I am by no means an expert, but readnig through the forums I see a lot of brand new players and I know this helped me when i first learned. When you are learning from the very beginning, don't try to play songs fast. Take your time with them. Take something like Oh susannah and play it one note at a time and worry about speed later. The speed will come with practice. If you try to play fast looking at your first ever tab you can run into frustration and discouragement. So take your time, if you stick with it and practice, you will begin to sound like you might even know what you are doing to someone else.

That's good advice, tomcat. I found it helpful to bounce back and forth between learning songs and practicing scales (helps you get down single notes and familiarize yourself with the sound and position of notes, as well as work on your tempo).

Try the C major scale first:
+4 -4 +5 -5 +6 -6 -7 +7 (then play in reverse)

Some playful exercises:
+4 +5 -4 -5 +5 +6 -5 -6 +6 -7 -6 +7 -7 -8 +7
+7 -6 -7 +6 -6 -5 +6 +5 -5 -4 +5 +4 -4 -3 +4
or
+4 +5 +6 -7 +6 +5 (repeat 2x), then
-4 -5 -6 +7 -6 -5 (repeat 2x)

Try playing the C scale at the low end of the harp to learn bends (it's much easier to get a bent note if you have some sense of what it should sound like and playing scales helps with that):
+1 -1 +2 -2'' +3 -3'' -3 +4 (then play in reverse)

If, like me, you don't have a naturally good ear and can't just pick the right notes naturally, practicing scales will enable you to almost effortlessly find missing notes or keep playing without thinking too much.

You can play the C scale at the high end, too (but you'll need to blow bend on the 10 to get a high :
+7 -8 +8 -9 +9 -10 +10' +10 (then play in reverse)

More than a few beginner's lessons for free on YouTube, especially if you search for Jon Gindick or JamCamp.

-Marc

Good advice tomcat, "Oh Susannah" was also one of my first songs. I also recommend playing "Kumbayah" - its slow, quite easy to play and practically everyone knows the tune. After learning basic melodies, try out songs which you like and you know what they sound like so you can, after some time, play it with the proper speed (one of my personal favourites is the chorus part from "eye of the tiger" tabbed on this site)
And what is most important - don't haste. It takes some time to get a clear sound, not to mention learning a tune by heart. But after some time, you will not be able to go anywhere without your harmonica

I'd also suggest "mary had a little lamb." It's the song I started with; Kumbayah is easier, but it didn't seem like quite the challenge to me... Mary is more difficult but after a bit of frustration I find the reward great

good advice, tomcat. I'm new at the harmonica, but this is the same advice I gave my daughter when she picked up the guitar. Get the melody right, just at a slower pace. speed will take care of itself. I'm following the same principle. Soon we'll be playing together; just as soon as I can catch up to her a little.

I use 3 X 5 cards that I put the tabulation on. I either write it out or use my fax machine copier to reduce a tab I got on-line in size to fit. Start out with easy melodic songs that aren't all over the harp. Try to stay way from the upper end of the harp. I find I have to play a song at least 50 times before it starts to settle in and become easier. Eventually you will have it memorized. You can carry these cards in you pocket and practice. By the way a great place to play is in a bathroom with lots of tile...the acostics are great and you will be able to hear what other people are hearing when you play.
I have always wanted to be able to Play The Blues. I'd like to learn just one cool set of riffs. I started playing the harp years ago before I knew about the tabulation method. Just pickin' out simple tunes. Once I discovered the tabs I started memorizing quite a few hymns and country songs. I play the sax and can read music. But...this blues thing is impossible for me. I have a whole box full of books and CD's that all swear they have the easiest method to teach you. One guy even breaks it down like he's talking to a two year old ...mentioning trees, creeks and the wind. I don't know what the heck he was talking about. I can play melodies note for note. Guess I'll always be an old white guy with no blues in future. Woe is me.

Another good thing to do is to just carry your harmonica with you everywhere, ( the magic of a small instrument) and play whenever your bored, as long as you're doing it because you love it you'll have passion, and enough Passion can make "Mary had a little Lamb" even more enjoyable then the most elaborate of songs that are just going through the motions. A robot could play the harmonica so quickly and so precisely that even an old Master couldn't keep up, but it can Never play with the passion even a beginner could muster.

"Guess I'll always be an old white guy with no blues in my future ."

To play the blues is to purge your soul of your woes, You'll find that timing is everything, don't try it after you finally got that girl to notice you, try it after you just got that girl to notice you, and she spat in your face...

I could be as low as low goes and not be able to get a blues sound out of my harmonica. I have a small Hapr case with a belt loop on the back and carry one everywhere I go.

I play harmonica for just 2 days and now I can play songs like hallelujah (Jeff Buckley) and Hey Jude (The Beatles).

Are those songs just very easy or am I very talented (I don't think so)?

Gr. Casper.

Tip: Practise the C scale first, and your single notes (Drawing and blowing).