Test Items and Feedback

Test Items for Learner Practice

NOTE: For all of the following questions, assume that "diatonic" always refers to the standard, Richter-tuned, diatonic harmonica and that there are no special techniques involved.

Identify a standard, Richter-tuned, diatonic harmonica in the key of C.

Stem	Distractors	Feedback
Select three visual characteristics that you would see on a diatonic in the key of C.	8 holes in a row	Guess again! The standard diatonic has 10 holes.
	C stamped into the top	Correct! The letter of the key that the diatonic plays is typically stamped into the top, right side.
	No visible, moving parts	You got it! The reeds inside the diatonic vibrate when you blow or draw air through the holes, but there are no other moving parts.
	10 holes in a row	That’s right! The standard diatonic has 10 holes in one row.
Select three visual characteristics that you would NOT see on a diatonic (in any key).	A slide handle	True! If you see a funny knob sticking out from the side, it’s not a standard diatonic.
	Two rows of 10 holes	Yes! It might be double the fun, but it’s not a standard diatonic.
	12 holes	Correct! Maybe more is better, but it’s not a standard diatonic.
	F# stamped into the top	Not Correct! This is a characteristic of a standard diatonic in the key of F sharp.
Select two non-visual characteristics of a diatonic in the key of C.	It plays sharps or flats	No! Diatonics in several other keys have sharps/flats, but not the standard diatonic in the key of C.
	It plays ALL of the natural notes, C, D, E, F, G, A, B	Yes! The standard diatonic in the key of C plays all of the non-sharp and non-flat notes, aka the white keys on the piano.
	The blow notes are C, E, G	Correct! No matter which hole you blow on a standard diatonic in the key of C, you can only get a C, an E, or a G.
	The draw notes are A, B, C, D	Sorry! There’s no C. The draw notes on the standard diatonic in the key of C are B, D, F, A, and one G (the only note repeated in both blow and draw).

Use harmonica tablature to recognize which hole to blow into or draw from.

Assume that up = blow and down = draw.

Stem	Distracters	Feedback
How many different kinds of tablature are there for the diatonic?	10, same as the number of holes	Sorry! Holes got nuthin’ t’ do with it.
	One for each musical genre: classical, jazz, blues, folk, etc	Spin the wheel again! Any style of tablature can be used for any genre.
	Unlimited	You win! There’s no limit; anyone can invent any number of harmonica tablatures.
Circle the notation that indicates blow hole 6.	6	Maybe! This could be blow 6, if -6 is draw 6.
	↑4	You know that’s not right!
	b6	It’s possible, if b = blow.
	6↑	That’s an easy one, right! Some combination of a number and an up arrow is the classic way to show which hole to blow.
Circle the notation that indicates draw hole 4.	4 ↓	Correct! It doesn’t matter where the down arrow is, as long as it clearly goes with the number.
	↓↓↓↓	Not likely! You could write tab this way, but it isn’t practical.
	6	You know that’s not right!
	-4	This is correct. It’s a common way to indicate blow 4.

Use an online instrument tuner to recognize which note you’re playing.

You can use an electronic instrument tuner or an online instrument tuner. Make your surroundings as quiet as possible. If you don’t have a tuner, here’s a free online tuner http://www.seventhstring.com/tuner/tuner.html.

Stem	Distracters	Feedback
Can you use an instrument tuner to tune your diatonic?	Yes	Not Correct! A tuner can tell you if your harmonica is in tune, but it can’t tune it.
	No	Correct! You’re pretty much stuck with whatever state of tune your harmonica happens to be in. The instrument tuner will tell you what note you’re playing.
If you can’t play a perfect note, you’re harmonica is broken.	True	That’s not the right answer! No harmonica is in perfect tune.
	False	That’s right! As long as the tuner shows a C, E, or G when you blow a standard diatonic in the Key of C (or B, D, F, A, or G when you draw) that’s good enough.
If you’re playing sharps and flats, you’re harmonica is broken.	True	Probably not! There could be a lot of other reasons.
	False	Most likely! If you’re consistently playing sharps and flats, make sure a C is stamped into the harmonica. If there is a C, it’s more likely that you don’t have a standard, Richter-tuned, diatonic. You’ll need to get one for this lesson.

Blow the C, E, and G notes; draw the D and F notes.

Play the following very slowly while watching your instrument tuner. Assume ↑= blow and ↓= draw.

Stem	Distracters	Feedback
What notes do you see on your tuner when you play ↑5 ↑5 ↓5 ↑6 ?	E E F G	Excellent! You just played the 1st bar of Ode to Joy.
	F F G A	Sorry! You’re playing too high. Shift your mouth one hole to the left and try again.
	D D E F	Sorry! You’re playing too low. Shift your mouth one hole to the right and try again.
	Something else	Either you’re playing the wrong harmonica or the wrong holes. Make sure you’re playing the standard, Richter-turned, diatonic in the key of C. And then try playing just one note over and over while watching the tuner until you feel sure you know where to blow and draw to get the notes you want.
What notes do you see on your tuner when you play ↑6 ↓5 ↑5 ↓4 ?	G F E D	Fantastic! You just played the 2nd bar of Ode to Joy.
	A G F E	Sorry! You’re playing too high. Shift your mouth one hole to the left and try again.
	F E D C	Sorry! You’re playing too low. Shift your mouth one hole to the right and try again.
	Something else	Either you’re playing the wrong harmonica or the wrong holes. Make sure you’re playing the standard, Richter-turned, diatonic in the key of C. And then try playing just one note over and over while watching the tuner until you feel sure you know where to blow and draw to get the notes you want.
What notes do you see on your tuner when you play ↑4 ↑4 ↓4 ↑5 ?	C C D E	Congratulations! You just played the 3rd bar of Ode to Joy.
	D D E F	Sorry! You’re playing too high. Shift your mouth one hole to the left and try again.
	B B C D	Sorry! You’re playing too low. Shift your mouth one hole to the right and try again.
	Something else	Either you’re playing the wrong harmonica or the wrong holes. Make sure you’re playing the standard, Richter-turned, diatonic in the key of C. And then try playing just one note over and over while watching the tuner until you feel sure you know where to blow and draw to get the notes you want.

Test Items for Self Assessment

Play the first eight bars of the melody from Beethoven's Ode to Joy

Play the following very slowly while watching your instrument tuner. Assume ↑= blow and ↓= draw. Play each note for the same length of time.

Play	See	Feedback
1st bar: ↑5 ↑5 ↓5 ↑6	E E F G	Can you hear the notes go up?
2nd bar: ↑6 ↓5 ↑5 ↓4	G F E D	Can you hear the notes go back down?
3rd bar: ↑4 ↑4 ↓4 ↑5	C C D E	Up again!
4th bar: ↑5 ↓4 ↓4 ↓4	E D D D	Down again!
5th bar: ↑5 ↑5 ↓5 ↑6	E E F G	Can you tell that this is the same as the 1st bar?
5th bar: ↑6 ↓5 ↑5 ↓4	G F E D	Same as the 2nd bar.
7th bar: ↑4 ↑4 ↓4 ↑5	C C D E	Same as the 3rd bar.
8th bar: ↓4 ↑4 ↑4 ↑4	D C C C	But, this doesn’t sound the same as the 4th bar.