Easy Harmonica Songs for Beginners | Harmonica Lesson & Tabs

Hello! I've tabbed out 10 easy harmonica songs for beginners. Scroll down for free tabs for them all...

The tab system

These songs are all tabbed out for diatonic harmonica (in any key). The symbols I use are pretty basic - positive numbers are blow, negative numbers are draw.

Learn more about my harmonica tab system

Top practice tips

All notes in the following songs are mainly in the middle octave of the harmonica (holes 4 to 7) which is the easiest area to play. These are easy songs, but you still need to concentrate on getting good clean notes and smooth transitions between notes.

You may want to articulate the notes with consonants such at 'TUH' 'DUH' or 'LUH'. Don't actually make the sound, just use your tongue to punctuate the note. This is especially useful when playing repeater notes (more than one of the same hole in quick succession) - instead of taking separate breaths, which is inefficient and tiring, keep a continuous airflow but interrupt it by flicking your tongue against the hard palate.

Here are some song practice tips:

• Take it slowly! It's far more important to get the right notes than it is to play fast.

• Breathe naturally - too much force will sound bad and tire you out.

• Keep your mouth on the harmonica - this will make your playing smoother and more accurate.

1. Alouette

4 -4 5 5

-4 4 -4 5 4 3

4 -4 5 5

-4 4 -4 5 4

2. Oh! Susanna

4 -4 5 6 6 -6 6 5 4 -4 5 5 -4 4 -4

Oh I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee

4 -4 5 6 6 -6 6 5 4 -4 5 5 -4 -4 4

And I'm going to Lou’siana, m-y true love for to see

-5 -5 -6 -6 -6 6 6 5 4 -4

Oh! Susanna, oh don't you cry for me

4 -4 5 6 6 -6 6 5 4 -4 5 5 -4 -4 4

For I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee.

3. Camptown Races

6 6 5 6 -6 6 5 5 -4 5 -4

Camptown ladies sing this song, doo-dah doo-dah

6 6 5 6 -6 6 5 -4 -5 5 -4 4 Camptown race track's five miles long, oh dee doo-dah day

5 6 6 5 6 6 -6 6 5 5 -4 5 -4

I came down there with my hat caved in, doo-dah doo-dah

6 6 6 5 6 6 -6 -6 6 6 5 -4 -5 5 -4 4 I’ll go back home with my pocket full of tin, oh dee doo-dah day

4 4 5 6 7 -6 -6 7 -6 6 Goin' to run all night, goin' to run all day

5 6 6 5 5 6 6 -6 6 5 I’ll bet my money on the bobtail nag

-4 -5 -5 5 -4 -4 4

Somebody bet on the bay

4. When the Saints Go Marching In

4 5 -5 6 4 5 -5 6 Oh when the saints, oh when the saints 4 5 -5 6 5 4 5 -4 Oh when the saints go marching in 5 5 -4 4 4 5 6 6 6 -5 Oh how I want to be in that number 5 -5 6 5 4 -4 4 When the saints go marching in

5. Kumbaya My Lord

4 5 6 6 6 -6 -6 6

Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah

4 5 6 6 6 -5 5 -4

Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah

4 5 6 6 6 -6 -6 6

Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah

-5 5 4 -4 -4 4

Oh Lo-ord, Kum ba yah

6. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

4 4 6 6 -6 -6 6

Twinkle, twinkle, little star -5 -5 5 5 -4 -4 4

How I wonder what you are 6 6 -5 -5 5 5 -4

Up above the world so high 6 6 -5 -5 5 5 -4

Like a diamond in the sky 4 4 6 6 -6 -6 6

Twinkle, twinkle little star -5 -5 5 5 -4 -4 4

How I wonder what you are

7. You Are My Sunshine

4 4 -4 5 5

You are my sunshine

5 -4 5 4 4

My only sunshine

4 -4 5 -5 -6

You make me happy

-6 6 -5 5

When skies are grey

4 -4 5 -5 -6 You'll never know dear

-6 6 -5 5 4

How much I love you

4 -4 5 -5 -4 -4 5 4 Please don't take my sunshine away

8. London Bridge is Falling Down

6 -6 6 -5 5 -5 6

London Bridge is falling down

-4 5 -5

Falling down

5 -5 6

Falling down

6 -6 6 -5 5 -5 6

London Bridge is falling down

-4 6 5 4

My fair lady

9. Stand By Me (Ben E. King)

5 6 -6 5 6 When the night has come 4 -4 5 -4 4 And the land is dark 4 -4 5 4 5 -4 -4 -4 -4 4 And the moon is the only light we'll see 5 6 -6 5 6 -6 5 -4 -4 4 -4 -4 4 Oh I won't be afraid, no I wo-on't be afraid 4 -4 5 -4 4 4 5 -4 5 -4 4 Just as lo-o-ong as you stand, stand by me 6 -6 6 7 -7 -6 6 -6 6 -6 5 -4 4 So darling, darling, sta-a-and by me, stand by me 5 4 5 -4 4 5 -4 4 Oh stand, stand by me, stand by me

10. Wooden Heart (Elvis Presley)

4 -4 5 5 6 -5

Can't you see, I love you

-5 -6 6 -6 6 -5 5 Please don't break my heart in two

6 -6 6 -5 5 That's not hard to do

5 6 -5 -5 5 -4 6 5 'Cause I don't have a wooden heart

4 -4 5 5 6 -5 And if you say goodbye

-5 -6 6 -6 6 -5 5 Then I know that I would cry

6 -6 6 -5 5 Maybe I would die

5 6 -5 -5 5 -4 5 4 'Cause I don't have a wooden heart

4 5 -4 5 -5 -4 5 -5 6 There's no strings upon this love of mine

6 6 -6 -6 7 -7 -6 6 It was always you from the start

4 -4 5 5 6 -5 Treat me nice, treat me good

-5 -6 6 -6 6 -5 5 Treat me like you really should

6 6 -6 6 -5 5 'Cause I'm not made of wood

5 6 -5 -5 5 -4 5 4 And I don't have a wooden heart

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