How to improve your Tone on the Harmonica

A good tone is vital part of playing the harmonica. Here I demonstrate a great exercise that will help beginners, intermediate and advanced harmonica players develop their tone by working on producing variations without using the hands.
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Thank you for watching my KZbin Channel. My name is Lee Sankey and here I post videos of my music, provide tips, tutorials and courses for playing blues harmonica. My content is mainly aimed at intermediate and advanced players. I hope you find my channel fun, informative and useful.

[@leesankeygroup]

Hi Daniel, thanks for this feedback. Hearing that the advice in the video worked for you straightway is just great. Lee

[@kayaks41]

The feather/window analogy is an excellent way to teach the concept, recently I was asked to talk to a group of non musicians about harmonica playing and wish I had this analogy to describe what I was doing to get a bigger sound.

[@DanielMcKernan117]

The analogy of blowing a feather versus steaming up a window was excellent and the practice of going from thin to full was actually working for me the first time I tried it. Thank you so much for sharing these tips.

[@robertburwell6990]

im just a beginner of 6 months on the harp, but i totally understand what your explaining here, thank You Very much for this lesson Lee ....

[@leesankeygroup]

Cool, thanks for your positive feedback. Good to know this style works for you. Lee

[@PhilStef56]

The sound is full and very beautiful. Thank you for the excellent lesson and exercise.

[@leesankeygroup]

@MTness777 Wonderful feedback, thanks very much. Providing concepts and frameworks that people can use in their own way is definitely something I'm trying to do. My next video will be about improvisation. Should be up next week. Lee

[@leesankeygroup]

@DesertRatDan Hi Daniel, thanks for this feedback. Hearing that the advice in the video worked for you straightway is just great. Lee

[@OneHarp]

Great way of explaining it! I've not heard it explained quite that way before, and it really makes sense. Especially the part about "swallowing the note"! Thanks for putting this out there!

[@leesankeygroup]

Thanks for getting in touch and for your interest. Always nice to hear people like you are able to practically apply my information into their own playing. Apologies but I don't understand your question, can you rephrase?

[@leesankeygroup]

@nomoboy High praise indeed, that's great to hear. Lee

[@leesankeygroup]

Cheers Phil, for me tone is everything on the harmonica. Lee

[@leesankeygroup]

@marticeltractor Wonderful feedback, thanks for watching and hello from London! Lee

[@Monovlogue]

Heya Lee, It's been great watching your videos! I've been playing for a few months now, I had a couple of lessons when I was living in Devon from a great blues musician, but since moving to London I haven't been able to have any lessons, you've been a massive help with filling that gap! Amazing stuff, thanks a lot. Tristan

[@martinlee8057]

Great lesson thank you

[@RasTuft]

Great to meet you yesterday Lee, and thanks again for the workshop and the inspiring performance. I'll be focusing on scales and tone :)

[@leesankeygroup]

Hello Ras, this year's was a vintage Harpin By The Sea. Glad I was able to give you some meaningful pointers.

[@yourbrokenangler1791]

Thanks sir, I'll practice what you have said. Simple but informative😊

[@leesankeygroup]

Let me know how you get on....

[@simonlukic951]

A wonderful lesson, clearly explained. So good. Thank you. Have subscribed.

[@leesankeygroup]

@Drutelman Cheers for watching and seasons greetings from London. Lee

[@nvwoos]

Thanks Lee!

[@leesankeygroup]

Hi thanks for the feedback and enquiry. Unfortunately I don't offer Skype lessons. However many top players do. You could try Dennis Gruenling or Jason Ricci. Cheers and good luck, Lee

[@RasTuft]

Thanks Lee, this has been very useful indeed. I feel like I can take my playing up to the next level with this exercise. Much appreciated.

[@leesankeygroup]

Marvellous, thanks for letting me know this lesson helped you. Post your own version some time.

[@Monovlogue]

Absolutely!

[@marybethhempel9101]

Great information Lee! Thank you!

[@FlyPerL]

Great lesson! Thank you.

[@bobbymcdee7881]

Really good lesson, Thanks!

[@Ledvolta]

I'll try it. cheers

[@roywilkinson9879]

Thanks Lee, great video.

[@leesankeygroup]

Glad this improved your tone.

[@leesankeygroup]

@isaacullah great feedback and glad it connected with you. Lee

[@leesankeygroup]

@kayaks41 Thanks for posting a comment. Yes, that analogy seems to connect with people and helps people instant recognise and relate to the kind of air that gives a bigger tone. Lee

[@andydunn5673]

Great lesson Thanks for sharing your knowledge on this Cheers

[@leesankeygroup]

If you enjoyed this consider trying one of my detailed courses on Vimeo. Cheers, Lee

[@leesankeygroup]

@tenbarsteam Hi Andy, thanks for the suggestion. I can certainly do something on this topic. Although I think it's probably been covered already by other people on KZbin. Tongue blocked bends can seem impossible when you first try them but they're a brilliant asset to have if you can learn them. Give me a sometime and I'll post something, best regards Lee

[@leesankeygroup]

@droverboy1 Totally agree. However, it takes a long, long time to develop a good tone. There's no short cuts but the advice in this video will help. Tongue blocking also helps to create a bigger sound. Lee

[@tenbarsteam]

Hi Lee I don't know if you've alrady done it but how about posting a video on tongue blocking. I've been a lip purser for many years and have no trouble hitting and bending notes but now I'm trying to work on my tongue blocking. Now I'm struggling with tongue block bends. Can you offer any advice? all the best Andy

[@blueshaker1000]

Good choice of lesson. Thanks I found this very insightful, useful and inspiring. Must check your live performances if available. Cheers

[@leesankeygroup]

+blindharper scamp Hi there, I have around 100 videos on my channel, many of them lessons. These include a 24 lesson course on Tongue blocking. I also have a couple of albums on iTunes, Check them out. Lee

[@leesankeygroup]

$60 an hour for advice from those kinds of players seems like great value to me! Anyway, hope the videos continue to help. Cheers, Lee

[@GeckoClimber]

I really like the way you explain what you are doing and how I can practise it here :) Thanks a lot. Cheers, Gecko

[@leesankeygroup]

Cool, for me the harmonica is all about tone. Personally I would encourage all players to think about beginning to building a nice tone from day 1. It's another aspect of playing that you never completely master either! I'm still working on mine after 25 years. Lee

[@rodrigobelote5966]

Very enlightening, Lee! Thanks!

[@leesankeygroup]

Rodrigo Belote Thanks for the endorsement Rodrigo. Lee

[@droverboy1]

I think the problem with beginer's or people like me that fell into bad habit's and dont even relize it is because it's all about relaxation the more relaxed the lips and shoulders it opens up your breathing and your able to use your air in a powerful way like you do Lee and other pro's there alway's relaxed and the posture is perfect . I think also when people begin they lip purse and when you bend notes i use to clamp those lips thight and that thin tone appears and raspy tone appears. Rusty

[@AndonMie]

I found this video useful. Thank you.

[@leesankeygroup]

Great, I have many others available on my channel

[@bluzzz2u]

Fantastic Lee!

[@leesankeygroup]

+Rambling Steve Gardner cheers, it's all about tone!

[@leesankeygroup]

@Tsutsomu thanks mate.

[@makilakixki]

Hi, Lee, I've been following your videos and taking good benefit from your straight-to-the pont lessons (thank you very much!) but I didn't come accross this one on tone yet! I hope my question is not too off-topic, here it is: what is the logics of standard tuned diatonics like G, Ab, A, Bb and C to be the lowest for they are not related to the low/high range of chromatic scale? Thanks in advance and keep up that superb work :-)

[@fiendant]

Great lesson Lee, Thank you:o)

[@leesankeygroup]

@tenbarsteam Andy, following on from your question, I thought I would let you know that I've started posting some videos on tongue blocking on my channel. Thanks Lee

[@makilakixki]

My apologies, english is not my first language and therefore my question might be confusing. There is one standard tuned harmonica for every 12 keys available in Western music, but first C is the lowest in chromatic scale - thus Bb the highests -, whereas the lowest - 'bassiest' in a sense - tuned harmonica is G. How come? Hope it makes sense now :-) Appreciated, Kixki

[@leesankeygroup]

@Ledvolta Let me know ow you get on with it.

[@adamlark5513]

1st: Thanks, well explained as always! 2nd: I find my tone best on draw notes when I adjust my mouth cavity to the played note, not necessarily when I open up fully. It's a warmer tone then and I can add some vibrato. Isn't that a contradiction to "opening up"?

[@leesankeygroup]

Hi Adam, thanks for watching and posing an interesting question. The bigger the resonance chamber the more bassy or bigger the sound will be. Think violin compared to a double bass. The question of warmth is something subtly different, and ultimately the sound you think is "best" as a rule, down to a specific moment in a tune, is purely subjective and down to you as a player. Each reed has its own character (think draw 2 on a F compared with draw 2 on a G) and need to be treated differently. For me personally I can play each reed with a variety of tones/sounds. Getting light and shade in tone is important for me, otherwise things can sound a little flat. It's helpful not to have a fixed mouth position for each reed, IMHO you should be able to hit a clean note in a variety of ways. Lee

[@adamlark5513]

Hello Lee, I understand your point with the resonance chamber. However, a good tone mostly involves some vibrato for me, which I can't add when I open up to the max. I also don't hear much of an improvement in "fatness" when I keep on opening, once I passed the cavity of the resonance. But I mostly practice clean so I will have to play around with it more mith microphone, as it should have more of an impact... Regards

[@mel66foehren]

very good Explanation !

[@robertamaya8985]

c

[@leesankeygroup]

Glad it hit the spot, thanks for watching. Plenty of other videos on my channel. Cheers, Lee

[@Tsutsomu]

Thanks again Lee. Friendly : STeph.

[@taurtue]

Yeah but those top players ask 1 dollar per minute which is more than I can afford, was wondering if there were cheaper teachers around... Well I'll keep watching your videos, thanks for the help!

[@leesankeygroup]

Thanks Tristan, putting the internet to good use then!

[@leesankeygroup]

@arthur1062 Beautiful, see you at NHL festival next month?

[@leesankeygroup]

@mistiklavesanta Cheers! Got to try and put some soul in there!

[@leesankeygroup]

@yozzadlips Yep, always have done. Lee

[@Lildoc911]

How much was that harp? Are you producing that tone quality with a cheap harp? Is that even an issue or just a stigma? Cheers.

[@leesankeygroup]

Good question. I recorded this video sometime ago but I think this is a stock Marine Band. I.e not custom. In response to your question, if you have a good tone you can produce it on pretty much any harp. In other words the tone comes from you. That said, the quality of the harp does effect the playability and sound produced. Marine Bands sound different to Suzuki Manjs for example. The radical improvement in the quality of stock (out of the box) harps has narrowed the gap between them and custom harps. The main differences being playability, tuning precision and set-up for things like overblows (if you play them). Any of the major brands harmonicas will be instruments on which you can achieve a great tone. Its a case of personal preference as to which one/s you prefer. But don't think certain harps provide a player with a better tone if they don't have a good tone to start with. I hope this is helpful. Lee

[@taurtue]

Hi, I've seen a few of your videos and found them helpful, and I would like to know if you do online courses (through Skype for example)? Thanks

[@leesankeygroup]

Lot's of questions there. If you have difficulty keeping time, practise keeping time. If you have trouble hitting notes, practise that. I don't understand your last question. It sounds like your asking how can you make something that's hard, easy. I don't know the answer to that. Mastering an instrument takes effort and time. Sorry about that. I recommend you take some lessons from a professional player in your area. Cheers, Lee

[@makilakixki]

B is the highest, not Bb

[@persiaguitar]

Play guitar with your harmonica and you can't keep it the right way , It will kill the tone. How is your tone if you play with guitar?