Notes on the C Harmonica
The following diagram shows the names of all of the notes you have learned 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 (see the following diagram). When the number 8 is reached, the pattern begins again, since 8 is a repeat of 1 an octave higher.
Once you know how to bend notes, it is possible to play a lower octave of the C major scale starting on hole 4. This example demonstrates the low octave without bends and then the full scale with bends.
Once you have control of the low octave of C major, add it to the middle octave which you already know.
If you try playing the highest octave of the C major scale starting on 7, you will find that the note B (the 7th degree) is missing, so you get C (1), D (2), E (3), F (4), G (5), A (6) and C (8). The following example contains three octaves of the C major scale (apart from the missing B note), which is the complete range of the C harmonica. All ten hole diatonic harmonicas have a range of 3 octaves regardless of what key they are tuned to.
As you play this example, try to mentally name the notes as you play. If you have trouble, think do, re, mi at first, then name the notes. Once you can do this, play it again and mentally sing the scale degrees as you play.
Remember that the octave of C (degree 8) is equal to degree 1, so count each new C as a 1 rather than an 8. For example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 1, 2, 3 etc. It is important to remember that scale degrees are purely theoretical numbers which relate to all instruments regardless of their playing techniques. Do not confuse scale degrees with the numbers of the holes on the harmonica.
