Hi , new member here from Scotland.
I love playing harmonica along with clawhammer banjo although i have to admit that the harmonica positions are frying my brain a bit.
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Welcome to the forum @tulliboy !!
My brain has long ago turned into a crispy critter – but that just makes this little instrument even more versatile. 
Welcome @tulliboy you’re gunna like it here 
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Hi! I have gone through module 2 of the course, watched Luke’s videos, and read various forum posts about positions and still don’t get it. I understand different positions are different keys. But it seems all positions use the same ten holes so how are they actually different? Good luck figuring it out! If you do get it, share the wisdom with me. Please!
Thanks for the welcome.
You will have a long wait for me to get my head around it.
I’ve been trying to work out what Dave Rawlings is doing on Six White Horses and getting nowhere.
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Hi @leah
Examples below for a C harp:
1st position: C major scale
Notes are C D E F G A B (the C major scale). Holes used to get this sequence: +1, -1 +2, -2”, -2, -3” and -3. Here -2“ means draw on hole 2, and bend the tone down two half steps. The same for -3” but use hole 3.
3rd position: D minor
Notes are D E F G A B C. Holes used to get this sequence: -1, +2, -2”, -2, -3”, -3 and +4.
4th position: A minor
Notes: A B C D E F G and the holes used are -3”, -3, +4, -4, +5, -5 and +6
That’s enough for now. Questions?
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Thank you for the information.
Every position has a key and each position/key has a scale. And I think each song is written in one position/key and is somehow informed by the scale. It is also my understanding that songs are not just made up of the notes of the scale. A song can have 1 -5 -10, which aren’t in one scale. Which is what is confusing me. Any note can be played in a song based on one key. Can’t we just announce the harmonica key and then play tabs? What I missing?
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Welcome I think you will find the people that post are all willing to help. I start my journey three years ago and things are moving along. The best thing I focused on at the beginning is playing clean single notes. Bending and the other things may seem intimating but you are bound to be capable of learning how to bend notes, play chords, etc. I view learning the harmonica as something that takes persistence and practice. Mistakes turned into learning experiences are your best teacher. Having a good harmonica that is set up right is critical. It is one thing to learn the notes of a song but something very different to play them with clean notes and great rhythm. It will come, Only other thing is take a coarse that will get you on track and avoid grooving faults you have to break and then learn the correct way.
Stick with it, I started at age 68 and knew nothing about music. Played golf for a while and looked at a sheet with music on it. I read top to bottom and right to left. I figured music is the same way a the first note looked like a gold club driver, the tee off note. I always regretted not learning music and started a bit late. I could care less about playing in a band of a bar. I just want to play about 20 tunes I like on my deck and no people have to put up with my noise. The harp has been a gift as father time has taken most of my favored hobbies away. No place to fish, hunt nor can I play baseball or football any more like 30 years ago. I can sit around and practice two or three hours a day. Its going to be 100 F tomorrow here but I will be playing. I live outside of a city and have a great view of my deck. Never will be as good as I would like or was at sports or flying but I am as glad I had them more than I miss em. Its the harp that filled the void. I am hooked and will quit playing till they pry my harp out after I have played my last note and breath are gone.
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@tulliboy Welcome!!! Try using a C harp to play with your banjo in C (that’s 1st) then try using the same harp playing your banjo G to F chords back and forth (that’s 2nd) then try the same harp playing your banjo Dm chord progression (that’s 3rd.)
Hope that helps. Rock on! 
Thank you for your help.
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The harp is like snooker as it is tough and requires much practice to be really good, which I am not yet. Both require practice and both require you play without force. My biggest problem has been playing the harp too fast. I picked some very slow tunes and it seems to be helping. Natural ability is a good thing but never quitting will out pace the player with natural ability that does not put in the effort over the long haul. I think the harp is great as you can put it in your pocket. Nothing to carry around. I love playing it every day. No one expects anything from a harmonica but that little thing really surprises people when you play a song they enjoy with such a small and seemingly simple instrument. Hitting a note right that has been giving you problems like a -8, which I disliked. Luke made a comment in his B O B coarse that really helped me as he said to play it with as much pressure as you would blowing on a lite candle enough to make it flicker but not go out. I feel its the little things that are the biggest help in many cases. People on tis forum are very helpful and seem like they enjoy helping others. Learning the basics out of the block is a important as good habits are as hard to break as bad ones. The B O B coarse gets you on the right out of the block. It is all about enjoyment. I know something about music theory but have no intention of reading books etc. I pick it up by this forum. I would not compare yourself to others but record yourself and your mistakes show up and are great teachers if you turn them into learning experiences.
Hello My name is Pat I’m new to the Harmaonica. I just began the video lessons and find them pretty good so far. I play guitar on occasion took in person lessons but found this format with Harmonica.com. I hope I can learn to play this thing.
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