It's bluesy, soulful sound is perfect for playing minor blues, rock, country, reggae, pop, and jazz.
As exert harp player Steve Baker describes in his book, The Harp Handbook, the 560 Special 20 harmonica in Natural Minor tuning means that "all the 3rds in the blow and draw chords...are tuned a semitone lower than the Richter system, so that both blow and draw chords are minor...." This "tuning is great for blues and rock numbers in minor keys..." and is "also very good for minor key reggae numbers, or similar spacey groove music...." In general, natural minor harps have a very bluesy, soulful sound that's perfect for playing minor blues, rock, country, reggae, pop, and jazz. This fabulous tuning is set up to play minor music easily without straining the lips, the lungs, or the mind! All of the notes and chords that were missing on the major diatonic harps for playing minor blues are right there on the natural minor. Natural minors are designed to be played in cross harp (draw), not straight harp (blow) style. In cross harp, many of the draw notes can be bent, allowing for a much more expressive, fluid style of playing. In addition, cross harp is a very popular style used by most players for today's music.
The Hohner 560 Special 20 Harmonica boasts an airtight design that makes it the most recommended go-to harp for harmonica players of any style—blues, country, folk, or rock.
The Hohner 560 Special 20 delivers the coveted Marine Band harmonica sound and has the added benefits of its plastic comb, which doesn't absorb moisture. Plastic combs are more stable and do not swell, shrink, or crack. Plus they last longer and are more airtight than wood combs that can become swollen, twisted, and warped.
The 560 Special 20 harmonica's Increased airtightness means increased responsiveness. Plastic also provides comfort and it's smoother on the lips, preventing chafing. Another plus of the 560 Special 20's design is that its smooth mouthpiece features reed plates that are recessed into the comb. This keeps the 2 (rather sharp) edges of the brass reed plates from harming the harmonica player's lips. It's the harp-of-choice of harmonica virtuoso John Popper of the band Blues Traveler and was played by Bob Dylan on his 2007-2008 tour. Chances are your favorite player has several of these Hohner harmonicas in his case.
Choose your desired key!
About Hohner:
Hohner is a family company founded in 1857 in Trossingen, Germany by Matthias Hohner. Hand-made quality and close attention to detail has set Hohner apart from the beginning. A top leading brand in harmonicas, Hohner harps are distributed worldwide. Hohner harmonicas are played on the street by buskers, in intimate nightclubs, on festival stages, and even in Carnegie Hall. Despite a diverse harmonica line used in music from country to classical genres, the most famous Hohner harmonicas are their simple, 10-hole diatonics used frequently by blues, rock, country, and folk musicians.
