I’m going to show you the #1 easiest harmonica secret for getting a rich bluesy tone, and that’s by learning the correct mouth position right from the start!
Learn the Deep Relaxed Mouth Position
Now if you’re wondering what to do next, fill in your email address in the box below to sign up to receive 3 free lessons from me that will help you to deeply reinforce this great habit while we play awesome songs together.
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The #1 mistake that beginning harmonica players make is playing with tense lips, and with the harmonica too shallow in the mouth. A lot of harmonica players and harmonica teachers use the word “pucker” to explain their technique for playing the harmonica. If you’re going to give someone a kiss, go ahead and pucker up, but if you want to play the harmonica like a boss, then add the word “pucker” to your list of bad words!
Mouth Position for Playing Harmonica
The Deep Relaxed Mouth Position
The Pucker Method
The pucker method might get you to play a single note quickly, but the tone is weak and airy without the proper lip seal on the harmonica. It’s kind of like shooting yourself in the foot.
Many intermediate players, some who have even been playing for years, find themselves frustrated, unable to play single notes accurately with a nice rich tone, and become discouraged when they try to learn how to bend. (Bending is that wailing, crying, soul-stirring sound that has made the harmonica so famous.)
You may also have heard teachers talk about “Tongue-Blocking.” This technique also has its merits. Farther down the road it’s worth exploring, I just don’t want you to experience unnecessary pain and frustration that could make you give up before you realize how fun and easy it is to play the harmonica.
Here is the quickest, easiest, and most fun path to sounding great on the harmonica.
- First, master the Deep Relaxed Mouth Position (see video above).
- Second, master the art of Playing Single Notes using lip blocking.
- Third, you’re ready to Learn How to Bend.
Dr. Eddie’s Journey
A good friend of mine Dr. Eddie, had been playing harmonica for a couple years, and even performing in front of people. He asked me for help with bending one day, and I quickly saw he was playing with tight lips and with the harmonica too shallow in his mouth. Because he’d been playing for a long time, I knew it was a deeply ingrained habit that wouldn’t change easily, so I advised him to try my course, Beginner to Boss. (I knew this could help him “un-learn” his bad habits, and develop new habits because I teach 27 lessons mastering just the Deep Relaxed Mouth Position before learning to isolate notes with lip blocking, and then 51 lessons isolating notes with lip blocking before learning how to bend.)
Sure enough, Dr. Eddie went through my course, and now he has a really beautiful, rich, and soulful tone. When I asked him about his experience going through the course he said, “Well, I can say this: now I really feel like a harmonica player, and I never did before.”
The point of all this is not just to convince you to purchase my course, but to illustrate the power of developing great habits, right from the start. These great habits become the rock solid foundation upon which you can build when you’re ready to go to the next level.
The 5 Steps to Success
Step 1
Make sure the numbers are facing up, so the lowest pitch is on the left. Hold the harmonica with either hand, on the side of the harmonica. This is not the advanced hand technique but will make things easier for now (first things first.)
Step 2
Moisten and relax the lips.
Step 3
Place the harmonica deep in the mouth, and rotate the back-side of it up toward the ceiling so that the part inside the mouth angles down into the moist inner-part of the lower lip.
Step 4
Ensure that your upper lip is deep over the harmonica as demonstrated in this picture. You can use a mirror or a cell phone in selfie mode to double check this.
Step 5
This is the most important step which will guarantee that you are in the correct mouth position: unfold the bottom lip. Reach up with your index finger and pull down on your lower lip to ensure that it is untucked. It should loosely bounce against the bottom of the harmonica when you pull on it.
Congratulations! If you have only learned this one thing today, you have made your visit to our site worth your while and have created the foundation for learning harmonica the right way! Woo hoo!
If you want to turbo-charge your path to harmonica mastery, check out my course Beginner to Boss.
Feel free to leave a comment or question below!
Comments
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brand new guy here…love it…watching first then will add the harmonica….slow learner here
Right on Don! Slow and steady wins the race, my friend.
Aloha,
Luke
I’m eagerly awaiting my Free First Lesson! I have tried three times to register for it, but it never arrives in my email!
Hey David – sorry for the delay in my response here, as well as the technical difficulties. I want to make sure you get taken care of!
Did you ever get the free lessons?
Did you check your spam folder?
If you didn’t get them, and they’re not in your spam folder, please let our support team know about your issue here: https://www.harmonica.com/contact/ or through this portal, and they’ll get you sorted.
Sorry again for the troubles!
Aloha,
Luke
I’ve tried several times to play. My step-daughter gave me a harmonica. It doesn’t sound quite right, so I bought a Lee Oskar in C. Sounds like what I picture and hear in my mind…At 74 and my fingers aren’t able to play guitar any longer.
Hey John – right on you’ve chosen well! Yeah, getting repetitive stress syndrome in the fingers of my right hand stopped me from playing guitar for years, and the harmonica was a lifesaver! If you’re wanting a fast-track to learning harmonica, you might consider Beginner to Boss:
https://www.harmonica.com/lessons/
We have plenty of student 10 or even 20 years your senior!
Rock on,
Luke 😎
I have been playing guitar for 18:years. My teacher the last 5 years just recommended: Boading balls. The Chinese balls you rotate in your hands. Do not get the small ones. Get 2 inch balls. You will see a difference !
I am a 79 year old with COPD, on Oxygen 24X7. Not a lot of lung power. 6 or 8 years ago I bought a couple of (fairly cheap) harmonicas, a Honer Sousa Band “C” and a Bushman Delta Frost “G”. I learned to play a bit, and really enjoyed it, but didn’t stick with it. I recently decided to try again and found your first lessons. I learned, or relearned how to position the harp from you. Certainly a big help. I don’t know how long I will stick with my efforts, but wanted to thank you very much… Read more »
Hey Gerry! You’re so welcome, my friend. Glad you are enjoying the lessons, and I hope you stick with it FOREVER!
Rock on my friend,
Luke
Im a 47 yo woman reinventing myself and on a mission to learn something that none of my friends can do. Harmonica is it. Your YouTube got my attn and inspiration to buy my sexy little East top. Thank you! I’ll be sticking around for sure!
Good Evening, Around 60 years ago I remember my daddy playing his “Harp” as he called it. I loved the choo choo train he did on it. My dad passed away in 1993. I still have his “Harp” I bought a new one but I want to play his harp one day like a BOSS. Thank you for the lessons. I look forward to getting them and learning to play like my dad. I am in my 70’s and I am excited about this. Dad would be so proud!!
Aw Brenda that’s so beautiful. You got this! 👊🏼 Way to honor your father’s legacy. Rock on! 😎
What are some good breathing exercises?
Number one best breathing exercise is to put your hand on your lower belly, and feel your belly expand as you breathe in slowly as deep as you can, and then feel your hand go in as you exhale ALL of the air out of your lungs. Deep, diaphragmatic is the foundation of it all.
How do I breathe into and exhale it, am hearing so many sounds
If I’m understanding you correctly, you are wanting to learn how to play single notes? You can find my lesson on it here.
I’m not too sure if this is the right page for this kind of question, but I’m having trouble bending the blow notes for 7-10. I can bend all notes 1-6 fine. Is there a different technique for bending the holes 7-10, or should I just keep experimenting with what I know already?
Hole 7 doesn’t bend, and holes 8-10 you can only bend blow notes, not draw notes. Same mouth principles of mouth position, just blowing instead of drawing.
Hope that helps!
Aloha,
Luke
What I meant is I feel I am at the most basic train I’d like to learn more I already dropped my pucker and am practicing more cover on my harps
Hey Dennis – sounds like you might be a perfect candidate for my Beginner to Boss course. I think you’d probably love it. I do cover quite a bit of train stuff in it.
You can check it out here.