Hi all, I am trying to figure out what key harmonica to use to learn this song but I can’t find anything online about it, it’s almost like the song doesn’t exist. Could anyone please help me in figuring out the key to this song? Money (Mono) - YouTube
Many thanks!
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Hey All,
A Stones classic. Guitar tab sites tell me the song is in the key of D. I think use a D harmonica in second position which the circle of fifths tells me is the key of A. Unless I’m very mistaken.
-Ed-
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Thank you Ed, do you have a tip on how to raise the pitch the way he does with the first part of the song? It sounds like bending but I’m not sure how to raise the note the way he does. It sounds like he’s blowing 2nd position on a D harmonica and bending up but I could be wrong
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Hey All,
I think it better if someone else here who knows the stones way better than me can answer this. One possibility is the note starts bent and then is “unbent” but others here likely know for sure. I’ll defer to them.
-Ed-
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Hello @aiden,
Although I have little experience, I just listened to the Rolling Stones’ Money song and tried my different harps on it.
I would definitely use a low harp, I don’t have any low harps.
I chose my Bb Fender Blues Harp:
3. Begin position A
-3 4 - 3 4 - 4 4 - 3 4
As already written, I’m inexperienced and I’m curious what the pros write here.
Have fun and greetings from Astrid 
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Hi @aiden
The song uses a G blues harp played in 2nd position (i.e. the song is in the key of D). So as Ed @EasyEd told you, the song is in D but they use a G harp. This is a very common/popular position for Blues and Rock harp players to use because so many of the notes are played as draws – and draws are the ones that are the easiest to bend.
Also as Ed @EasyEd suggested: those initial long notes on the harp begin with the note bent (which for draw notes means the note is lower than an unbent draw in the same hole) and then it is gradually "released" back up to the normal, unbent tone.
Although it is possible to play the song using a D harp played in 1st position, you will not be able to get so many cool bends. Also, a “normal” D harp is going to be sounding quite a bit higher than when playing a G harp in 2nd position. A low D harp (again, played in 1st position) would be an alternative – but the G harp in 2nd position is the way to go if you want to sound just like the version played by the Rolling Stones.
Finally, you can play the song using a C harp played in 3rd position (= key of D minor), but it also results in a higher sounding result than using the G harp in 2nd position.
There are other possibilities: F harp (low F would be best) played in 4th position, or a Bb harp played in 5th position. But I will not go into this any further and will leave it as an exercise for you to eventually learn as you progress in developing your harmonica skills.
Regards,
– Slim 
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Hi Ed @EasyEd
Your only mistake is the harp that is used. Since the song is in D, a D harp would have to be played in 1st position because (as you correctly noted) a D harp played in 2nd position is for playing in the key of A.
Regards,
– Slim
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Hey All,
Yes Slim you have it exactly right. My bad. 
Not sure what I was thinking…
-Ed-
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Thank you all, this has been very helpful
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