
Welcome to the course! This is a bundle of my best, most popular and most recent courses bundles together into a seamless learning package. Take them in order please. If you are not a beginner just skim through the first ones until you hit your level - you are bound to learn something new! I hope this brings you great joy - if so my work is done.
Explore a ha ha hoo hoo warm-up for harmonica using holes one and two with one hand to improve breathing and prepare throat vibrato, inspired by Joe Felisco.
Introduction
Which harmonica do I need?
Simple answer - any 10-hole diatonic harmonica in the key of C.
Learn your first blues riff by practicing the ha ha rhythm with breathing in out and out in on the bottom holes, focusing on chords and second-position play in G.
Master a five-part harmonica practice plan—warm up, techniques, repertoire, ear training, and warm down—balancing breathing, single notes, bending, and skill-appropriate repertoire.
Here are some ways to hold the harmonica and thoughts and exercises on breathing.
Open Chords, Chugging, Trainsounds
Playing single notes with the 'pucker' or 'kiss' embouchure
Learn practical ways to clean and maintain your harmonica, from quick toothbrush cleaning to light polishing and minty sprays, and keep it dry after playing.
This is all about learning to tongue block
Here's a lecture on starting to bend notes.
This lecture shows the C major scale, the pentatonic scale derived from the major scale and the other 6 modal scales.
Wrapping up this first section
Explore the harmonica course using quizzes as feedback to test what you’ve learned, celebrate progress, and aim for high scores (90, 80, 50, or 100 percent).
Promo movie
Let me introduce you to this section
More simple train sounds
Nice and easy so far - Haha Hoohoo
Interview with my (now sadly late) step pop Pete about steam trains - he has driven the UK's most prestigious and famous steam train - Flying Scotsman - google it. It just had its 100-year celebrations I saw recently.
Bells and whistles
Train sounds from Goa
Salty's sounds
George Bullet Williams sounds
Encourage harmonica learners to rate the course with stars and optional written feedback. Aiming for five stars, the creator boosts visibility and helps other students.
Sounds from Flying Scotsman
Excellent train sounds here.
Trainsound with shakers.
Step pop Pete makes silly sounds
Wrapping up the Trainsounds section
Here's a metronome track in case you don't have one
Use quizzes to gauge learning progress and receive feedback, aiming for targets like 90, 80, or 50 percent to celebrate wins and motivate practice in this harmonica course.
Trailer
Let me introduce this section
A little chord theory before we play
And a little theory on 12 bar blues structure
Here's how the chord structure works.
Here's how the lyrics in Blues scan out
Playing rhythmic chugging in the blues
Encourage learners to leave feedback by rating with stars and adding a short text about how they’re getting on with the harmonica course. Note that they can change it later.
Now we play some single note lines and it's quite easy!
Now we play some single note lines and it's quite tricky!
Bending hole 1
Learning to bend hole 4
Note Bending - hole 6
This time we will play using some note bending
This is an alternative way to look at the blues
Bonus - a bit of Sonny Terry for you
Here's where I introduce the section of the course that focusses on getting good tone
Here's an idea on breathing while lying on your back
Great breathing game and trainsound here
How the inside of your mouth alters the sound
Try to make it worse then better
More on mouth cavity tonal changes
How does the vocal tract affect the sound?
More aspects of tone
Does tongue height affect tone?
Let's get into breathing and posture
Exploring use of hands
Big Walter explains his tone and use of hands
https://youtu.be/KX0Eu5Lqexc
Relaxing as you play
Which harmonica to use for best tone?
Do you hear any differences?
Phil plays at the beginning and end of the session, showcasing harmonica practice within the course. The session finishes with thanks and good night after completing homework.
This is part of the lesson with Phil
Finishing this section of the course
This is the trailer
This is were I introduce this section of the course
Here we analyse the 12 bar blues and look at notation for many instruments
This is the first 2 bars of the 12 bar blues
Here's the first 4 bars repeated at different speeds
This is the middle part of the tune
This is the last part of the tune
See what happens if you double each note
Here's how you use tongue blocking
Here are a few ideas on how to vary your improvisation
Here's the trailer movie - worth a look
Introduction and preparations
First pattern - holes 1&2 only
Pattern using the first three holes only
Pattern using the first four holes only
Pattern using the first five holes only
Pattern using the first six holes only
Using Ta-ah and tucka
Using Ta-a-a and Takata
Sonny Terry rhythm
Triplet rhythm
JJ Milteau lick
Bends, over-blows and wrapping up
Here's the trailer and promo - please watch first
Let me introduce this part of the course
Learn a famous harmonica riff with diatonic and chromatic approaches, exploring five fold draw, three blow phrases, and draw or blow variations for expressive tone.
I'll show you...
English kids who learnt from a video lesson I gave them - I never taught them directly.
Here's Paul's harmony line
Here's Paul's harmony line
Here's the middle section
Easy part of the bridge
Less easy part of the bridge
Here's the two harmony lines together on the same harmonica - very clever!
Here's how to improvise on this tune
*updated 2026* Udemy's BEST SELLING ultimate and complete harmonica course - with over 40,000 students.
No harmonica experience? No problem, I'll walk you through nice and slow.
Did you ever fool around with a harmonica as a kid?
Would you like to learn to play the harmonica better now?
Do you play guitar, piano, ukulele or are you a singer and want to add harmonica into your act?
Do you want an instrument that's easy to pick up, store and carry?
Did you inherit a harmonica and want to pay respect to the original owner??
Where you inspired by Bob Dylan, Sonny Terry, Little Walter, Mick Jagger?
Would you like to play in a church, campfire, band or jam session?
Do you think harmonica will help with COPD or other health issues?
Is this a retirement 'bucket-list' project?
Here are 50 reasons to learn harmonica:
Learning the harmonica is one of the most rewarding "bang-for-your-buck" hobbies you can pick up. Here are 50 reasons to start today, broken down by why it’s awesome: [1]
The "Cool Factor" & Versatility
Instant Blues Vibe: Nothing captures the "blues" sound quite like a harmonica.
Genre-Hopping: It fits in Blues, Rock, Country, Folk, Jazz, and even Classical.
Bob Dylan Vibes: You can play it hands-free with a neck rack while playing guitar.
Cinematic Sound: It’s the soul of Every Western movie soundtrack ever.
The "Pocket" Instrument: It’s the only instrument that truly fits in your jeans pocket.
Expressive Bending: You can "bend" notes to make the instrument literally wail or cry.
Unique Tone: No two players sound exactly the same; your mouth shape changes the tone.
Vibrato: You can create a beautiful "wah-wah" effect using just your hands. [2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Mental & Physical Health
Breath Control: It’s essentially a musical breathing exercise.
Lung Capacity: It is often used as "Harmonica Therapy" for people with COPD or asthma.
Stress Relief: Deep rhythmic breathing is a natural way to lower cortisol.
Brain Exercise: Learning tabs and melodies keeps your memory sharp.
Hand-Eye Coordination: Coordinating your breath with hand movements builds motor skills.
Meditation: The repetitive nature of practice can be very "zen."
Mood Booster: It’s hard to feel down when you’re playing an upbeat campfire tune. [7, 8, 9, 10, 11]
Practicality & Portability
Inexpensive: You can get a professional-quality Hohner or Suzuki for under $50.
Low Maintenance: No strings to change, no reeds to wet (unlike a sax).
Indestructible: Most modern harmonicas are built like little tanks.
Play Anywhere: Practice in the car, on a hike, or at the beach.
No Power Needed: It’s 100% acoustic and always ready to go.
Quiet Practice: You can practice softly without waking the neighbors.
Easy Storage: You can fit an entire "band’s worth" of keys in a small lunchbox. [12, 13, 14, 15, 16]
Ease of Learning
Always in Tune: Unless you break a reed, it never goes out of tune.
No "Wrong" Notes: On a standard diatonic, almost every note you blow or draw sounds good together.
Fast Progress: You can learn a basic song (like "Oh Susanna") in 10 minutes.
Simple Notation: "Tabs" are just numbers; you don't need to read sheet music.
Rhythm & Lead: You can play chords and melody at the same time.
Intuitive: It becomes an extension of your own breath very quickly. [17, 18, 19, 20, 21]
Social & Performance
The Ultimate Icebreaker: Pulling it out at a party always gets a reaction.
Jam Session Ready: Most guitarists love having a harp player join in.
Great for Campfires: It provides the perfect background for outdoor hangouts.
Busking: It’s the most portable way to make a few bucks on the street.
Join a Band: Good harmonica players are surprisingly rare and in high demand.
Collaborative: It blends beautifully with vocals and acoustic instruments.
Gift Potential: It’s a great skill to use for playing "Happy Birthday" or holiday songs. [22, 23, 24, 25, 26]
Personal Growth & Fun
Sense of Achievement: Mastering a difficult "blow bend" feels amazing.
Expressive Freedom: It’s one of the best instruments for pure improvisation.
Historical Connection: You’re joining a legacy of legends like Little Walter and Stevie Wonder.
Self-Reliance: You don't need a backing track to sound "full."
Cheap Obsession: Collecting different keys (C, G, A, etc.) is an affordable hobby.
Confidence Builder: Playing in front of others becomes easier when the instrument is small.
A Lifelong Skill: You can play it from age 5 to 95.
Improves Ear Training: Because you can't see the notes, you learn to "feel" them.
Conversation Starter: People will always ask you about it.
It’s "Human": Because it uses your breath, it’s the closest an instrument gets to singing.
Nostalgia: It has a "vintage" charm that never goes out of style.
Travel Companion: It’s the perfect solo hobby for long trips.
Creativity: You can experiment with "cross-harp" to find new scales.
Beatboxing: You can combine harmonica with beatboxing for a modern twist.
Because it's fun: Plain and simple, it’s just a blast to play. [27, 28, 29]
If you thought YES to any of those who are in the right place.
This course will help you become a great harmonica player. All you need to do is follow the lectures in order plus some practice and you will start to feel a surge of confidence as you see your skills increasing daily.
This will be exciting, fun, and challenging – I think you will thoroughly enjoy it!
I think people recognise my passion for the harmonica. I’m not someone who plays bass, guitar, piano, drums and sings, records, gigs…I just (mostly) teach harmonica.
Sure I perform sometimes, gig with friends, go to jams, do corporate harp demonstrations but MOSTLY I focus on playing, learning and teaching harmonica.
So if you have a Hohner harmonica, a blues harmonica, hohner special 20, a chromatic harmonica (ok, not that one) a blues harp, a hohner big river, a harmonica holder, a harmonica set…you can start to play now.
Give me a shout if you need any help please.
MY PERSONAL GUARANTEE - I AM SO CONFIDENT YOU WILL LOVE THIS COURSE THAT IF YOU DON'T, AND SO FAR ALL BUT ONE PERSON WAS HAPPY, I WILL REFUND YOU ALL THE MONEY (within 30 days of purchasing) WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED. THIS IRONCLAD GUARANTEE IS BACKED UP BY UDEMY.