harmonica lessons – Harp Surgery

Zoom Group Sessions : Each Tuesday 7-8pm (UK)

March 5, 2026 The Good Doctor

WHAT WE’RE CURRENTLY STUDYING…
Current Study Pieces – Rode Myself Crazy (Paul DeLay) / Mean Old Train (Papa Lightfoot)
Skills Focus – Trian Rhythm / Cross Harp Soloing / Ear Training
Ear Training – Name the key of our randomly selected song

HOW TO JOIN US…
Schedule : Tuesday 7.00-8.00pm (UK)
Platform : Zoom
Workshop Fee: £10.00 GBP payable in advance
Sign up : Please transfer your workshop fee here paypal.me/harpsurgery
You can transfer funds from your personal PayPal account or use the credit/debit card option when you check out
If you experience any difficulty, you can get in touch with the Harp Surgery using our Contact page
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Jesu Joy Of Man’s Desiring – J.S. Bach [..with tab]

October 29, 2012 The Good Doctor

Hark, what peaceful music rings!

[To the Memory of the great Herbert Harris, Choirmaster and Organist of All Saints Church, Harpenden, UK].

Welcome to the Harp Surgery, where one minute we’re honking the blues and next minute we’re power harping on a tangent. Time now to turn the clocks back three hundred years to the ornamentation and etiquette of the Baroque.

Whether or not you’ve studied classical music, it’s a certainty you’ve encountered its superstars. In absentia, these dudes have colonised elevators, call centres hold messages and even TV theme tunes (check out The Antiques Roadshow ) for decades. Our house favourite is Johann Sebastian Bach. Jesu Joy Of Man’s Desiring, composed in the early 1700’s, was regular fayre for the Good Doctor as a junior. And somehow, Bach was hip. Read more

Harmonica Links: The Best And The Worst

February 10, 2010 Elwood

Talk about the blind leading the blind! Elwood the Apprentice has a rant about amateur hour out there on the Internet

It’s not in the Harp Surgery’s nature to be negative. The reason for that is the Good Doctor: he’s a relentlessly positive guy who’s always looking for the best in people. It’s kind of rubbing off on me. We try to dole out the best advice possible to users, but when it comes to reviewing the goods and services in the rest of the harmonica world, we often go by the “Elwood’s Mom” Policy: if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. If someone isn’t worth our time, we’re more likely to hold our tongue and look the other way than strip ’em naked and throw them into the flood lights, if you catch my meaning. Read more

Harmonica Warm-Ups and Workout

October 22, 2009 The Good Doctor

Simple practice routines to improve your tone, tempo and breathing.

Welcome to the Harp Surgery’s Physiotherapy Department. The Good Doctor is often asked about ways to warm up, develop breathing and keep all those important harping muscles in trim. Well ultimately everyone has their own regime. The Doc himself oscillates between a good glass of New World Merlot and Marathon runs. And we all suffer from poverty of time when it comes to practising, but no pump, no jump. On which note, we are proud to announce the addition of our Warm-ups and Workout page to the Harp Skills menu. We like to think of it as our harmonica gym.

Hohner MS Replacement Reed Plates

September 24, 2009 The Good Doctor

Playing harmonica with thick specs

Heap O' Harps Otis, the Harp Surgery postman, stopped in this morning for a nice cup of tea and a sit down. He delivered a lovely letter from Mr Clive Langhorn who was the Harp Surgery’s very first student many years ago. Clive is now a great blues harp specialist who performs around the South of England. He writes..

I have recently fitted the thicker reed plates (normal .9mm / thicker 1.09mm) to a MS Blues Harp, and it sounds good. Can you tell me why anyone wouldn’t use them, and if different keys may be affected differently using the thicker plates. Best regards,
Clive

It’s wonderful to hear from you Clive. I trust you are still entertaining the masses with your masterful command of the blues. Your question is most welcome and I hope you won’t mind me publishing my analysis, both for your benefit and for the benefit of our reader. Read more

Nobody’s Fault But Mine – Led Zeppelin […with tab]

September 10, 2009 The Good Doctor

If I leave my love behind, nobody’s fault but mine

Led Zeppelin - Presence And so to the wonderful world of heavy metal harmonica. Use of the humble harp in big time rock’n’roll should not really be a surprise. It’s no secret the likes of Led Zeppelin, Cream, Aerosmith, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and their peers drew inspiration directly from the great blues masters. So a splash of harp is quite fitting.

On this note Otis, the Harp Surgery’s postman, delivered this lovely letter this morning. It brought a big smile to the Good Doctor’s dear old pre-breakfast visage (him being a life long dirty Leeds fan).

I was wondering if you can answer my question?? What key harp is Robert Plant playing on the Led Zeppelin track ‘Nobody’s Fault but Mine’???? I’ve been learning the harmonica for a few months now and I find your website very inspiring!

Thanks, Johnny. From Leeds.