2 of 101+

I have a page on this site entitled 101+ ways to sound better playing harmonica which was inspired by a Guitar Player Magazine article similarly titled. For the next 100 or so posts, I'm going to go through the ways, and elaborate.

2. Even if you don't sing well, sing anyway - at least in the woodshed. Sing the melody, sing your riffs, sing everything. It will make you so much more familiar with the music you're trying to play, and singing is it's own reward.

You need to be able to sing the Melody to learn it.  Too many harmonica players focus on riffing. Learn to play melodies and you'll set yourself apart from the rest.

In your singing, make sure you're singing the Melody, not a line that shifts from Melody to Harmony and back. When you're singing (yes OUT LOUD), imagine you're playing the note on your harmonica. It'll help you when you try to play it to imagine yourself singing the note, too.

Top Secret Tip: as you play, you're manipulating your embouchure to resonate with the note you're playing. How well you do this affects your tone...