Are these chords or single notes?

[joelp.toronto]

Hi! Can anyone tell me if Doc is playing chords here or single notes? I can’t tell. Thanks for any help!

Wabash Cannonball (Live)

[Luke]

@joelp.toronto welcome to the forum my friend! Great question! That’s because he’s playing neither single notes nor chords! He’s playing octaves on his G harmonica, in 1st position. (47, 58, 69, -59, etc.)

These are called “splits” - where you block holes with your tongue and play two non-adjacent notes out of each side of your mouth at the same time.

One of the many wonderful worlds of sound that tongue-blocking opens up, and the first one I recommend delving into!

I’ve got a post on it here:

Splits, Octaves, Split-Chord Tongue Blocking, Flutters, Shimmers, Split Shakes, Rapid Chord Vamping

Alright, in the world of harmonica, Splits, Octaves, and Split-Chord Tongue Blocking are all different names for the same basic technique of playing 2 non-adjacent notes, which is accomplished by placing the tongue on the harmonica and playing out of either side of the mouth at the same time. At the time of this writing, I like the Term “Splits” because it accurately depicts technique, and it’s easy to say. “Octaves” isn’t always an accurate description, because there are may different interval…

Rock on!
Luke