If you’re carrying just one harp with you what’s your favorite key?
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For me it depends on the harp. Some of my harps are really great to play in 2nd position, others in 3rd, 4th or 5th position. So for me it’s not the key but the harp.
– Slim 
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A - not because it is better than any other, but guitarists like E, so I finish up doing a lot of tunes in E
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Hello @expat48,
since I play without a live band, I generally have a free choice and I base any background music on the pitch of the harp.
I don’t like playing the high pitches when I also need channels 8-10 in the song. It sounds too squeaky to my ears.
If I’m free, I like to take harps in G and A, C. What I really like is Bb. Somehow this key has a “flattering” sound.
Regards from Astrid 
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Interesting points. No two ears are alike so I guess this thread might go all over the place. Tnx for replying.
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Bb for just me, but if carrying to accompany, G or C. Unless I know what the plan is. D can be made to go along with most keys too, just change positions. Most play first, second or third positions or twelfth position, the others 4-11 usually special needs for whatever.
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Like the first answer, I have some favorite harps so it is more about those than their key. However I am fairly new to harp playing so am still deciding if I have an overall favorite key.
I recently discovered that you can search Spotify for guitar backing track playlists in every key, so I have been doing a lot of key switching during practice and may be spiraling in on a favorite or two.
You may also choose different harps at different times before you go out the door. Are you feeling up and happy (is it a C, E, or G major day?) or a bit melancholy (Am or other minor, 3rd position, key) that day…
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Right on man…nice answer
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I like A, Bb, and B. But like someone else said, guitar players love E, so the A harp gets a lotta love, PLUS I think it’s a great range for harmonica - you can play all the way up to 10" or -10od and it’s not super screechy (like it would be fore an F.)
I play my Low C Boaz Kim customized Thunderbird every day rocking my daughter to sleep. So it’s one of my most oft played harps cos it’s so mellow. Trying to bend the -2" and -1’ is like lifting weights man. I’ve been trying for a couple months and finally getting the -1’ a full half-step down (occasionally. 
)
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Cool Luke. What do you play for your daughter? Amazing Grace is pretty mellow…
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I start with one of Joe Filisko’s study songs that I’ve continually been working on: Deford’s Dream (based on the fox chase style of DeFord Bailey), Chasin’ Lost Sonny (based on the fox chase style of Sonny Terry), mostly those 2 and occasionally Skip to My Lou (which is a comprehensive study in various tongue blocking styles akin to those of DeFord Bailey.)
But I inevitably end up improvising some bluesy thing or I’ll end up somewhere random and unforeseen like Feel Like Making Love, Norwegian Wood, Hawaii Aloha, or some some old hymn. There’s almost always some kind of swampy blues improvising before I wipe her down and put her back in her case.
But 90% of the time I’m in the rocking chair with the baby, I’m tongue blocking. It’s such a gratifying approach for solo playing. And the chords and rhythms seem to soothe my daughter for some reason!
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Low Eb, especially if there’s sax with the band. If I’m solo, Ab.
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If I were to carry one harmonica key with me, I’d choose the key of D. A Youtuber I used to watch, Adam Gussow (I don’t watch his stuff anymore due to him saying that Terry McMillan’s blues playing was “too over the top” and “soulless”), described the D harp as the “alto saxophone” of the 12 harmonica keys from G to F#. I really love the tone it provides, having a powerful and bright sound to it. Even though it’s in the middle-high range of harmonica keys, it doesn’t sound overbearingly reedy or deep. It’s a great key for playing the blues with guitarists too, as the key of A is all open chords. The key of D is Terry McMillan’s third most used harp, alongside C and A. I made Spotify playlists with songs that had Terry play at least one portion of a song in a single key harp, the key of D included. The D harp playlist had songs like “Cotton Eye Joe”, “Well Water”, “Amen A.C”, and “Puttin’ the Dark Back Into the Night”.
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Cool, I just got myself a Lee Oscar major D harp… My first (decent) harp that is not a Special 20! Can’t wait to see what it is like!
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What a great playlist! Thank you thank you.
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You’re welcome. I’ve been studying harmonica for 5 years and I’m mostly known for being a Terry McMillan fan, often due to the dismay of people bullying me because I’m very passionate about his stuff.
Back when I first started, the only country harmonica tutorials I could find on Youtube didn’t focus on the more modern approach to playing country. I’ve been told a lot of misinformation regarding the instrument and especially about learning Terry McMillan’s stuff. The people who bullied me wanted me to play more like Charlie McCoy and be more of a traditionalist or that Terry’s stuff is easy to learn and they told me to give up the instrument because I found it so difficult.
I first talked Todd Parrott in September 2021 and he seemed like a very nice guy. Then I started taking lessons from him, starting July 6th, the next year. I absolutely love this guy as a teacher. He is very friendly, patient, kind, and just plain funny. He gave me the tools to start immersing myself in Terry’s style.
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Good for you man. We can all have our differing opinions, but telling someone to quit is so over the top and screwed. Stick with it!
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