It might not be the first harmonica you pick up, but for experienced users, a tremolo instrument may be an interesting device to experiment with.
Tremolo: Although they’re typically much longer than diatonic alternatives, the real defining difference that separates tremolo-tuned options – like the East Top T2406S – is that they have two reeds per note, one a bit flat and the other slightly sharp, which creates a distinct sound. However, the addition of a slide bar controlled by a button on the right side of these instruments makes them a bit trickier than their diatonic cousins. This flexibility makes chromatic harmonicas – like the Swan SW1040 and Suzuki SCX-64C – a great choice for skilled musicians with a solid foundation in musical theory.
If you’re a beginner harmonica player looking to break into the hobby, but you’re not quite ready to shell out for a full set of harps just yet, then we recommend starting with a nice key-of-C option, as these models are the most common, and are frequently used as examples in online videos.Ĭhromatic: While they can have as few as 10, chromatic harmonicas tend to have at least 12 holes, as this is the amount needed to cover a complete chromatic scale, which makes these models capable of playing in any key. Many diatonic harmonicas – including the Hohner Big River Harp 590BXC and Fender Blues Deville – are available in sets, so you can keep an instrument on hand for every key. The downside of diatonic harmonicas is that they’re designed to play in a single key (although Richter-tuned models may be able to do more), which can be quite limiting, even if it's advantageous for users who aren’t well versed in musical theory. They’re favored by beginners for their affordable price point, as well as the simplicity of their design, which tend to make them easier to pick up. If it’s your first time investing in one of these instruments, it can all be quite dizzying, so we’ve included basic descriptions of a few of the common types you might encounter while you shop:ĭiatonic: Easily the most popular type of harmonica out there, diatonic harmonicas – like the Seydel 1847 Silver, Lee Oskar C Major Diatonic and Hohner Marine Band 1896 – employ a single reed to achieve a tone, and typically have 10 holes, although they can have as few as four and as many as 16. Many styles of harmonica exist, and each style includes many shapes, sizes and keys. During this round of updates, while all of our previous picks still proved to be excellent choices, we did decide on doing away with the Hohner Special 20 – which we replaced with the Hohner Big River Harp 590BXC, a comparable offering from the company that some describe as having a superior sound – and the Mugig Diatonic MK-1 - which we eliminated to make room for the East Top T2406S, which we thought deserved a spot as the first tremolo harmonica included in these rankings.