The harmonica is a small, versatile instrument that most people in the world play almost any kind of music. While at first glance it may seem difficult to learn how to play the harmonica, in fact playing the harmonica is easy and fun. Read the steps below to learn how to play the harmonica.

Steps

Getting started

Choose a harmonium. There are many different types of harmonies available for purchase, which vary in purpose and price. Today, you can buy diatonic or chromatic harmonics. Any kind of music can be used to play the most popular music like blues or folk.

Learn about the harmonica. The Harmonica is a reed musical instrument that uses brass reeds. The tabs are used to create tone as you blow or blow air out through the holes. The tongues are mounted on a plate called a tongue plate, which is usually made of brass. The part of the harmonic in which the reed plate is installed is called the ridge; as a rule, it is made of plastic or metal. The harmonic mouthpiece can be built into the comb, or as in chromatic harmonics, screwed on separately. Protective panels for the rest of the instrument can be made of wood, metal or plastic.

The chromatic harmonic guide is also made of metal.
Depending on whether you breathe in or out into the harmonica, different notes are produced by the reeds. A regular diatonic harp is tuned to C (C major) as you exhale, and G (G major) as you inhale. They complement each other beautifully and there is no need to add additional holes.
The reeds inside the harmonica are thin and wear out over time. Easy play and regular maintenance will allow good sound for as long as possible.

Learn to read the harmonica tablature. Like guitars, the harmonica can be played from the tablature, which simplifies the notes on a sheet of music into an easily observable patterned system of holes and breaths. The tablature is also suitable for large chromatic harmonics, but it is somewhat different from the diatonic tablature and is usually used less often.

Breathing is marked with arrows. An up arrow indicates exhalation; down arrow - inhale.
- Most holes on a diatonic harmonic produce two “adjacent” notes at a given scale, thus playing C and then D in the same scale, this is done by blowing into the corresponding hole and then drawing air from the same hole.
The holes are marked with numbers from the lowest (left) note to the highest. So the bottom two notes are (up) 1 and (down) 1. At a 10-hole harmonic, the highest note will be (down) 10.
- Some notes of the normal 10-hole harmonic overlap, especially (down) 2 and (up) 3. This is necessary to ensure the correct playing range.
More advanced methods are indicated with forward slashes or other small mark. Diagonal slash arrows indicate that note curvature (discussed later) is required to get the correct sound. Chevrons or forward slashes on chromatic tablature indicate whether to hold the button or not.
- There is no standardized tablature system that is used by all accordion players. However, once you practice and master reading one type, most of the other types are easy to master.

Basic Harmonica Playing Technique

Play notes as you exhale. The very first thing to do is practice your new instrument by playing the notes. Select a hole or multiple holes on the mouthpiece and blow gently into them. Adjacent holes are usually designed to automatically harmonize the melody with each other, so try to produce a pleasant sound by blowing three holes at the same time. Practice blowing through one hole, then playing chords through multiple holes.

This type of playing is called "direct harmonica" or "first position".
As you might have guessed, the number of holes you blow through is partially controlled by your lips. Eventually, you will learn how to use the front of your tongue to block holes (this is necessary to maintain control over the notes you play). We will talk about this below.

Take a deep breath to change the notes. Keeping in mind that the air must be inhaled gently through the reeds, inhale, increasing the notes one step. By inhaling and exhaling through the mouthpiece, you can access all harmonica-tuned notes.

This kind of playing is called "cross-harmonic" or "second position". Cross-harmonic notes are often suitable for blues riffs.
If you have a chromatic harmonica, practice pressing and holding the button for additional control over the notes you play.

Try to play the whole range. On a diatonic harmonic tuned to C, the C scale starts at (to) 4 and rises to (to) 7. The standard from / to pattern is repeated except for the 7th hole, where it switches (inhale and then exits). This scale is the only full scale on the C-tuned harmonic, but it is sometimes possible to play songs on other bands, provided they do not require missing notes in the range.

Practice. Keep practicing playing the range and individual notes until you feel comfortable playing only one note at a time. Once you can achieve the desired control over the instrument, choose simple songs and practice on them. Tabs for songs such as "Mary Had a Lamb" and "Oh Suzanne" are easy to find on the internet.

Try to add flavor by playing several notes at the same time. The next step in your practice is to loosen the control a bit and add two-note and three-note chords to the songs that you practice by playing two or three adjacent holes at once. This will help you control your mouth and breathing more and play the songs more resonantly.
- Don't play everything in chords! Try adding a chord at the end of a verse or phrase. The important thing is to learn how to switch between single notes and multiple notes.

Advanced techniques

Pay for lessons. From now on, if you start practicing under the guidance of an experienced player, you will see quick and technically sound results, although you can, of course, continue to learn on your own. Harmonica lessons vary in price and frequency; feel free to try a few lessons from one teacher and then move on to another if the first one doesn't suit you.

Even if you are taking lessons, continue to rely on guides and books to improve your game. There is no reason to ditch other materials just because you supplement them with professional pursuits.

Skip the holes. It's easy to get used to the pattern by constantly forcing air in and out through the harmonica, but once you start playing more advanced songs it is necessary to practice some holes in order to reach others. Play songs on notes that require you to jump over a hole or two, such as the American traditional Shenandoah melody, in which you jump from 4th to 6th hole, near the end of the second phrase (on a standard C diatonic).

Play with both cupped hands. To begin with, you probably held the harmonica with your index and thumb of your left (or non-dominant) hand and moved it as you played. Add your right (or dominant) hand to the game. Rest the heel of the right palm and the thumb of the left hand, and then place the edge of the right palm together with the left so that your fingers close around the left pinky. This will create a “sounding hole” that you can use to influence the sound emanating from the harmonic.

Add a soft melody or yell by slapping the sounding hole, opening it and closing it. Use this technique at the end of a verse to add emotion or just to practice.
Create a locomotive horn effect by starting with an open sounding hole, then closing it and opening it again.
Play a muffled, quiet sound, leaving the sounding hole almost closed.
You will likely find that this position forces you to hold the harmonic at an angle in which its left edge is directed downward and inward. This position is actually perfect for other techniques, so take advantage of it.

The basic technique for changing notes is to make the lip opening very, very small and to dramatically draw air through the lips into the opening to be repositioned. Stretch out the cross-harmonic notes and gradually purse your lips until you hear a change in tone. By tightening your lips more or less, you can further control the tone of the note.
Be very careful when practicing changing notes. Because the air crosses the tabs so abruptly that it can easily loosen or bend them, destroying the instrument. Finding a balance between not changing a note and changing it too much takes patience and caution.

When people start playing the harmonica, it doesn't sound very good at first - most take time to learn how to make good sounds. Practice every day and don't give up.
As the notes change, breathe in / out very deeply. Changing the notes on a harmonica requires solid preparation and strong lungs.

This master class is simply irreplaceable for all those who want to learn how to play the accordion.

A musical instrument that has a very pleasant sound and great possibilities has always been popular. Learning to play the accordion yourself is possible and not at all difficult! And for those who sings beautifully, study is simply a must! Songs with their own accompaniment will become the hallmark of the singer, who will be invited to many evenings and events.

Video lesson "Accordion Lessons"

Part 1. Combat options

Part 2. Chords on the right

Part 3. "Snakes" from chords

Part 4. Chords of four buttons

Since ancient times, the Russian folk instrument has been an attribute of holidays, fun, and warm, friendly evenings. The exact history of the accordion is unknown. No one can say for sure where and by whom it was invented. However, it is widely believed that the accordion comes from Germany and was born in the early 19th century. There is also an opinion that the accordion first appeared in Russia, namely in St. Petersburg, in the 18th century. An interesting fact is that during the Great Patriotic War, accordions were also sent en masse to the front, among ammunition and provisions, to maintain the morale of the population. It was at this time that the accordion gained its wide popularity in Russia, becoming a favorite musical instrument of many people. At this time, many author's songs appeared, which were performed specifically to the accordion.

First, you should familiarize yourself with the structure of this instrument. It is small in size, compact and easy to transport. The harmony consists of a right and left half-case, each of which contains keys or a keyboard with buttons. The musician needs to play with both hands, simultaneously squeezing or unclenching the accordion and pressing the keys or buttons. The main melody is played on the right keyboard, and the left is for accompaniment. The design between the keyboards is called a fur chamber. It is designed to pump air to the sound bars of the accordion.
It is useful to know that accordions can have a certain key (major or minor).
There are two types of Russian accordions, depending on the type of sound extraction: there are accordions on which, when the bellows are stretched and compressed, the button gives the same sound. In other accordions, the pitch can change depending on the position and movement of the bellows.
For the successful mastery of playing the accordion, it is necessary to intensively develop an ear for music and a sense of rhythm. A musician is simply obliged to hear and feel the music he plays.
It is better to start learning to play the accordion from the very basics: the position of the accordion player during the game. Until now, there is no consensus on this matter. Many tutorials suggest using the same posture as accordion players. However, most professional musicians believe that you should not mix up the accordion and button accordion techniques. The main thing is that the position would be comfortable for the accordion player himself. The most common pose looks like this: the accordion is placed with fur on the left thigh, the neck of the right half-body rests on the thigh of the right leg, and the left hand stretches the fur. At the same time, the instrument is either firmly pressed against the body, or pushed forward slightly.
In the accordion, special shoulder straps are provided, which are used to give the harmony reliability and stability. During seated play, one shoulder strap is sufficient. If the musician puts on both, they must be carefully adjusted so that the accordion does not hang, but rests on the thigh.
It is worth paying great attention to the position of the hands. The video shows in detail how to hold hands while playing the accordion.

These tips, combined with a training video that clearly and in detail shows the basic principles of playing the accordion, will help beginners master the game on this beautiful musical instrument. You should not study only from lessons or books, an important part of the lesson is improvisation, your own musical searches and experiments. Good luck!

The 21st century is in the yard, and the vociferous accordion, like many years ago, pleases us with its iridescent, perky tunes. And the lingering melody performed on the accordion will not leave indifferent any listener. Independent learning to play the harmonica is available to everyone who loves its sound and really wants to play music on this instrument.

For amateurs, several methods of mastering the accordion have been fixed. And therefore, the first thing that needs to be decided at the initial stage of training is what methodology to adhere to.

The first way is learning "by hand"

The first method of learning to play the harmonica is actually built on watching the video lessons of experienced masters, observing their play from the side, and relying on your ear for music. It consists in the fact that, bypassing the stage of studying musical notation, start playing the instrument immediately. This option is suitable for lovers of folk music who have never studied professionally, but are naturally endowed with good musical data.

In this case, by the way, by the way, there will be recordings of authoritative performers in video format, their training video materials. In addition, audio songs and tunes are useful for selecting tunes by ear. And you can master playing the instrument from the notes later, when many technical issues have already been resolved.

Watch the video tutorial by Pavel Ukhanov:

The second way is traditional

The second way of teaching is the most fundamental and traditional, but also more interesting and more effective. And here, of course, you cannot do without self-instruction manuals and musical collections for beginner accordionists and accordion players. At the beginning of this journey, you will get acquainted with the stave and its inhabitants, as well as with the rhythm and durations. It turns out to be much easier to master the musical literacy in practice than many imagine. Most importantly, do not despair!

If you are not familiar with sheet music, self-study guides from such authors as Londonov, Bazhilin, Tyshkevich will come to your aid. In addition, from our site you can get an excellent gift (given to everyone)!

Both of the above options for learning to play the harmonica, with regular and meaningful practice, will give a good result. The speed of training, of course, depends on your ability, the amount and quality of training. Well, if you use both methods, having planned their harmonious combination in advance, the result will not be long in coming.

The rules of the beginner accordion player

Consistency in classes is the most important rule of any musician. Even if you devote only 10-15 minutes a day to mastering the harmonica, then distribute these small lessons of playing evenly throughout the week. It is better if classes are held every day.
Try to master the entire learning technology slowly, but correctly from the very beginning, without postponing the observance of the rules until later ("later" may not come due to the fact that something stops coming out). If you are not sure about anything, look for the answer to your question in books, the Internet, or from a musician you know. Otherwise, act independently and boldly!
The first exercise that you need to learn on the instrument is the scale in C major, even if you master the game by ear, and not by notes, you must train on the scales. Vary them by playing the scale up and down with different strokes (abrupt and coherent). Playing scales will enhance your technique: speed of execution, coherence, control of the fur, etc.
During execution, lead the fur smoothly, do not jerk, do not stretch to the end, leaving a margin.
When practicing a scale or melody on the right keyboard, use all your fingers at once, choosing the convenient options, and not one or two, since you simply cannot play at a fast pace with one finger.
Since you master the accordion without a mentor, it will be good to watch your performance in the recording in order to see the playing from the outside and correct mistakes.
Hear many harmonica songs and tunes. This will give expressiveness to your playing, will help you to correctly build musical phrases.

Well, that's probably all for a start. Go for it! Inspire yourself by listening to popular artists and perky tunes! Work daily, and the results of your labors will be songs that will undoubtedly please your family and friends, gathered at the family table!

Playing Harmony without notes by ear

The article describes how to learn to play the Harmony without notes by ear Using a tutorial Bayan without notes authors D. G. Parnes E. S. Oskina

The self-instruction book was published in 1998 year and is intended for people with ear for music... Which sometimes can take a button accordion or accordion and choose the melody they like. Or sing to your own accompaniment with friends familiar song.

In electronic form, the book can download on the Internet PDF 20 Mb
https://vk.com/topic-47215445_28941345?offset=20

The methods and approaches outlined in the self-study guide suitable for Harmony... You only need mark up the right and left keyboards harmonize so as to play the melodies of the tutorial.

The basis of learning is playing, singing and accompaniment of popular songs and melodies. There are more than 500 songs in the tutorial... Produced hearing-motor skills... The accompaniment of songs is remembered. Melody schemes are caught basics of musical harmony... You can play and sing all the songs of the tutorial not once, but several times. Back to favorites... Clarify learned techniques.

In the tutorial notes denoting sounds, replaced by numbers.
Instead of 7 notes do re mi fa sol la si
Given 7 digits 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
It's simple. Sound 3 above sound 1, a sound 2 below sound 6
You learn from the book an old forgotten craft - playing by ear.

The authors are candidates of science and art history and are well aware of musical notation. This method of teaching without notes is approved by the Conservatory. P.I. Tchaikovsky, School named after Gnesins, for many years taught at the School. Ippolitova-Ivanova.

Playing shouldn't be looking at the keyboard... Only by hearing and by touch. Imagine that transparent accordion... At first, you can sometimes pry on playing in the mirror... You won't need to look after a few sessions.

Sounds of the right keyboard Harmony (auditory technique)

The ranks 1 - 2 Sharps
Rows 2 - 5 low(the most bass) seven sounds.
Rows 5 - 8 middle seven sounds.
Rows 9 - 12 high(the squeakiest) seven sounds.

In the book by Parnes Oskin in the examples of songs, small numbers under the syllables are given exactly sounds of sevens... The sound numbers of low, medium and high sevens are the same. This tips for playing by ear... You can't go wrong with a seven-tone melody. Although according to the laws of musical harmony seven higher or lower is correct.

To navigate the keyboard well blindly and by ear Gotta play scales
Can be in the middle of the keyboard Can be from top to bottom Can be back and forth

Major scale
starting from 1 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1

Minor scale
starting from 6 - 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 (sounds for a rise, the last one is seven higher)

Sounds of the left accordion keyboard (auditory technique)

First row from furs - Bass... From top to bottom 8 keys (6, 7, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) At the very top 9th 4 #

Second couple row Chord - Below its bass... 4 chords From top to bottom 7s - 7, 3s - 3, 6m - 6, 2m - 2

Third couple row Chord - Below its ba With. 4 chords From top to bottom 2b - 2, 5b - 5 1b - 1, 4b - 4.

Ready accompaniment chord melodies. Is being done special rods of the left mechanics accordion. One key chord - right away 3 sounds.

Bass sound - Number without letter - (For example 2 )
Minor chord - Number with letter m(For instance 2m)
Major chord - Number with letter b(For instance 2b)
Sept chord - Number with letter With(For instance 3c)

Who before the accordion training played guitar... Easily play chords... Play the bass along with its chord. In second row those same cherished 3 chords - 3s, 6m, 2m (In letters E7, Am, Dm)
Letters replaced by numbers for beginners... It's easier for them that way. Anyone would guess that the sound 6 above sound 3... But not everyone would guess that the A sound is higher than the E sound.

Melody and accompaniment reading options

The same song Three tankmen

Option 1
Completereading from notes
This is music reading for professionals. The part (melody) of the right hand is given on the stave with treble clef... The left-hand part (bass and chords) is given on the second stave with bass clef... You can play the bass and chord accompaniment in elective or finished line tool.

Option 2
Abbreviated (pop)reading accompaniment
The part (melody) of the right hand is given on the stave with treble clef... The left-hand part (bass and chords) is abbreviated. (letter) designation.

Option 3 Conditionalreading in numbers and letters

Right-hand part (melody) given In numbers under the syllables of the words of the song. The numbers for higher or lower octave sounds are the same. The bass and chords of the accompaniment are given Numbers with letters under the syllables of the words of the song. Numbers and letters are not a game program. But just a hint... If the melody has picked up. You don't need to look at numbers and letters.

Option 4 Conditionalreading in numbers 50 accordion keys

THREE TANKISTS

Right hand verse:
3-15-4-4-16-15-
17-16-4-4
17-6-18-17-6-6-17-2-17

Right hand chorus:
18-17-5-4-17-17-5-17-16-15
3-15-4-4-6-6-17-2-17 - repeat 2 times.

Left hand verse:
In the verse, we beat off the left hand like a march.
----
-----
-----

Left hand chorus:
We play the chorus without end.
-----
----
-----

Reading 25 digits of the left and 25 more digits of the right accordion keyboard reminds mechanical game of the barrel organ.

Option 1- Play on notes Melody and accompaniment on notes. Exactly this complete and rich sound.
Option 2- Playing by notes and letters. Melody on notes, accompaniment conditionally letters
Option 3- Playing by ear. Melody in 7 octaves, bass accompaniment in 7 octaves, chords in 3 letters
Option 4- Game by numbers. Melody and accompaniment on 50-digit accordion keys

If in childhood you graduated from music school, and you know musical notation. More suitable for you Option 1 or Option 2

However, due to employment, an adult cannot afford 5 years, 2 hours a day engage in children's music school... Unfortunately, he has no time to master musical notation. A the song begs to sing it. Therefore, for an amateur, they are suitable Option 3 and Option 4.

Beginners accordionists prefer Option 4. You can immediately without listening play by numbers and learn the song. You only need to memorize 25 keys of the right keyboard and 25 more keys of the left keyboard. What are the only tricks not undertaken for memorizing numbers 50 keys... Up to painting the keys with multi-colored nail polishes.

And how will digitalists memorize more than 200 keys on the button accordion or accordion? So who desires music without notes choose Harmony... because fewer keys.

Meanwhile playing by ear is easier than in numbers. And is suitable for button accordion and accordion. And the most important thing. No need to relearn on accordion from digicam to music notary. You can go straight to sheet music.

From the picture Option 3 Play by ear Three tankmen can be determined. Key La Minor(6m) Pivot note for solo accent (On gra - NO- tse) Syllable NO this is a note Mi (3)

But since this playing by ear without notes... So as not to load the player with anything other than music, there are no notes in the picture (A minor and E) There is only bass 6, chord m and reference sound 3 During the training, the authors determined that the designation of notes by numbers is perceived better than lettering

The blind auditory method is correct. And we must strive for it. However, for beginners, it can be difficult.

Put a novice accordion player at an unlabeled keyboard with twenty-five white keys in two rows. It's like throwing a man out of a boat in the middle of a river, hoping that he doesn't drown, but learns to swim.

Therefore, in the first 1 - 3 months of training you can mark the right keyboard. As you learn it is better to remove the markup... Not to be dependent on markup. And play freely on any unlabeled instrument e
It is important to follow the principles when marking.

Select all means select nothing
Mark by the sounds of the octave
No colors, just black and white markings

Example of markup.
Black keys.

Sharps
Octave sounds Salt La Si

Good luck in mastering a musical instrument.

Ivan Kopytin's blog Bayan Accordion Harmony

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Accordion playing for beginners

Starting to learn new skills is a little scary. Especially when it comes to musical instruments. Moreover, when you need to learn how to play the "accordion", as this instrument is affectionately called, starting from a complete zero. It seems that this is no longer possible for an adult, because you need to coordinate not one, but two hands at once.

But for the students of the school "Virtuosos" there is almost nothing impossible in learning the harmonica, even for beginners. Experienced teachers will teach you how to play your favorite tunes beautifully from simple to difficult. And in six months you will perform with a number at our reporting concert, even if you have never held an instrument in your hands before!

How is learning to play the accordion for beginners at the Virtuosi school?

People of different ages and professions, of various backgrounds, both from scratch and with minimal experience, come to learn to play the accordion at the Virtuosi school.

Accordion lessons for beginners are one of the most fun music learning experiences.

We offer various series of accordion lessons - for beginners or advanced. Not sure what you'll like? Then you can start with a short course of 4 lessons.

How to play the harmonica? Information for beginners:

Sign up for a trial lesson to choose the appropriate accordion training course, meet the teacher and decide on your first musical number. It's completely free!

Individual courses

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