 THE BEST AND WORST HARMONICAS
FOR BEGINNERS AND INTERMEDIATES From the desk of JP: Thanks so much for signing up for my newsletter and for giving me the chance to do what I truly love. Teaching people to jam on the harmonica is an absolute joy for me and I'm grateful to have the opportunity to help you in whatever way I can. The intention of this article is to support you in determining if you have the best harmonica - or "harp" - for your needs at this time. If you don't already own a harmonica - or you're ready to upgrade - it will also help you make an informed decision about what to buy. My comments and recommendations draw on my experience of playing a multitude of instruments as well as the opinions I've developed during my 20 years of teaching. They reflect both my personal experience and the feedback I've received from others. I'm grateful to the students, professional harmonica players, and teachers who continually inspire me and educate me about what works for them. THE SHORT STORY For those who don't want to read this entire article:
 My #1 Harmonica recommendation is the Hohner Special 20. Whether you are a beginner or advanced harmonica player I'm confident you will be very happy! NOTE: If you want to play along with my free online lessons, you need a harmonica in the key of C. If you're not sure what key your harmonica is in, look for a single letter printed somewhere on the harp. If you can't find a printed letter, it's probably a C. If you want to better understand what a "Key" is in music, CLICK HERE There are bound to be gaps in this report. New harmonicas are always coming onto the market. Many are excellent. But because I haven't tried them yet, I've relied on the opinions of other harmonica teachers that I trust and respect. I always welcome others' opinions. So, please let me know your own thoughts and recommendations on any harps that could be added to my list. Or, if you disagree with my harmonica ratings, please tell me. Your experience and opinions will not only support me, but will also help tens of thousands of harmonica players all over the world. We are one global community with a shared passion! Just email me at jp@jpallen.com Economical Harmonica vs. Professional Instruments I have split my recommendations into two distinct groups: Economical Harmonicas and Professional Harmonicas. This is because many of the economical instruments on the market actually work great for beginners: o They sound reasonably good. o They're adequate for you to play songs and rhythmic chugging patterns. o They're perfectly fine for all the beginning level lessons on my website and my DVDs.  On the other hand, if you're a beginner that plans to stick with harmonica, I recommend you buy a Professional Harmonica now, if you can afford it. They sound better and ultimately will be easier to play and learn on.
IMPORTANT: Once you are ready to learn how to bend, which I consider an intermediate and advanced level technique, a Professional Harmonica will be EXTREMELY helpful. (Bending, by the way, is the technique that gives the harmonica that awesome soulful “crying” sound that everyone wants to learn.) | 
Show you the tricks to playing single notes with a sweet soulful tone. 
