| The Chromonica is a truly classic model of chromatic | | | | an extra lower octave on the left side of the |
| harmonica - made by the Hohner Company of | | | | harmonica, which can be fun, but on the other hand |
| Germany, it has been around for several years, and | | | | the 12 hole harmonica tends to fit in your hands |
| looking at pictures of chromatic harmonica players | | | | much better, is lighter, and is easier to hold cupped to |
| over the decades past, you can see the Chromonica | | | | a microphone if that is the way you play. |
| in the hands of several famous players, such as | | | | Chromatic harmonicas are designed to play every |
| Stevie Wonder and Toots Thielemans. Most often in | | | | complete scale in any key -- major, minor, pentatonic, |
| these pictures they are playing Hohner's Super | | | | blues, etc. -- all on one instrument. Nevertheless, they |
| Chromonica, the 12 hole version of the chromonica, | | | | can be bought in various keys - the most common |
| model #270. | | | | by far is the key of C. |
| Stevie Wonder is famous for his pop/funk style of | | | | A chromatic harmonica theoretically can play in any |
| playing the chromatic, a choppy, slurring style that he | | | | key because it has as part of its mechanism the |
| created and that a lot of players aspire to imitate. | | | | ability to play all 12 notes of the "Western" (standard |
| Toots Thielemans style on the other hand is much | | | | do-re-mi) scale, so that by using the button slide on |
| smoother, a legato jazz style that fits beautifully with | | | | the side of the chromonica you can build your various |
| traditional jazz accompaniment. | | | | scales. But as you can imagine, the various keys start |
| The Chromonica harmonica has a wooden comb, | | | | in various places on the scale of western music, such |
| which means that the middle part of the instrument, | | | | as G typically starting lower than the C scale |
| the basic body of the instrument, is made of wood. | | | | harmonica. |
| Quite often these days, the comb of the harmonica | | | | The c scale-tuned harmonica is midrange, and also is |
| is made of plastic . | | | | very easy to understand music theory-wise, so that |
| There are varying schools of thought about whether | | | | if you were using the chromatic harmonica (a |
| it's better to have a wooden comb or a plastic comb | | | | Chromonica in this case) to build scales for whatever |
| - they definitely have their pluses and minuses. | | | | song you are playing, it is easy to start with the |
| Wood, as you can imagine, reacts to humidity and | | | | basic "blank slate" (no sharps or flats) of the key of |
| swells and shrinks accordingly, a little bit. Plastic combs | | | | C harmonica, and build it up from there. |
| on the other hand don't have this problem but may | | | | An example of this would be if you were playing a |
| not have the beautiful tone that wood has. | | | | key of C Chromonica in the key of D, then you |
| However, the Chromonica has been in production for | | | | would use the button slide to give you the C sharp |
| several decades, and is still a really great instrument. | | | | and the F sharp in the scale of the key of D to play |
| It is not Hohner's "top of the line" anymore, but it is | | | | your C chromonica in the key of D. |
| a good reliable instrument that you can get a "classic" | | | | In summary, Hohner's Chromonica harmonica is a |
| sound with, and if taken care of, the Chromonica | | | | classic chromatic harmonica that has quite a lot of |
| harmonica can last and be one of your favorite | | | | history behind it, has a beautiful tone, and is reliable. It |
| instruments. | | | | is a midrange model Hohner harmonica and is a great |
| The Chromonica comes in various sizes: the 12 hole | | | | place to start playing the chromatic harmonica. |
| and the 16 hole models. The 16 hole chromonica has | | | | |
