Stock chromatics are well suited for players who play chromatics in third position traditional Chicago Blues, and benefit from having a selection of keys. In traditional harmonica bands, the chromatic harmonica plays the lead part. Also, due to the windsavers on the low and mid-range holes, it can bend notes on both blow and draw notes, giving additional tonality if needed. The 'solo tuning' layout repeats itself at each octave, which simplifies playing in different octaves and keys in contrast to the Richter tuning system. Note that the 'D' in the last key-in draw note is common, though by no means present in all chromatic harmonicas.īecause it is a fully chromatic instrument, the chromatic harmonica is the instrument of choice in jazz and classical music. For the 16-hole variant, the layout is usually as follows. In the standard 12-hole chromatic in C the lowest note is middle C, while 16-hole variants start one octave lower. The 12-hole chromatic is available in 12 keys, but because the entire chromatic scale is available by definition, most professionals stick with the key of C-which is perhaps easier to remember, since slide in will automatically be the sharps of the associated note.Ĭhromatic harmonicas are traditionally tuned to solo tuning, which has a similar layout to the diatonic's Richter tuning except that it eliminates the G on the draw and doubles the Cs that are not on the ends of the instrument.

The chromatic harmonica can thus be contrasted with a standard harmonica, which can play only the notes in a given musical key.įamously accomplished chromatic harmonica players include classical players Larry Adler, Tommy Reilly, Antonio Serrano, Sigmund Groven, and Willi Burger, jazz players Toots Thielemans, Gregoire Maret, Yvonnick Prene, Hendrik Meurkens, and William Galison, and popular musicians Norton Buffalo and Stevie Wonder.Ĭhromatic harmonicas are usually 12, 14 or 16 holes long. Thus, the instrument is capable of playing the 12 notes of the Western chromatic scale. When the button is not pressed, an altered diatonic major scale of the key of the harmonica is available, while depressing the button accesses the same scale a semitone higher in each hole. The chromatic harmonica is a type of harmonica that uses a button-activated sliding bar to redirect air from the hole in the mouthpiece to the selected reed-plate desired. Hohner Super-Chromonica harmonica, a typical 12-hole chromatic.

Chromatic harmonica