Common Key Harmonica Sounds (C,G,A,Bflat,F,D) - Suzuki Bluesmaster Set & Improvisation

[@deluxe8515]

1:06 Key of C 1:27 Key of G 1:46 Key of B Flat 1:58 Key of A 2:22 Key of F 2:43 Key of D

[@DamianMcIntire]

Though I know this is quite old now, I still wanted to add a simple thank you for this comparison. I'm considering harmonica as a homebound hobby, and this video is quite useful for deciding which key to get a diatomic in.

[@patrickclark3337]

I know this video is older, but I just came upon it. I would like to thank you for doing a video like this as there are no other comparison videos that I could find. Very helpful and useful!!!!!!!

[@Riki96ifs]

Simon Ritchie ive thought the same

[@goldenteledy2002]

I'm soon going to be purchasing my first Suzuki Bluesmaster in Bb. I always liked the tone of them from the videos I watched. From my end, they have a sweet, mellow sound that sounds pleasing to the ear. I mainly play the original Hohner Golden Melody and ever since they've been discontinued by Hohner, I'm trying to find a replacement for my other harmonicas that aren't tuned in Equal Temperment. I think the Bluesmaster will be a good choice for me.

[@pheenix42]

thank you. Have had C and G harmonicas, but never any of the others.

[@SlwRpr]

Thanks for this. I am looking for my grandson. Thank you for explaining the different key sounds.

[@ukaszd7621]

Thank you so much. I like key G the most. I already have harmonica in C, but this is a little bit too high for me. Key A is nice too.

[@ytb917]

great demo. the sound differences among many of the keys is surprisingly vast.

[@cis4coffee]

Thanks for this! I have a Suzuki Maji in C and really wanted to try a Promaster... I'm getting A 😃

[@ed76297]

Can you tell me in which key is the harmonica used in the video: “Taratata Extra : Kaléo "Break My Baby" (2020)” please?

[@agriciobrazil2391]

Excellent! Good morning from Brasil! Thanks!

[@DmitryLenets]

Thank you so much for this video! You saved me a lot of time, very useful!!!!

[@robluv7847]

Thank you so much.for the time to explained it correctly.

[@p1nesap]

Am I correct in hearing that the F & D harps you're playing are higher than the C, and the G is the lowest? Thanks.

[@winstongang2115]

Thank you

[@andrewvargas7783]

Helpful. I like the sound of the G and the F too.

[@JohnnyHarpo]

Thank you for the comment Andrew. The Key of G harmonica is great for mellow blues or campfire tunes / folk. The Key of F is really high pitched, but certainly unique! Suzuki have also recently released some low-tuned Manji harmonicas if you're after something deep (like the G harp). :)

[@Pulaco.Dimantag]

@@JohnnyHarpo what's C good for?

[@easternwind51]

Thanks for making this video, now I finally know which one I like the most instead of buying the whole set.

[@jamieledonne6449]

Great video, thank you!

[@LexEllis]

Excellent video, I had the Bb Bluesmaster coming in the mail, so excited, they all sound so good!

[@auditpress.crypto]

they all sound so good i dont know which to get now!! thanks a lot!

[@mk5586]

Wow, very very good. 👍👍👍👍👍👍 Greats from Germany Manuel

[@EsseLucas]

Hi what song are you playing. Thanks

[@shakeandbaked1]

Thank you.

[@lebry19]

I like the sound of C and G more sharp for me!

[@gilleslaurin2165]

me i av Suzuki promaster mr350 in manji m20 i love it

[@bobu5213]

Tongueblock or lippurser?

[@kibzquiban8211]

Hi, what is the closest key to the key of c?

[@Rockbasscovers]

Hi! Thanks for this video. I was looking for sth like this since I just bought a second hand G harmonica (after playing a C one for a few months) and I would say the low notes sound too airy...but I am not sure if it's me or the harmonica since it does not happen to me on the C harmonica. Any recommendation? Thank you!

[@thanapolwaiyasak7781]

Good Job.

[@leilandniedo4718]

Sir, what do you think about the Suzuki Folkmaster?

[@ziggy6313]

Thank you sir I was looking for just this kind of info and delivered it mighty fine.

[@anshumanSingh-gp6kr]

hey john thanks for the vid. it helped. I play flute and now i m getting in the idea of harmonica solo so what do u recommend me for my first one. thanks

[@JohnnyHarpo]

Hey Anshuman, i'm glad the video has helped and thank you for the question. For blues music, i highly recommend a key of A harmonica (so you can play it in cross position in key of e). So many songs in this genre are in the key of e. In terms of harmonica solo'ing, all keys are great, it really depends on what set of tones ur after - whether you want a higher tone or lower one as demonstrated in the video. Over time, you'll realise you'll need all the common key harps depending on the song you're playing. Hope this helps

[@anshumanSingh-gp6kr]

+JohnohMusic thank i am looking forward to blues and some what rock so should i go for key of A but i love how harmonica set in key of c sounds. what should i go for? and thanks for answering so fast never expected that .

[@JohnnyHarpo]

Choose the key that inspires you to play :) I started out on the key of C harmonica, but the moment i played a key of A harp, i absolutely loved the tone which motivated me to play even more haha. There are so many backing tracks here on KZbin that regardless of which harmonica you choose, you'll find something great to practise on!

[@anshumanSingh-gp6kr]

+JohnohMusic hey i have made my mind gonna get key of c

[@JohnnyHarpo]

Happy you've found the key you want to play, Anshuman :) i believe you asked me which blues songs are for a key of c harmonica? (sorry for the late response, been really busy) Howlin Wolf's How many more years uses that harmonica (in cross position, so played in the key of G). It's the song that got me into blues harp. Regarding other songs, im not too sure because i mainly improvise and use whichever harp suits the tune. The key of A harp has been by far used the most for me. Hope this all helps and have fun :)

[@freedos7310]

Hye ..I like this Video..And I have a Question ..Does The Harmonica Key C .. Hole 1,2,3 Really Sounded Like It's Been Over blown or something..Because I just Bought a new Harmonica C but the sound of key hole 1,2,3 is a little Odd..Please Reply My Question..

[@JohnnyHarpo]

Hey Jonathan, thanks for the question. Firstly, glad to hear you picked up a harmonica. Send me the details of the brand/make of your harp? I've yet to experience a a brand new harmonica have this issue. Depending on the quality of the harmonica, it may need some gapping to fix undesirable intonations.

[@freedos7310]

owh thanks for replying my comment ..The Brand is Swan Harmonica Bronze Harmonica 10 holes Key c ..The First hole and the second hole and also the third hole sound a little over blown or maybe it should sound like that ..i used to play a key A harmonica ..

[@JohnnyHarpo]

Unfortunately, Swan harmonicas are cheap chinese-made instruments which do not hold up in quality. Learning on one of these would be incredibly difficult, making techniques harder than they should be. Their intonation, as you mentioned, sounds odd. I highly recommend purchasing a better quality harmonica (which does not need to be expensive). Not only will they sound incredible and in-tune, but will motivate you in learning blues harp. The Suzuki Bluesmaster harmonicas are fantastic harps at their price - warm, mellow and full. Marine Bands were the industry standard and have the signature reedy timbre. Then you have the Suzuki Manji which has a thick, full and raspy tone. I'm a huge advocate of Suzuki harmonicas, all their products sound great.

[@freedos7310]

JohnohMusic Thanks Man ..and i will buy one next month ..because the sound of harmonica and you're music keeps me inspired ..and i will keep on playing ..thanks man ..

[@rodi2641]

1:58 A

[@bobsyeruncle4841]

Top man

[@patrickclark3337]

I also wanted to include a question regarding most popular key as you stated was A, which I agree. David Barrett from Bluesmaster.com, and works with Hohner said that the Bb harp is the most popular key for players to use when doing solo harmonica work i. e without a band. What's your take on that?

[@JohnnyHarpo]

Hey +Patrick Clark, thank you for the comment/queries. The Bb harp could very well be highly used in solo harmonica work, however it's ultimately up to the musician and their material. I've heard low-tuned harps used for looping [Check out "Son of Dave"- particularly "Shake a Bone"] and C harmonicas commonly utilised for acoustic pieces. When i solo busk, i predominantly use lower sounding harmonicas (A, Bb and G) because i prefer their tonal qualities, although i do cycle through all of my keys to stimulate interest for the audience. Glad you found the video useful too btw :)

[@patrickclark3337]

JohnohMusic​​ Thanks for the reply. I totally agree with using the G, Bb, and A for playing, especially blues. It just sounds so much more soulful and deep. I'll check out the video you recommended too. I've watched your videos before and you're very knowledgeable and easy to absorb in terms of content, not to mention a great harp player. Thanks again. If I have any further questions, would it be acceptable to ask/contact you this way? Thanks again! 

[@JohnnyHarpo]

Thank you very much for the praise! I'm always happy to hear my videos have helped fellow harmonica players, since KZbin was where i began learning harp too. If you have any further questions or just want an opinion, feel free to contact me :) All the best

[@JohnnyHarpo]

Hey +Patrick Clark, I have found that in general, higher end reeds stick rather often, regardless of brand. Manji's are less prone to the issue because of stronger reeds in my opinion. Gapping has been my only resolve to the issue too haha. Manji's are my main harp, however i used a mix of various harps on stage :) Hope you enjoy yours when it arrives!

[@JohnnyHarpo]

Hey Patrick, things are incredibly busy on my end with uni, can't wait to do more music related things upon finishing the semester. The Key of G harmonica is one of the stronger sounding harmonicas, and should play easily with good volume and airtightness (in comparison to higher tuned harps). Hmm, may i ask where you purchased your manjis? In general, quality control for these harps are great! i've never received one with a leaky/muddled tone so that's bizarre. Has happened for my Lee Oskars and Marine Bands tho (which sound fine after gapping). For some harps, particularly the Special 20, playing hard just blows out the reeds way too easily. That should not be the case with manjis, since i play them hard all the time. Depending on where you purchased your manjis, you should be entitled a refund/replacement from manufacturers defect. Sorry to hear ur current Manji isn't performing the way it should! Keep me updated mate :)

[@lanaanderson4039]

How much were all of the harmonicas in that one set?

[@JohnnyHarpo]

Hey Lana Anderson, thank you for the comment. I believe i purchased my set for around $200 AUD. They're definitely great harmonicas and well worth the price :)

[@jamesbaxter2370]

awesome thank you!

[@delbrowser8811]

hello john i want to ask u about suzuki harpmaster and bluesmaster. i want to buy 2 harmonica in key of G and D which harmonica i should buy? thx before. AP

[@JohnnyHarpo]

Hey AP, thank you for the question. The Harpmaster has a raspier tone whilst the Bluesmaster has a warmer tone. Key of G sounds low pitched, therefore it can sound quite nice as a Bluesmaster; however since Harpmasters are raspier and have better projection, it would sound better in the mix if playing with other musicians. Key of D sounds relatively high pitched, so as a Bluesmaster it wouldn't sound as piercing as it would a Harpmaster. Suzuki make great harmonicas, so no doubt they'll sound good regardless of which model/key you choose. Hope this helps.

[@delbrowser8811]

thx for ur help john, i appreciate.

[@GargamelThinks]

I could not twll the difference. Im screwed

[@yuridanylko]

GargamelThinks How? xD

[@richdavis4007]

Super video. Just what I was looking for! Like and sub ya. Rich

[@MrSkybreak]

Helpful, thank you! : )

[@Artur-wj5yn]

G is Cool

[@abdoahmed8940]

I like C key

[@howdafkshdino8902]

I paid 30 canadian for a Suzuki bluesmaster key of A.Suzuki will never get another dollar outa me.

[@zacgroszman3509]

howdafk shdino what was wrong with it