Harmonica Country

I have a website that contains around 1500 songs tabulated for the diatonic harmonica. Visit Harmonica Country,

Why learn to play the harmonica

Music is a marvelous gift to us humans. It allows us to express our deepest emotions. It also can help influence our emotions. Most musical instruments require many months of practice to be good enough for us to experience any of the benefits from music, Actually it is more like years.

Not so with the harmonica. Usually one begins to enjoy the pleasure of hearing themselves make music within hours of practicing on their harmonica. And of all the musical instruments it is the harmonica that that is the most intimate and can influence us the most.

You see the harmonica is like an extension of our vocal chords. It is the closest thing to actually singing a song. It is especially good for those of us who cannot sing. It sounds so much better than our attempts to sing. And because we are the one who is producing the music we are the ones who benefit the most from the music.

I talked with a professional harmonica player and he told me that the harmonica saved his marriage. Whenever he was upset with his wife because of some harsh words she had screamed at him, he would go outside with his harmonica and play a little tune. The mere act of making music calmed him down and put things in perspective. Simply the music was so much more superior to their previous conversation.

I used to ride my motorcycle up into the mountains to find a place where I could pull over to the side of the road and play my harmonica. It was such a soothing experience. It gave my life new meaning.

I remember now playing "Fairest Lord Jesus" and viewing a flock of sheep in the valley below. So powerful was the experience that I eventually moved to the mountains where I could play my harmonica outside my home on the deck. Now I play hymns like "How Great Thou Art" out under the stars.

I am not a very good musician. Not even a good harmonica player. I mostly play for my dog. But thanks to the harmonica I can enjoy the benefits of music.

Others may not benefit very much. But the mere fact that I am making music benefits me tremendously.

Blue Velvet

Blue Velvet

 6  -7     7   8 -7   
She wore blue velvet.

-6-7  7    8 -8  -7  -6   6
Bluer than velvet was the night.

-5 6   -6   -8-6
Softer than satin

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was the light from the stars.

6  -7    7    8 -7  
She wore blue velvet.

-6 -7  7    8 -8  -7   -6    6
Bluer than velvet were her eyes,

-5 6    -6  -8  -6  -5 -4    6   
Warmer than May her tender sighs.

 6   -7  -8
Love was ours.

 8   8  8  -8  7   -8 8-8  
Ours a love I held tightly,

 -8 -8  -8   7  5     6
feeling the rapture grow,

 8   8   8   -8 7    -8 8-8   
Like a flame burning brightly,

-8  -7   -8  -7     7  -6    7   6
but then she left, gone was the glow

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Of blue velvet, precious and warm

-8 -7-6-7   6     -7  -8
a memory through the years.

 7 -8   8    7  -5  -5   -5 -8 
And I still can see blue velvet

 -8     -7   7
through  my tears.

Blowin' In The Wind

Blowin' In The Wind

6   6  6  -6    6  -5  6   5 -4   4
How man-y roads must a man wa-lk down

5   6   6   -6   6 -5  6
be-fore you call him a man?

5  -5   6   6  6  -6 
Yes 'n' how man-y seas

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must a white do-ve sail

5   6   5    -5   -5  5   -4
be-fore she sleeps in the sand?

5  -5   6   6  6  -6 
Yes 'n' how man-y times

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must the can-non ba-lls fly

5   6     6    -6   6 -5    6
be-fore they're for-ev-er banned?

5  -5  -5    5   -4  
The an-swer, my friend,

-4   5   5   5 -4    4
is blow-in' in the wind,

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The an-swer is blow-in' in the wind.

Beautiful Dreamer

Beautiful Dreamer

 7  -7  7     6  5 
Beau-ti-ful dream-er,

-4   4 -4 -6
wake un-to me,

 6   -7   -6  -6    6 
Star-light and dew-drops

-5   -5   5  -4    5
are wait-ing for thee;

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Sounds of the rude world

 -4   4 -4   -6
heard in the day,

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Lull'd by the moon-light

-5  -5    5   -4  4
have all pass'd a-way!

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Beau-ti-ful dream-er,

 -6   6  5   4
queen of my song,

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List while I woo thee with soft mel-o-dy;

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Gone are the cares of life's bus-y throng,


 6  -7 -6    -6  6  -5  -5   5 -4  5
Beau-ti-ful dream-er, a-wake un-to me!

-6  -7  7    7   6   5  -5   5 -4  4
Beau-ti-ful dream-er, a-wake un-to me!

Back In The Saddle Again

Back In The Saddle Again

4-4   5   5  5  -5   5 -4   4
I'm back in the sad-dle a-gain,

-5    -5  6   -6   -5 -5   6
Out where a friend is a friend,

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Where the long-horn cat-tle feed

-7  7  -6  6   6  -6    5
on the low-ly jim-son-weed;

5   -4  -4 -4   5   6 -6  6
I'm back in the sad-dle a-gain,

5   5   5   -4    5     4
Rid-in' the range once more,

-5  -5   6 -6  -5  -5  6
Tot-in' my old for-ty-four,

 6    6   -6   -6  -6 -5    7
Where you sleep out ev-'ry night,

 -7   7  -6 6   6  -6   5
Where the on-ly law is right;

5   5    5  5  -5   5 -4   4
I'm back in the sad-dle a-gain.

 6   6  -6 -5  7   -6   6   6  5   6
Whoo-pee-ti-yi-yo, Rock-in' to and fro,

6   6   6  -6   6  5  -4
Back in the sad-dle a-gain,

 6   6  -6 -5  7  -7 -6  6  6
Whoo-pee-ti-yi-yay, I go my way,

 5   5  5  -5   5 -4   4
Back in the sad-dle a-gain.

Answer Me Oh My Love

Answer Me, Oh My Love

 5  6   6  -6  6    6    
Answer me, oh, my love.

  6   -5   -5 
Just what sin 

 5  -5   6  -5 5    5
have I been guilty of?

 -4   5 -5 -6  -5      
Tell me how I came 

-4  -4   4    4
to lose your love.

  -4     4 -3 -3     3    5
Please answer me, sweetheart.

verse 2 (same tabs, except last two words.)
You were mine yesterday.  I believed that
love was here to stay.
Won't you tell me where I've gone astray.
Please answer me,

-4  4
my love.

refrain
-3   5     6-7 6   5  -4   4  
If you're happier without me,

-4    4  -3   4  -3
I'll try not to care.

-3   5  6   -7     6   5 -4   4  
But if you still think about me,

  5    -4 5  -5  -6   6
please listen to my prayer.

verse 3
You must know I've been true.
Won't you say that we can start anew?
In my sorrow now I turn to you,
please answer me, my love.

-5-5   -5  -6  7
Answer me, my love.

Nat Cole had a hit with this in 1954.
The song may be older.

Anchors Aweigh

Anchors Aweigh

 4    5 6   -6  5   -6 
Stand, Navy, out to sea!

 7     7  -8 6    7
Fight, our battle cry

-6    7 -6     6   -6    -7
We'll never change our course

7   7   6   -8    7   -7   6 -5 -4
So viscious foe steer shy, y, y, y!

4    5   6 -6  5 -6    7 -8    6  7
Roll out the T. N. T!  Anchors aweigh!

-6   7-6   6 -6-7  7   8    6     6
Sail on to victory and sink their bones

6 -8 6    6     6 7
To Davy Jones, Hooray!

Anchors aweigh, my boys, anchors aweigh!
Farewell to college joys,
We sail at break of day, day, day, day.
Through our last night a'shore, drink to the foam!
Until we meet once more here's wishing you
A happy voyage home!

America The Beautiful

America The Beautiful

6   6   5  5    6    6   -4    -4
Oh beau-ti-ful, for spac-ious skies,

5  -5  6   -6   -7   6
for am-ber waves of grain,

6   6   5    5   6    6 -4   -4
for pur-ple moun-tain ma-jes-ties

-8  7   -8    8   -6  -8
a-bove thy fruit-ed plain,

6  8  8 -8  7  7 -7 -7
A-me-ri-ca, A-mer-i-ca,

7   -8  -7   -6   6    7
God shed his grace on thee.

7    7   -6   -6   7     7   6   6
And crown thy good with broth-er-hood

6    -6  7   6  -8    7
From sea to shin-ing sea.

verse 2
O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in selfcontrol
Thy liberty in law.

verse 3
O beautiful for heroes proved
In libertating strife,
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine.

verse 4
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees, beyond the years,
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.

Affair To Remember

6   8    6 -6  -7 7  -8   6    6
Our love affair is a wondrous thing

6    -9   -6 -7    7 -6 9 7  7
That we'll rejoice in remembering.

7    9   8   8    9  -10  -10   -8 -8
Our love was born with our first embrace

8  8   9   -6  -6  -7  7  -8   -6  -6
And a page was torn out of time and space.

6    8   6 -6   -7  7  -8 6   6
Our love affair may it always be

6  -9   -6  -7     7    -8 9 7 7
A flame to burn through eternity.

-6   9  -9   8   -9 -7  -8 -7   -7
So take my hand with a fervent prayer

-7  -6  -9  -6
That we may live

-7  -7  9  -7
And we may share

-7 -6 -9 -6   -6  -7-8 7
A love affair to remember.

--repeat--