What's the bluesiest harmonica key? (Stunning secrets revealed!)

The standard diatonic harmonica comes in 12 standard keys. What's the best key for blues harmonica playing? Watch this video and you will find out the secrets they don't want you to know! With Adam Gussow of Modern Blues Harmonica.
Here are two beginner's packages that will help you build on what I've shown you in this video:
Modern Blues Harmonica beginner's special:
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Modern Blues Harmonica beginner's deluxe:
www.tradebit.com/filedetail.p...
www.modernbluesharmonica.com/b...

[@neiloppa2620]

The blusiest harp is always the one that Adam Gussow is playing : )

[@Fangsinurface]

Here here!

[@aarphi1984]

Truth

[@brigittebyrne]

Wholesome! Yes!!!

[@mrtambourineman6107]

HAHAHA! You ass kiss!! 😉

[@mrtambourineman6107]

@Ryker Samuel you too!!

[@johnjames218]

I love the deep rich sound of the G harp

[@healingleafwave6963]

Yes i do think its a sexy key for playing the slow blues on a backing track

[@vvanderer]

Try getting a low f lol. I call mine the grunter. I use Lee Oskars

[@jltrem]

I agree. My favorite keys are A and G.

[@daddycavefish]

@@jltrem Ab is good

[@shamsam69]

Me too, but does that mean you were playing in D? In the second position to get all those low draw notes and bends, is that right?

[@yottaken7715]

I consider myself a pretty depressed person but your videos make me so happy in a way I cant explain. truly are the bob ross of the harmonica and I pray im almost as good as you someday

[@wingnut4200]

“There are no mistakes, only happy accidents. And harmonicas” ― Bob Ross

[@Robert-yk8tx]

Just blow the devil out of it

[@shamsam69]

G Sounds the bluesiest... But I am a bass player so maybe that's why

[@larydixon4824]

Noah, Always Remember - Great Harp Players Don't Suck ! Lary

[@user-ss9sv6wx8t]

Thank you a lot

[@brikinahonix]

That dirty low bend on a G Harp makes me feel the heat on a sunny day, with no shoes on, sitting on the side of the road so yes, the blusyes for me.

[@studogable]

I love that he says the D harp is a favorite of country players. It reminds me of the line from The Blues Brothers: "A - good country key!" Since the D harp is actually playing in A, this rings true.

[@detroitbluesguy]

VERY good key..its bright so you can be heard and conserves air quantity..great for wailing on!!

[@Gpacharlie]

C harp for Alaska gold miner blues. G harp for down deep in Mississippi

[@gussowsclassicbluesharmoni2726]

I like that! F harp for the Nashville skyline.

[@szabolcskiraly6323]

You sir. I use a C since the age of... oh God, six or seven?? Im 46 now. I'm just a white boy... Alaska gold miner blues 100% true, it's maybe the cold..

[@elizabethbrown8833]

Thank you 🙏🥀🎶

[@johnnewman1197]

I am a brand new harmonica player and jesus man when you said "That's you" I legit laughed out loud a little. That it almost exactly what i sound like. Though i play "amazing grace" not "old susana"

[@johnnewman1197]

Also your videos are dope as hell btw.

[@giusepperesponte8077]

My favorite is Bb. Adam really said it perfectly here, it’s just got the perfect range of pitch. Not shrill in the high end but also has a good low end as well.

[@mikeoak5289]

me too, key of f. folks in the group say (complain) every song i make up is f.

[@norfolknwhey4787]

It’s great for blues in Cm as well as

[@suzywoozy2694]

I’m your age and a beginner, I realize it’s me not the harmonica…but I appreciate your playing all the keys for us. Thanks so much.

[@winstonchurchill624]

The G sounds real nice. The really slow blues is just what I like.

[@erikdravn]

I think a G and B Flat are going to be my instruments. I'm just starting to get serious with learning to play. I've had a harmonica for years but was too busy learning guitar to put the time in. Now I'm switching it up. (mostly because I suck at guitrar lol)

[@eldesgraciado6690]

6:23 Getting a G tomorrow.

[@KikaKika94]

How is it? :)

[@eldesgraciado6690]

@@KikaKika94 It's awesome, such a low sound. I'm going to compose a very depressing blues.

[@KikaKika94]

El Desgraciado Perfect, you do that! ⚡️🌟

[@jgbalboa]

@@eldesgraciado6690, quien te desgracio?

[@bigchungus6546]

@@eldesgraciado6690 Did u composed?

[@Rickblues46]

Just a great feel for IT Adam love listening to you play and talk .. so thank you !

[@dirkyow4789]

The timing of this is perfect! Thank you Mr.Gussow 🌟

[@TheHenderse]

Thank you Adam. Great teaching as always.

[@RayOBannon]

Wow... nobody else even discusses this! Very insightful. Thanks!

[@charliedominguez1135]

Ray O'Bannon thxryhtdthfzgnhchfc

[@johnmarylouschmitt914]

Ray O'Bannon my

[@Daz955i]

Just watched this and it’s really got me tapping my foot. Your knowledge vast and man can you play. Could listen to this all night. Thank you.

[@xxxxharp]

Adam....what took me years to figure out with no one to ask......and what I paid to learn....you are a great teacher and player. Thanks for all your posts !

[@kelvinsmith6854]

G is the best for me...you are a easy going instructor, thank you.

[@plazguitar]

Many years ago I called Adam at his college at the time.... Gracious and informative about my love for the harmonica - just like all his videos. So get a harmonica in any key and start playing.

[@terrygray4508]

Adam thanks for all your advice you are a true harmonica genius

[@kevinscottsphr5214]

One of the great harmonica gurus and a great person to boot!

[@FisherCatProductions]

Perfect validation of my own philosophy. Blues comes from the heart. Whatever sound comes out of your harp that conveys your "bluesy feelings" is the proper key for you to play for that riff. Regards.

[@dietmarsteinhilber169]

This guy is so great , a real personal experience like having a friend Show you the ropes. Thank you !

[@gussowsclassicbluesharmoni2726]

Bitte schoen!

[@or1227]

Great video! Honest and better than any professional video

[@livingtheapocalypse8248]

Genius - love your style dude !

[@marshalllaw5349]

That G riff touched my soul

[@mitchellgehrmann4225]

loving all that passion Guss

[@helihandler]

COOL BEANS Adam :-) well discussed and demonstrated, keep em coming! always a joy to watch and listen.

[@NiekopTube]

You (Lord Gussow!) are my favourit artist and teacher! I like your style, your presentation, your music and the way you make things clear! Great and thank you so much.

[@rickmoro705]

Been playing blues harp for 39 years I love my special 20 in key of "B" good work horse! I allso really enjoy my Lee Oscar "A" when I slow it down and slide into my Sour Mash groove and just drag it around nice and slow a bit hooked up to my blue bullet. Thank you great stuff.

[@eldesgraciado6690]

Thank you for your comment. I'll go get a B.

[@sandybloom6117]

Adam, you are amazing and so helpful to old guys like me.

[@DilltheLegend]

Thank you for making these videos, i just recently started and its been helping me battle addiction and gives me something i do anywhere at any time

[@mr.bonesbbq3288]

Really been enjoyin yer vidyas, Adam! Been playin harpoonicus fer many decades, always love learnin new things!

[@mrtambourineman6107]

E flat is a very common guitar key because we guitarists like to tune it down half a step to make it easier to play certain stuff, most notably Hendrix, SRV or loads more stuff tbh, just makes it a lot easier for that type of electric blues 😎🤘

[@eddiebear34]

That G harp really caught my attention. I'm VERY new to this and finding my feet. But I liked that and the D

[@SalineScott]

Gussow... I’ve got to set up some lessons with you. This was awesome and you have been my inspiration.

[@ravengangcharlie]

happy new years adam thanks for all the videos

[@Lilsunshinebaby]

This has been exactly my question as a beginner, what key can I purchase that’s the bluesiest key!! I’m so happy I stumbled upon this video

[@robertbrunston5406]

Good video! Thanks Adam.

[@rickmiller9557]

Nice playing. I have had them all, but A has always been my favorite.

[@JackJazzm]

Great presentation bredren 👍🏾 Thanks for sharing

[@jameshilliard5483]

Beginner here, thanks for the lessons doc. I love ya

[@dr123hall]

Funny! Informative! Fantastic exploration of the form! Great Show!! Thank you very much!

[@bradferguson9840]

Man, every harp you pick up sounds like magic.

[@codeman3640]

Great Video as always

[@sskar9390]

Spot on mr gussow!

[@bobsyeruncle4841]

Just when you said your voice sat well in a particular key I knew I had to find that for myself the hunt is on thanks man good work

[@gussowsclassicbluesharmoni2726]

Yes, it took me decades to realize that.

[@saucissonfurtif]

I use the Low D harp when i make some country-blues, really nice sound for it. Totally in love with the key of G for low bluesy sound, really nice .

[@ZvikaDror]

Entertaining, enriching and inspiring key review - thanks I'm happy :)

[@luv2jive]

Thanks Adam !! - such a great vid from the most inspiring harp dude on the net - if G is a truck then F must be the super-car. I love my Special 20 in D flat. It just plays so well and can be as bluesy to.

[@gordontulloch3]

the c actually sounded pretty good for a second Adam thanks!

[@derekconroy415]

Legend and Thank you SIR

[@thekenandmisty]

adam not only do u shred on the harp but you are the coolest dude in town bro.

[@michaelanctil5475]

Great Video! Thank you so much!

[@giusepperesponte8077]

I had a similar experience with a Bb crossover, when I got it, it didn’t even need to be gapped, it was just perfect. I never had a better harp than that until I got a blue moon custom.

[@Narlz85]

This has got to be one of my favourite videos you have done, as an intermediate player this was a lot of fun to watch. The Ab harp has a special place in my heart, why? I'm not really sure, it just resonates with my soul. I was given a set of hohner blues harps (Ab,Bb,B,Db,D,Eb,F#) by a friend who had worked for hohner and when I played the Ab it was an incredible feeling. I only had a Bb and a C harp previous. You are right though, the lower key harps are like driving a truck compared to a C.

[@gussowsclassicbluesharmoni2726]

Trust the feeling. That's probably the main lesson of this video. Sounds like you did that, and that's good.

[@GeoSkywalker]

Great video! Very informative and good advises for the beginners. I’m a beginner and have c harp which I think ill use for playing melodies and also Ive got a G harp which I also like for it’s low deep sound. And the next harp I will buy I think will be B flat as to me it sounds very blusy yet tender at the same time. I adore your videos Mr Gussow! Good luck!

[@starkfaktory6920]

I loved his answer. Mine is the G. Love the low tones

[@pissguzzler1404]

props to this guy for making genuinely informative and well made videos and also being the corniest man I have ever seen

[@141sharon270]

Thanks Adam, great vid, lots of valuable tips, now I gotta send off for two more keys to add to my collection.

[@crazykraken3563]

To me the blues sound lies directly in between the middle of the keys and lowest part of the keys. G-a-b-C-d-e-F. Which means it's directly between G and C which is Bb. You've got it Adam.

[@yoschieschmitt1929]

Very informative. Thanks.

[@00vTv00]

Nice work, you are very talented.

[@keithwigley1256]

Excellent video...and get down and then up to your musicianship.....

[@ddavis9100]

I purchased a bflat harp by accident 2 weeks ago and intended to take it back but.........I decided to give it a go. And have fallen in love with it. Great Key! Thanks for all the great education.

[@stephendavies6947]

Dan Davis perfect key for Chain gang

[@boomshakalaka7756]

Bought my D harp like a half year ago, also planned to change to C, but then i was just like..woah, man, i'm not giving this away

[@drumsleuth]

Thanks for all your help Adam . I Love bf for blues .

[@jeffgerndt2813]

Nice video! Inspiring.

[@Matersoup]

Bb is one of my favorites.

[@JB-rw9xt]

Absolutely right. Its what sound blusiest to me. Hoping Adam has done or will do a blusiest mic and bluesiest amp video.

[@pamminer6000]

I’m glad I watched this.

[@ADEker]

Thanks Gussow We Love Ye ! For This !!!

[@kitshrapnel8548]

Holy shit, that was fast and clean, you have upped my game and understanding, thanks

[@andym5195]

what a great blues man!!

[@jameshilliard5483]

Man, you are sooooo fffin good

[@conicEllipse]

I love the sound of the G harp. It puts the way I feel into sound. To me, all of the other keys are too light and have too much lilt to truly and accurately resonate how it feels to be in the throes of the blues. They are sort of "blues wannabes"; cheap imitations that care more about being popular than translating and releasing the painful crying of the player's soul. This is the first video of yours that I've seen, Adam. Fantastic video. I just subbed.

[@wojciechgrodecki5320]

I got the same impression, I picked G before I knew it is G:) this sound is striking and so different than other keys. forgive me my English;)

[@IAmNoeyes]

I watching this becuase I'm getting a new Marine land my old C broke two reeds and Harmonicas are super addictive. I will retire my C glh after 27 years a smuggle into Army Boot camp, and a trip twice to Iraq. I. Am thinking of a G or a D

[@heavyglassglass]

@@IAmNoeyes How were you able to play your harp in boot camp? I would have never had enough time away from a DS to get away with that lmao. Still awesome you did it though

[@IAmNoeyes]

@@heavyglassglass very quietly, in the bathroom stalls. I still have the one. A Chinese Hohner GLH. I snuck it back after a Xmas break leave. They did not find it in my boot

[@IAmNoeyes]

Did I mention relaxin' Jackson.

[@joecvimedical]

Why do they all sound so good when you do it?

[@jstone8700]

Cus ur right

[@jstone8700]

I've done every headtrip he's doing.. But I prefer his doing it

[@jstone8700]

He's in the zone

[@gmoore6166]

Dude, I aspire to be on your level! Man you kill it!

[@javierf55]

Man, I just sit watching and enjoying your videos as I bought my first Hohner Crossover in C and I'm just starting to nail single notes. As any other instrument, harmonica looks as easy as when you see Federer playing tennis. Lots of fun by learning the harmonica. Now I'm dying 😢 trying with my first bend but I'm sure it will come soon.

[@DustyCowdog]

I'm glad you said that the bluesiest key is the one that sounds bluesiest... 'cause I'm a new harp player -- old -- and I like the Bb and G. Those are my faves. Dig your videos and I hope I can get good enough to busk for fun! And If I make enough for a Big Mac meal, all the better! Cheers!

[@jimbocarrino763]

I did not expect you to burst out singing like that. I was startled, but not disappointed.

[@spinnerone105]

An intermediate after five years of playing.. thanks to you! Great video! My favorite is A bc i like playing juke and whammer jammer and jimmy reed sounds. Like E for jump. G is great for an unknown you would really like...dave ferguson, "last train gone". Also like to play G with joe liggins "honey dipper". Would you ever consider a lesson on that one? Thanks for being an inspiration for us. Also liked that twice in this video you played your favorite "slow blues" tune. I play that on the river bank when i am taking a break from fishing!

[@frankSJenzen]

Depends on the position, the player/harp and the tune for band. I like the D-harpe while band in A (second postion): Sharp and distinct. Im a smoker so A and G takes too much air...havent played on flat-tuned harps...Gussow - you are a highly trained player with a good sound. Thanks for sharing your knowledge :-)

[@shyamaldas5822]

Excellent!

[@olivertheemoji5424]

I am really liking this Homer Polar Db Harmonica. It is most definitely havier in weight compared to the Marine bands and I really like that

[@phoenix1167]

When you said "That's the one, That's the one." That's how I feel about your channel. I've fallen head over heels with my first harmonica, I feel like I have found a best friend. I've spent my time combing KZbin and finally I've found the right guiding force into the magical world of music. I'm looking forward to enjoying your video's, Thank you !

[@gussowsclassicbluesharmoni2726]

Thanks! That's a really nice comment. I hope your intuition turns out to be true.

[@szucsmartontamas6035]

Thanks to you, I bought my secound harmonica, being a true beginner tho. Was trying to get into C, however, when you played on that smmoth G... I just had to buy one.

[@wingnut4200]

You are compellingly hilarious. I am a fan and you are my harp mentor. At my age, that is saying something dude. Thanks.

[@gussowsclassicbluesharmoni2726]

You, sir, are a Wing Nut. And that's a fine thing.

[@masterprog48]

thanks for best video

[@davelongey3316]

Thanks great info I have Special 20 in G love

[@timothyblanton4225]

Adam.... you are such a hoot. When I see a long video post from you I can hardly wait to dive in. I can pretty much be certain that we are off to the races and not likely to follow the course all the way to the finish line. So.... the bluesiest harp? The one I've got in my mouth at any given moment. When I play with folks, because I am a real novice at this stuff, I just ask the bass player to lean over and tell me the key, then we're off and running. Thanks for another 19 minute ride on the wild side.

[@gussowsclassicbluesharmoni2726]

Thanks for that. I think you're the sort of viewer I'm hoping for. Off to the races indeed. And yes: you DID get the point.

[@JLPryce]

Oh hell yeah. Good stuff man. Lp

[@brettmiller7366]

I am about to purchase my first harmonica mainly because I want to learn some Led Zeppelin harmonica songs. I know absolutely nothing about the harp, but it is an essential ingredient for blues in my opinion . I am actually a guitar player and a drummer , just started learning piano. There’s nothing more satisfying than learning a brand new instrument . I’ve been searching on KZbin for videos, explaining the difference in the different keys of harmonica in, which is best . You’ve answered about three of my major questions in the first 30 seconds of this video . Now that I know I can play any song on any different key of harmonica, and the only difference is the personality of that tone. I feel relieved. Zeppelin uses B-flat for a lot of their songs, including the one I wanted to learn When the Levee Breaks . Hohner rocket B-flat will be the one I pull the trigger on. I’ve always been a firm believer that if you’re starting a new Instruments, you should buy at least a medium range so it is easier to play and sounds better . Now I will be able to record Guitar , drums, and piano into my daw and also add the additional flavor of the blues harp. Thanks for making everything clear , now I guess the only thing to do is to learn the harmonica. I will be smashing the subscribe button for sure .

[@pataudi8025]

I love the C although I started with D#. Love your playing.

[@georgechartier5878]

Thanks!

[@Scott-mj4wm]

Amazing.... I never knew a harp could sound so good

[@Poputrash]

So listening to this one, by the way, thanks for the advice. The ones that pulled me were G, Db and E. I play Keep it to Yourself on a D harp, and even though it still sounds amateurish, I like the sound too... though I wonder how would that one sound on a G harp. Thanks for sharing.

[@user-se5ls1lh2w]

Thank's) Wery usefull information

[@terrynicholson3810]

Just watched this and very informative, LEGEND……just bought the Marine Band Crossover. Hope i can play like i did 15 years ago on my £20 hohner x

[@mightymurph3949]

Omg that Ab sound 🔥😻

[@southernstingray2743]

Choice vid,cheers cob