The Biggest Beginner Harmonica Player Mistake
And How to Avoid It
Learning the harmonica is no easy task. Many of us first approach it with curiosity and a touch of arrogance. At first, it seems straightforward, but as time goes on, its complexity unfolds. This illusion of simplicity can mislead beginners into underestimating the dedication required. Discovering concepts like positions, bending, and tongue blocking can shatter their confidence. This realization often leads many would-be harmonica players to abandon their journey prematurely.
As a teacher, I see many beginner students and, perhaps more importantly, many beginner tendencies. Most of us begin on the harmonica with enthusiasm but no structure or path to follow. In recent years, finding online curricula for harmonica from Dave Barret, Yvonnick Prene, Ronnie Shellist, Adam Gussow, Jason Ricci, Filip Jers, and many more has become much easier. Yet despite all these wonderful resources, there is still one innocent mistake made by the beginner harmonica players.
What is the biggest mistake?
Not Blocking Out Practice Time.
Aristotle correctly said, “We are what we consistently do.”
To improve at harmonica, you must consistently make the time to sharpen your craft. Time is your most valuable commodity; that’s why everyone is trying to steal it. It’s unbelievably easy to let weeks go by, and your harmonica has sat entombed and dusty in your desk drawer. The only antidote to this negligence is prior planning and proper practice.
This does not mean blocking out two hours a day, but it does mean at least 30 minutes a day. I've attached a great video from Jessie Itzler. In it, he discusses something called the “Rule of 100”. 100 hours out of a calendar year results in 18 minutes a day. Spending 18 minutes daily on good, quality practice every day of the year is much better than two hours on one day and nothing for two months.
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Remember, consistency is key for a beginner. Stick to a routine, and you will build a strong sense of achievement and determination. Every Sunday, I plan my practice sessions for the week ahead. Some are short, some are longer, but all are scheduled. Knowing when and what to practice removes the guesswork. If I miss a session, that's okay. Consistency is everything.
What do you practice?
You practice foundational habits.
Beginners on harmonica make the common mistake of wanting to jump ahead too quickly; to run before they can walk. I’ll admit, I was one of those players too.
Having solid fundamentals is crucial to long-term success. Fundamentals take a long time to develop, and often the work is tedious and frustrating. This means spending a lot of time on correct embouchure, tone, posture, and technique. If I were a beginner again, I would spend the most amount of time on the following practices:
-Intonation of bends against a piano
-Learning tongue blocking right from the start
-Practicing standing up
-Rhythmic chugging
-knowing the layout of the instrument (where all the bends are and how they correspond to the notes at the top of the harmonica
Of course, there are other practices that are of great importance like curating a solid harmonica soundtrack, seeking out good teachers, and making sure you are playing out as frequently as you can (as this is a timeless practice).
The more care and attention you put into each practice session, the more consistent you are, often time you will become a better player in a shorter amount of time. Are you going to be excited to go into every practice session? Probably not. But by scheduling it out, you have, by writing it down, deemed it as something important to you. Don’t waste your own time.
In a fast-moving world, we miss out on many things. There is a perpetual state of FOMO that has only gotten worse in the last twenty years. One of my great friends said to me, “You can have everything you want in this life…just not at the same time.” I think this is a marvelous philosophy to learn harmonica. Each practice session, no matter how small, must have two goals:
Whatever your objective is for that session (technique, intonation, etc.)
Getting you to your next practice session.
Practice sessions are vital to improvement in any instrument. With harmonica, the conventional wisdom of just being able to put it in your mouth and make music is both a gift and a curse. It can lead beginners to think that practicing is silly if all you need to do is blow and draw.
Don’t be that type of beginner. Designate some of your sacred time to this wonderful instrument. The more you practice, the harder it becomes to put it down.
It becomes fun.