My first harmonica(s): a journey from Diatonic to Chromatic
I often get asked: "Did you start on the chromatic or the diatonic harmonica, and what was your first model?"
I started on the diatonic back in 2001. It’s hard to believe that was almost 25 years ago! I was about 13 or 14 at the time. Here is a look at the instruments that shaped my journey as a teenage player.
The Early Diatonic Years
My start on the diatonic was a great foundation. The reason I played these specific models was mainly because that was what the local music store had—it was actually an accordion shop that had these harmonicas in stock.
Hohner Blues Harp (Key of C): This was my very first one, a 10-hole MS (Modular System) model. My grandmother gave it to me, and it was a nice start. Wooden comb and crisp nice sound.
Hohner Big River in G: This was the second harmonica I ever got.
Hohner Special 20 in A: My third acquisition.
Hohner Big River in A-flat: Added shortly after the others.
Hohner Golden Melodies: Later on, when I started to listen more to players like Howard Levy and other modern diatonic players, I bought and played lots of these. I remember a concert with Marc Breitfelder changed my life totally and then I bought a full set of Golden Melodies.
At age of 17 I won a Danish harmonica contest and was given a full setup of diatonic harmonicas. All major keys and also all minor keys - pretty rare to find that! The brand was Weltmeister, they focus mainly on accordions these days.
I also played Lee Oscar Harmonicas. I had them in the most common keys like, C, D, G and A.
Moving into the Chromatic
I started on the chromatic when I was 17. I had played diatonic for a few years, but I felt I wanted to move on and try to add more instruments to my sound and expression.
Vintage Hohner 10-hole: The first chromatic I got was a gift. It was a vintage model with very rounded corners, similar to the one Toots Thielemans has on his Man Bites Harmonica cover. It looked really beautiful, but it was in very bad shape—super leaky and out of tune—so it wasn't really playable.
Hering Velvet Voice, 12 hole instrument: I bought this in Trossingen, Germany at a masterclass. It was so good because it had cool cover shapes and the reed plates were screwed on rather than nailed. I'm not a good enough technician to work with nails; I need a screwdriver to take plates off, tune, and change valves.
Hering 5148: I remember buying this and other Hering models following the Velvet Voice. I later on became a Hering endorser and played their instrument for a few years.
Hohner Toots Thielemans Models: I eventually got both the Mellow Tone and the Hard Bopper. They differ a bit in reed size; the Mellow Tone has longer reeds while the Hard Bopper has short-slot reeds. But I never really liked them, I preferd the original 270s.
Hohner CX12 and 270: I also tried the CX12 and some 270 models in the keys of C, G and A. The Toots models and 270s sounded good but their mouthpiece was not so deep so lots of time my lip got caught in the harmonica slider. That never happened on the CX12.
The Suzuki Lineup: Since 2011, I have exclusively played Suzuki harmonicas, I am really happy to endorse their incredible instruments. However, I feel that I remain a student of the instrument. I still buy and test various brands—most recently some JDRs—because I’m fascinated by the manufacturing and development of the industry.
Adding Bass, Chord, and Rarities
I eventually expanded into even more specialized instruments to add to my studio sessions and performances.
Bass Harmonica: I started playing bass at 22 and have used both single and double-reed models on many professional recordings and live concerts.
Chord Harmonica: I’ve recorded with this a few times, though I have never really performed on it.
The Oddities: My collection also includes things like the Harmonetta and the Polyphonia. I have lots of inspiring harmonicas!
It’s been a long journey from that first Hohner Blues Harp in 2001. Whether you're on your first harmonica or your fiftieth, the most important thing is the music. Take care, and go play some harmonica!
This post was adapted from a recent vlog where I went through my harmonica journey in the early years. You can watch the full video below:
