With a chromatic harmonica you can play all twelve tones of the chromatic scale. In order words: you can play every possible tone of Western music. With the well-known diatonic Richter harmonica, also known as the blues harp, this will be a bit more difficult to do. With the usual twelve holes on a harmonica, you are provided with a range of up to three octaves. Each chromatic harmonica is equipped with a sliding bar which allows you to play all intervening notes.
This type of harmonica is mostly used as a solo instrument for jazz and classical music. Famous musicians who use this instrument include Toots Thielemans and Stevie Wonder. With the chromatic harmonica you can use several techniques such as overblowing, bending and playing chords but these are quite limited compared to the blues harp. This means that if you prefer a sound that matches blues, rock, pop or country music, a diatonic harmonica might be a better option.
Also check out our Harmonica Accessories and our tremolo and Octave Harmonica.
