Tiny enough to wear as a necklace or keep on your keychain, the mini harmonica is one of the most portable instruments in the world.
But it’s not a toy.
With just 4 holes, it plays a full C major scale, and you can make real music with it.
Here’s a good demonstration by Ben Hewlitt of a medley of tunes that can be played with it:
Meet Your Mini Harmonica
Most mini harmonicas (like the one in the video above) are in C major and have four holes.
Here’s the note layout:
| Hole | Blow (exhale) | Draw (inhale) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | D |
| 2 | E | F |
| 3 | G | A |
| 4 | C | B |
How to Hold & Play
- Hold it between your thumb and forefinger, with the numbers facing you.
- Blow gently — too much force will make the notes squeak.
- Alternate between blowing and drawing to get different notes.
- Practice “puckering” (narrowing your mouth) to isolate single holes for melodies.
Reading Harmonica Tabs
- A number without a symbol = blow (exhale) on that hole.
- A number with a minus sign before it (e.g.,
−2) = draw (inhale) on that hole.
Example:
1 1 −1 1 −2 2
means blow hole 1 twice, draw hole 1, blow hole 1, draw hole 2, blow hole 2.
That is the first line of Happy Birthday.
Song Tabs
Here are a few to get you started.
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
| 1 | −2 | −2 | 3 | −2 | 2 | −1 | −1 |
| −1 | 3 | 3 | −3 | 3 | −2 | 2 | 1 |
| 1 | −3 | −3 | −4 | −3 | 3 | −2 | −1 |
| 1 | 1 | −1 | 3 | 2 | −2 |
Mary Had A Little Lamb
| 2 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| −1 | −1 | −1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | |
| 2 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | −1 | −1 | 2 | −1 | 1 |
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
| 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | −3 | −3 | 3 |
| −2 | −2 | 2 | 2 | −1 | −1 | 1 |
| 3 | 3 | −2 | −2 | 2 | 2 | −1 |
| 3 | 3 | −2 | −2 | 2 | 2 | −1 |
| 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | −3 | −3 | 3 |
| −2 | −2 | 2 | 2 | −1 | −1 | 1 |
Popeye
| 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | −2 | 2 | 3 | |||||
| 3 | −3 | −2 | −3 | 4 | −3 | 3 | |||||
| 3 | −3 | −2 | −3 | 4 | −4 | −3 | 3 | −3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | −2 | −1 | 1 |
Repertoire (Easiest → Hardest)
- Happy Birthday
- Oh When the Saints
- Yankee Doodle
- La Cucaracha
- Popeye
- Oh Suzanna
- Scotland the Brave
- Battle Hymn of the Republic
- Amazing Grace
- What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
- Joy to the World
- The Lion Sleeps Tonight
- Lean on Me
- Jambalaya – Hank Williams
- Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver
- One Love – Bob Marley
- No Woman No Cry – Bob Marley
- Imagine – John Lennon
- And I Love Her – The Beatles
- You’ll Never Walk Alone – Gerry & the Pacemakers
- Poor Wayfaring Stranger
- The Sound of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel
- Ain’t No Sunshine – Bill Withers
- Moondance – Van Morrison
- Piano Man – Billy Joel
- Fly Me to the Moon
- Charles Trenet – La Mer
- La Bamba
- Bach: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
- Star Wars Theme
- Indiana Jones Theme
Want more tabs? Bookmark this guide. I will keep adding new tunes.