

we want to maybe have a look and make sure that this is where we're going for.

8:52

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

But the bottom line is that it's not really practical.

8:55

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

When you play a whole song, you cannot just all the time look

8:59

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

because your mouth stays on the harmonica and you need to move between the right notes.

9:03

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

So as much as possible, you want to leave this habit behind.

9:06

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And the way to do it is, for example, by practicing.

9:09

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Let's say that you want to start on 4-blow.

9:12

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

You can close your eyes or just not look at the harmonica.

9:15

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Just look directly in front of you and just try to play that 4-blow.

9:24

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Again and again, if you do it 10 times in a row, you will make mistakes somehow.

9:28

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

In the beginning, you will always make those mistakes.

9:31

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

But over time, you will make less and less mistakes.

9:33

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

So try this exercise 10 times today, maybe 10 times tomorrow.

9:37

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

You would see how so quickly when you practice that

9:40

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

and you put some energies into that and you put some thought into that,

9:44

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

you develop confidence and boom, it becomes so much easier.

9:48

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

You don't need to look.

9:49

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

Everything about the harmonica just feels more natural.

9:52

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

And this is how you're really supposed to play it.

9:54

S… Speaker 1 (45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb)

So also, you will notice that when you make mistakes...

45e9a25b236576df3928a469f74428fb

Resume

Konbyen tan pou m' fè transkript la?