Harmonica Play-Along with Tabs and Hole Chart
Press a note to see which hole to play and whether to blow or draw, and hear how it should sound. Then play along with a tune – each one is moved into C so every note is on your harmonica without bending – or start the first lessons.
Private by design: the chart and the lessons never use the microphone; in the play-along it is used only if you press Listen, and stays on this device. Nothing is recorded, saved or sent.
Keyboard: Tab to the notes, then the arrow keys move from note to note and play each one.
Play along with a tune
Starter tunes and over 250 tunes from the free library that fit a C harmonica, with the hole and blow or draw for every note as it scrolls past. Slow it down, or switch on wait mode so the music waits for you.
First lessons
Two short lessons for beginners, for the instrument and clef chosen in the chart. Each step says how it is assessed:
- Marked by Classfern – questions on hole and blow or draw, notes and tab.
- Self-assessed – the playing steps and the “I can” checklist: you tick them when you have done them.
- Judged by a teacher or parent (rubric) – sound, right notes and keeping going.
- Evidence kept at home – a practice diary and a recording on your own device; Classfern only keeps a list.
Lesson 1: your first notes
Single notes on holes 4 to 7, blow and draw, reading tab, long notes and Hot Cross Buns.
Lesson 2: first tunes
More notes, then Mary Had a Little Lamb and Lightly Row with the play-along.
Your answers stay on this device. More theory and aural tests.
How it works
Press a note in the chart to see its hole and blow or draw and hear it; the diagram moves to show the change. Play the notes in order plays them one after another. Open the play-along to pick a tune: the notes scroll to the left and each one is played as it reaches the green line, while the box on the left shows the hole and blow or draw. Use Speed to slow down – 50% is a good start.
Wait mode
With wait mode on, the music stops at each note until you press the matching note button, the note’s letter on the computer keyboard (A–G), or Space once you have played it. It counts right and wrong presses. Without Listen the page cannot hear you, so it is honest practice for reading and fingering, and your teacher or your ears check the sound.
Kids’ mode
Kids’ mode makes the buttons bigger and switches colour notes on (C red, D orange, E yellow, F green, G teal, A blue, B purple). The note names are always shown too, so colour is never the only clue. The setting is shared with the other Classfern Music pages.
Why tunes are moved into C
A C harmonica only has the notes of C major (unless you bend). So when you open a tune, the play-along moves it into C – the smallest key change that puts every note on the harmonica – and to the octave that suits it best. “Change key” shows how far it was moved. The search only lists tunes that fit this way.
Reading harmonica tab
Harmonica tab gives the hole number, with + (or no sign) for blow – breathe out – and − for draw – breathe in. So +4 is blow hole 4 (C) and −4 is draw hole 4 (D). The middle of the harmonica, holes 4 to 7, has a whole C major scale: +4 −4 +5 −5 +6 −6 −7 +7. A small mark after the tab (−3') means a bent note: drawing with your tongue low and the air directed down makes the note lower. Bending comes later, so the play-along only lists tunes that need no bends.
The chart is for a 10-hole diatonic harmonica in C (Richter tuning), the usual first harmonica. Harmonicas in other keys use the same tab, but every note is moved by the same amount.
Hole chart
Notes in grey are outside the beginner range.
| Hole | Blow (breathe out) | Draw (breathe in) | Bent notes (later) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C4 (+1) | D4 (−1) | C♯4 (−1') |
| 2 | E4 (+2) | G4 (−2) | F4 (−2''), F♯4 (−2') |
| 3 | G4 (+3) | B4 (−3) | A♭4 (−3'''), A4 (−3''), B♭4 (−3') |
| 4 | C5 (+4) | D5 (−4) | C♯5 (−4') |
| 5 | E5 (+5) | F5 (−5) | – |
| 6 | G5 (+6) | A5 (−6) | A♭5 (−6') |
| 7 | C6 (+7) | B5 (−7) | – |
| 8 | E6 (+8) | D6 (−8) | E♭6 (+8') |
| 9 | G6 (+9) | F6 (−9) | F♯6 (+9') |
| 10 | C7 (+10) | A6 (−10) | B♭6 (+10''), B6 (+10') |
Good to know
The charts are Classfern’s own, written from the standard published charts; there are often other fingerings for the same note, and your teacher may prefer one of them. Library pieces were converted by computer, and only the melody line is shown. The sounds are a guide to the pitch, not a recording of a real instrument. Where the music comes from.
Frequently asked questions
Does it use the microphone?
Only if you press Listen in the play-along: then the microphone is used on this device to hear which notes you play, and nothing is recorded, saved or sent. The chart, the lessons and wait mode never use it.
How are the lessons marked?
Every step says how it is assessed. Questions about hole and blow or draw and notes are marked by Classfern. Playing steps are self-assessed (you tick when you have done them), the playing check is judged by a teacher or parent with a simple rubric, and recordings and practice diaries are evidence kept at home – Classfern only keeps a list. Results stay on this device.
Why are some tunes missing?
The search only lists tunes whose every note is on a C harmonica without bending, after moving them into C. The library also has only out-of-copyright music, so modern songs are not in it.
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