Harmonica tabs serve a minor role well.
As we communicate with each other, they help us to describe which particular holes to draw or blow, and in which order, when playing a particular riff, scale, song, or technique.
But, contrary to the popular belief of many beginner harmonica students, HARMONICA TABS ARE NOT THE SUPER-HIGHWAY TO HARMONICA MASTERY .
What’s Wrong with Tabs?
They convey no sense of rhythm , arguably the most impactful component of music!
They convey none of the subtle nuances that make music come to life (and differentiate the pros from the hacks) - vital elements like dynamics, vibrato, or how quickly or slowly a bend is reached or released.
And then there’s the most egregious problem of all - the fact that MOST harmonica tabs are WRONG !!! 
But even if you DO have the CORRECT tab, using tabs to learn a song robs you of the rich benefits to be reaped from learning a song or solo by ear :
A deeper connection with the music , having learned it one note at a time - also making it easier to memorize.
A deeper connection with the harmonica through the process of trial and error.
Accelerated growth in playing with the subtle details of the pro’s (dynamics, vibrato, phrasing, etc.)
All of this is summed up by saying: it improves your EARS .
The #1 most important thing in music is LISTENING.
And as with everything in life, the more you do it, the easier it gets.
Improving your ears is the best thing you can do for your musicianship because:
The next time you learn a song by ear, it will be a little easier
Improvising or composing, you’re better able to translate sounds and emotions from within, and express them through your harmonica
You can have more meaningful “musical conversations” with other musicians in the tradition of call and response.
But I can’t learn by ear, Luke…
Trust me, I hear you! 
And, YES YOU CAN ! You’d be hard pressed to find a musician who had worse ears than I did at the beginning. So if I can do it, anyone can do it!
The trick, for those of us who weren’t born with golden ears, is simply:
THE BIG SECRET: Slow down the audio as much as needed.
Learn the first note - hear it, sing it, play it*
Back it up, learn the 2nd note - hear, sing, play the first 2 notes.
Back it up, learn the 3rd note - hear, sing, play the first 3 notes.
Rinse and repeat until you can slowly play the entire excerpt.
Once you can play along with the entire portion of the recording you decide to work on, then SLOWLY start increasing the tempo. (A good rule of thumb for this is to increase tempo a max of 5% at a time.)
*You might have to play it MANY times to be able to hear it, and then it might take you many tries to find the note that you sing on the harmonica. BUT, you CAN do it!
This 
IS the SUPER-HIGHWAY to HARMONICA MASTERY.
Wondering how to slow down audio? Here are the best 2 tools:
The Amazing Slow Downer ($0 Lite Version - $39.99)
For PC/Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Android that allows you to:
Import mp3’s OR play songs from Apple Music using the iPhone app
Loop sections - you can get very precise with markers
Save and name loops to refer back to later
Slow down the audio all the way to 20% speed
Change key - don’t have the right key harmonica? Just change the key of the recording!
Transcribe! ($0 Trial - $39)
This robust software for any Windows or Mac computer allows you to:
Import mp3’s OR videos (download YouTube videos and import)
A visual timeline with a waveform
Add markers and text notes on the timeline, loop sections
A piano keyboard and tool to help discern pitch
Slow down the audio all the way to 20% speed
Change key - don’t have the right key harmonica? Just change the key of the recording! Ability to share files between Transcribe! owners.
If you purchase the Transcribe! software, Carlos del Junco has 5 free videos to help you get up and running with the software.
P.S. That’s not to say tabs don’t have their place. We have a ton right here!
