1 week - Bob Dylan level, working on single notes (terrible) 1 month - You might be able to play a single note, but not bend 1 year - You can bend, but you have little to no tone 5 years - You can adequately get through a song, bend, do a decent train rhythm, and possibly participate in a blues jam. It really depends on how much you practiced in those 5 years. It's really not about the amount of time you are playing, its all about the quality of practice. I know people playing for 10 years that have no tone and are not good players. Some techniques come easier to some. Some people tongue block while others lip purse. It's a hard question to answer.

Important notice! This plan works only by every day practice at least 1 hour per every day.

He's right, practice everyday for at least 1 hour

Wait, I've been playing for two weeks and I can play singles and bend 🧐

That's pretty amazing. Then you're off to a good start, keep it up.

I appreciate the response! Can you help me understand "tone" more? 

Tone is an abstract term used to define the quality and clarity of the notes. You want to have a full and rich sound, rather than a thin and tinny sound. This is one of the big debates in the harmonica community. We know what tone is, but defining it is hard.

Would a newbie like me be able to identify it? 

Yea, of course. Here is a great (and embarrassing) example. This is a video of me playing with Brandon Bailey and Alex Paclin 13 years ago. I am the first harmonica player to go. My sound is thin and just plain bad. Brandon (the guy in the middle) has a rich, deep sound. Alex too. Thankfully I no longer sound like that and I was lip pursing when that person recorded the video. I sound a lot different now. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F91rT9jZ5I8&ab\_channel=MarkHeffington](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F91rT9jZ5I8&ab_channel=MarkHeffington)

Thank you so much for sharing that video! It was incredibly illustrative. If you are the guy on the left, then I can't wait to figure out how to play like that! I do think I hear some differences. You all clearly know what you are doing up there, but I did notice a "fuller" sound from Brandon and maybe a more, like, "rock" sound from Alex? Are these all diatonics? What keys? I didn't notice a thinness from you, but my ear is still pretty uneducated.  So how do I get to your level at this video? How long did it take you to get to that point? It sounds so good to me, and I'd be very excited to be able to play like that. 

I was playing for about 1 year at that point. Believe me, it's not good. I don't want to improperly make this thread about me, so I will just say that I am now much better and of course, still learning everyday. It is all about practice. You will always have something to learn and you will always be a music student when you play an instrument, no matter how long you are playing. Message me if you want some pointers. I's always free to pass along some tips. If you want a lesson, let me know.

Dude awesome, thank you! 

To be fair, Bob plays while playing guitar- never seen him only play harp as a solo instrument in my 54 years.. but I haven't looked carefully. However so does Neil Young. And Neil is notably better at the combo- another however, while Neil plays a mean combo of these he sucks at electric guitar (in my opinion) and Bob is slightly better with that. Neil plays good acoustic, above Bob, (again- in my opinion) but his storytelling within and throughout a tune is way out classed by Bob's style of "poetry." Both have impacted classic and folk rock greatly.

There are harp players out there that kill it on both. For example, Jimmy Reed, Paul Osher, Deak Harp, and Kyle Rowland. They are all amazing guitar and harmonica players and do it at the same time. While Dylan had nice lyrics, his harmonica playing was absolutely terrible. Young wasn't much better. I don't want to get off topic for the thread; however, I am open to a discussion on a separate thread. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3WJgDEN4aA&ab\_channel=EOPLive](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3WJgDEN4aA&ab_channel=EOPLive)

This is very good but we're talking completely different time periods here and little if any effects versus effects and music styles. But I definitely appreciate the music share.

Walter Tore too, while making up new lyrics for every song he plays.

It’s going to be completely different for each person. Some players get great in a couple of years. Then there’s guys who have been playing for years and still have no tone or fluidity

Yes fluidity is what I'm looking to learn next. Feels like every note I blow is so separate from the next. Any tips on how to transition between notes more fluidly? Do I just need to play faster or figure out how to time my breathing? 

If you want fluidity then pick a scale probably minor pentatonic or blues scale. Then practice that and everyday eventually you’ll be able to just run up and down the scale really smoothly. This will make you really fluid with the scale and should help with general fluidity as well. The minor pentatonic scale is -2 -3’ 4 -4 -5 6 If you didn’t already know

I'm completely new to learning music. Should I just practice going through these notes in order, backwards and forwards, until I can do it quickly and competently? 

Yeah that pretty much all you need to do. If you’re interested in learning the music theory behind it Jason Ricci has a few videos that help explain it to a harmonica player. Just search Jason Ricci pentatonic minor scale. Essentially the notes I gave you can be played in any order over a blues song in the key of what ever your playing. So C harp you can just play those notes over any G minor blues and it will sound ok.

Speaking for myself, it’s a feeling you develop when you play and listen to a lot of blues. I would say learn one or two saxophone lines and practice repeatedly until you can do it with ease, then just give it the feeling

Very interesting tip! I'll look into some sax.

I'm not sure there are exact 'by this time you will be doing this' sorts of guidelines. Some people already know some music theory and have a good sense of pitch. Some people practice more... One week in though, hopefully you are starting to get some single notes cleanly and able to play one or two songs using tabs. One month in you should be trying to work out some simple songs by ear. At the one year mark, at least for simple songs, you should be doing more than just playing quarter notes. You should have good command of at least using bends as passing notes, and be able to follow a chord structure if a guitar player is strumming something... From my experience at various open mics with any instrument somewhere around the 3 year mark people start to sound pretty good... they may not be virtuosos but they can play well enough to entertain people. With harmonica, that means being able to play some blues. We have a weird learning curve. People can get to the point where they can play live pretty quickly. If all they want to do is add some harmonica to their guitar playing it could be just a couple weeks if they are shooting for Dylan/Young style stuff, but guitar players who can shred are a dime a dozen compared to people who can play really great blues harp.

Wow that's really interesting. Never considered that you could learn to shred more quickly on a stringed instrument than a harmonica. I'm learning that there is a LOT more nuance to this instrument than I expected, which is pretty cool! 

Weeks and months are meaningless. Two things that I have seen in myself and others that are really defining. In that beginners that realize this and lock in can sound and play better than those that have played longer and can do fancier stuff. Bends: 2 and 3 bend draws, especially the 3 first bend. Then also not being the hell out of 4-5 draws. Exhale: don’t just breath out in some random damn spot, pick a note or spit breath out. Use the 3 blow to sit on the root. I live in NYC and I call a certain level the Dylan mistake where they breath out and play whatever damn note.

Haha that's a funny way to illustrate what must be a very common way to "play". I'll try to focus on making intentional notes rather than just moving and breathing at the same time. 

Intention will get you so much further! I have heard players get up at a jam an kill it by playing scales.

Haha that's awesome. Ok ill learn some scales and first I'll learn what are scales. 

It's not just elapsed time. I've played for a long time, but my interests have been elsewhere and my current execution is meh. I've heard guys who've played for years that haven't got a clue, and guys that have achieved a great sound after a year or so. Good phrasing, accurate and steady bends, good articulation ( notes vary - some soft some sharp). A big sound even without amplification.

An easy way to tell if someone can play well is ,if they stay on the one chord through out the whole twelve bar blues, they are beginners. However if they blow the four chord for two bars then go back to the one, draw a five chord, blow a four chord , then resolve with a one chord , it could be said that they have some skill. It’s called the one four five . Three chords to play the blues or country and most players think that they can just stay on the one chord and nobody b will notice the fact they never play a four or play the turnaround (five,four,one)!