hormina for blues suggestions

Bluesharmonica.com does not sell harmonicas. If you're in the US, I'd suggest such sellers as Rockin' Ron and a few others are harmonica specialists with depth of selection, competitive pricing, and excellent service.

TYPE of Harmonica

Most blues is played on the 10-hole diatonic harmonica. This type is available in many models and in all keys.

KEYS You NEED

The essential keys to have include

• A - used to play blues in E (but also sometimes A and B)
• C - used to play blues in G (but also sometimes C and D)
• D - used to play blues in A (but also sometimes D and E)
• G - used to play blues in D (but also sometimes G and A)
• Bb - used to play blues in F (but also sometimes Bb and C)
• F - used to play blues in C (but also sometimes F and G)

That's 6 out of the 12.You may need the additional keys at some point, but I'd start with the 6 I just listed, or even just the first two or three (A, C, and D).

PRICE

How much should you pay?

Expect to pay between $30 and $50 for a good quality harmonica, more if you're willing to spend more. But spending more will not guarantee you anything at this stage - stick with the mid-priced range.

Stay away from the cheap ones; they're low priced to match low quality - leaky, out of tune, and similar problems that make them hard to play and bad sounding. 

BRAND NAMES

The manufacturers with the best reputations for quality include:

• Hohner (except for their cheapest ones),
• Suzuki
• Seydel
• Lee Oskar
• Hering

BODY MATERIALS

For someone starting out, I suggest a plastic comb (body) as wood can swell and warp with moisture, and beginners often generate a lot of saliva at first. Metal combs are for expensive harps that you don't need at this stage.

SUGGESTED MODELS

Here are some sugested models withint the range I've mentioned:

• Hohner Special 20
• Lee Oskar (Major tuning - not the minor tunings or the Melody Maker)
• Suzuki Harpmaster
• Seydel Blues Session or Session Steel

Hope this helps.