Notes On The C Harmonica
The following diagram shows the names of all of the notes used in the book. There are technically a few more possible notes you could find on the C harmonica, particularly by bending the higher exhale notes, but these have been omitted to keep the diagram as simple as possible.
The symbol b beside some of the notes is a flat sign. Flat means a lower pitch. By using these signs it is possible to indicate pitches halfway between letter names, e.g., the note Db is halfway between the notes C and D.
If you wish to study harmonica playing seriously, it is worth taking some time to memorize the names of the notes on the harmonica along with their scale degrees which measure the distance of each note from the key note (in this case, C). The key is the central note which all the other notes relate to. Since there are seven different notes in the major scale, each note can be given a number from 1 to 7 as shown in the following diagram. When the number 8 is reached, the pattern begins again, since 8 is a repeat of 1 an octave higher.
The following example demonstrates the C major scale which starts on hole 4 and ends on hole 7. This scale is used more in Folk and Country music than in Blues.
Once you know how to bend notes, it is possible to play a lower octave of the C major scale starting on hole 1. The next example demonstrates the low octave without bends and then the full scale with bends. This is a great exercise for gaining control of note bending. As you play this scale, listen carefully to the pitch of each of the bent notes to make sure they are in tune.
