Let’s play!

Tabs, notes, scales, the circle of fifths and a metronome for harmonica — diatonic and chromatic. Blues licks with every effect: bends, overbends, vibrato, wah. The site checks what you write, plays it back and shows every note on the harp. Free, right in the browser.

Harp

Tab editor Write harmonica tabs right in the browser: the site checks what you type, plays it back and shows every note on the harp. Tabs from notes Enter a melody by note names or on the piano — and see how it falls on the harp in any key and position. Melodiesnew Ready-made melodies in tab: pick one, hear it and follow every note on the harp. Rhythmsnew Draws and blows as a chord on the beat: a hit track with beats and accents — where everything else begins. Blues licksnew The short phrases blues is built from. Loop them and learn at your own tempo. Scales and exercises Build a scale in any key, mode and position — diatonic or chromatic — and turn it into an exercise. Circle of fifths The circle ties the harp key, the position and the key of the tune together: pick any one and the rest follows. Metronome A visual metronome: pendulum, tempo, time signature, accents and a sound of your own for every beat. Tunernew A strobe tuner and a bend trainer: you see the note and the hole it came from.

How to read tabs

Tabs are written in different ways. The editor understands the notations below. Pick the ones you are used to — •prostoharp• will show and copy tabs in them.

Notes

1 1 Blow on hole 1
-1 -1 Draw on hole 1
-3' -3' Draw on hole 3 with a half-step bend
-3'' -3'' Draw on hole 3 with a whole-step bend
-3''' -3''' Draw on hole 3 with a step-and-a-half bend
4* 4* Overblow on hole 4
-7* -7* Overdraw on hole 7
-(1 2 3) -(1 2 3) Chord: several holes at once
-(1 2 3) (-1 -2 -3) The breath may also be written on every note inside the brackets — but the same for all
-(3 4) -(3 4) Double stop: two neighbouring holes
-(3 4)' -(3 4)' A group can be bent: the mark goes after the bracket or on each note
-(3 4)' (-3 -4)'(-3' -4') The bend mark, like the breath, can also stand on each note inside the brackets
-(1 4) -(1 4)-1_-4 Octave: two holes three apart, written with an underscore and no spaces
C#3 C#3Eb2F♯1 A note the chosen harp does not have — written by name
0 0 Pause
5s 5s The slide button pressed

Effects

2>5 2>5 Slide: one breath sliding from the first note to the last
-4>-1 -4>-1 A slide down is written the same way
-3=-4 -3=-4 Trill: two neighbouring holes alternating fast, one breath
1~ -1~ -4'~ 1~-1~-4'~ Vibrato: a periodic change of pitch, volume or timbre
1w -1w -4'~w 1w1W1wah1Wah Wah: the hands cup and open for the whole note
1w1 -1w2 1w1-1w2 As many times as the number says: w1 is a single wah over the note
/-2 /-3' /-2/-3' Scoop: the note is taken bent and released up to its own pitch
-2\ -3'\ -2\-3'\ Drop-off: the note is taken clean and bent down after it
/-2\ /-2\ Both at once: from the bend to the note and back

Durations

4 -5 4 -5 A bare note is an eighth — the note blues is played in
4 -5 4·· -5 Every dot adds another eighth: one makes a quarter, two a dotted quarter. Typed with the space bar
4. 4. A dot means one and a half, as in written music
4/16 4/16 Shorter than an eighth is written with a mark: 16 and 32, the denominator, the way notes are named

Repeats

1 -1 ×2 1 -1 x2 The line is played twice: x2, X2 or ×2 at the end
|: 1 … 4 :| |: 1 4 :| Repeat: everything between the signs is played twice
4 :|×3 4 :|x3 As many times as the number says; with endings, the whole repeat runs that many times
|> -1 |> -1 Volta: an ending of its own for each pass, in order

Comments

Song title ### Song title Big heading: three hashes
Verse 1 ## Verse 1 Smaller heading: two hashes
chorus # chorus Comment: one hash

Errors

! C-1 The note is outside the range of the selected harp
?( 1x The characters were not recognized and will be ignored
?( (3 1) Error: the numbers in a group must ascend
?( (1 -2) Error: one breath for the whole chord — blow and draw do not sound together