Instrument: Harmonica (free-reed aerophone)
Orchestra Section: Wind
Brand: Johnson Guitars
Name: The Blues King Harmonica
Purchased: November 2, 2017
Price: $6.49
Harmonicas are a fun pastime. I purchased one to test whether my dog, Teddy, would start howling to any of the tunes. I quickly learned that you don’t just blow through a harmonica, but you also draw air to play notes as well. Teddy didn’t howl, but if I blew and drew air quickly, he got really jumpy and playful, running around the house, grabbing toys and such. As he’s gotten older, he just sits and watches.
Playing Music
Can I play music with it? Not really. This started out as a fun experiment to try to encourage my dog to howl. For the most part, this is a small toy that I just like to play with occasionally. I can pretend to play along to songs in private, but I’m almost certain anyone dropping by would find I’m off-key or playing too many chords at once.
Purchasing as Gifts
If you ever buy a harmonica for your kids or someone else’s, keep in mind that because it’s so easy to produce sound with a variety of tactile feedback, the children may play constantly and annoy everyone nearby.
Consider that a harmonica may be a suitable instrument for a deaf or hard-of-hearing person. Although you may be unable to hear the tones, you can feel the vibrations in your lips, jaw, teeth, and hands, along with air pressure changes in your mouth and lungs, and resonance through your skull. Given the substantial tactile feedback, it’s worth experimenting with for a small investment.
This harmonica, tuned to C, was purchased for $6.49. It came in a blue plastic case with a cloth. As you blow air, even a slight puff can produce sound, allowing for soft and loud notes. The comb was supposed to be black, but mine is a dark purple. The cover plates appear to be nickel-plated steel. The brass reeds and plates are brass, and the reeds are within the comb. As with most harmonicas, there are numbers 1 through 10 on the top. The harmonica is stamped, “Made in China”. It’s a nice beginner harmonica for the price and quality.
The Blues King Harmonica
