Great Moments in Folk, Blues and Rock: The Harmonica

The harmonica is an under-appreciated instrument. Small, inexpensive, and easy to learn basic playing skills, it has accompanied folk, rock, and blues singers, soldiers, cowboys, and sailors on their travels. It has added memorable instrumental moments to many songs and, when played by a master, can be as evocative as any instrument imaginable. The harmonica can sing, scream, cry, and dance in a way that speaks directly to the heart like almost nothing else.

Iconic moments in music photography and sound include photos of a youthful Bob Dylan leaning into the microphone, harmonica to his mouth, and John Lennon romping with his harmonica in "Love Me Do."

Here are some other great moments in harmonica music:

In Rock:

Stevie Wonder had his first hit at age 13 with an instrumental song on harmonica, "Fingertips," and it's still a classic today.

Aside from "Love Me Do," The Beatles used the harmonica effectively on other songs, such as "From Me to You."

For hot, sultry, emotionally involving harmonica, The Rolling Stone's "Midnight Rambler," is a standout, as is Chrissie Hynd's solo on "Middle of the Road," where the harmonica takes off seamlessly from the vocal.

Neil Young knows how to use a harmonica perfectly, as in "Heart of Gold," and "After the Gold Rush,"for example. So does Bruce Springsteen. Listen to "The Ghost of Tom Joad" to hear some haunting harmonica work.

The Romantics show the punkier side of the instrument with "What I Like About You."

More recently, The White Stripes' "Hello Operator" show how Jack White can tap into traditional music for contemporary sounds.

In Blues:

It's hard to pick out individual songs, other than Muddy Waters' classic "Mannish Boy," but anything by Sonny Boy Williamson, Junior Wells, Little Walter ("Key to the Highway" comes to mind for Little Walter.) The blues without harmonica is just unthinkable.

In Folk:

Woody Guthrie comes immediately to mind. He is that major American folk image, the wandering troubadour walking down dusty roads, playing in town squares, guitar on his shoulder and harmonica in hand. Everybody knows "This Land is Your Land," but try some of the less-familiar songs like "Talkin' Dust Bowl Blues," to hear what folk harmonica can do.

Bob Dylan, of course, is the next major folk artist to discuss when thinking of harmonica music. From "Blowing in the Wind" To "Visions of Johanna" to "Positively 4th Street," and many, many more, Dylan has used the harmonica to underline the message, to laugh, to cry, and to hold us captivated by whatever vision he's purveying.

Many other musicians have used the harmonica to great effect in many fields, including Donovan, Led Zeppelin, The Replacements, Tom Petty, and even Black Sabbath (listen to "The Wizard.:)

So let's all give a moment of respect to the little, easily portable, deceptively simple and completely indespensable "mouth harp...", the harmonica.