Top 6 Harmonica Rock Songs

We are counting down the top 6 rock songs with harmonica in them, and providing the tabs so you can jam along.

Are you ready to rock? 🤘

#6Piano Man
by Billy Joel

He’s playing on a C harmonica in 1st position, and there’s no single notes so this is totally suitable for beginners. Here are the harmonica tabs for the intro shown in the video above:

567 -56 567 -45 45 -45 45 

34-34 45 -34 45 -45   

56 -56 56 -45 45 -45 45   

34  -45 45 -34 34

If you’d like to be able to play this song with more mastery, you can check out my free Piano Man harmonica lesson right here. Otherwise…

#5Life is a Highway
by Tom Cochrane

Of course the song got another boost of wind in its sails when Rascal Flatts covered it in 2006 for the Disney animated Cars soundtrack. Sadly, their version doesn’t have harmonica in it. 😥

But in the original, Tom Cochrane is playing an F harmonica in 1st position. Just playing chords, but playing some nice syncopated rhythms.

Since it’s mostly just one chord, I don’t think it’s worthwhile putting the tabs here, lol. Check out the tabs on the video to play along.

#4Heart of Gold
by Neil Young

This song was written partly because of a back injury that prevented Young from playing his electric guitar, causing him to return to acoustic.

He plays his harmonica in the 3 instrumental portions of the song, and if you wanna learn them, I teach them all note for note in my Heart of Gold harmonica lesson.

I think Neil Young’s harmonica playing is some of my favorite folk style harmonica. On Heart of Gold he’s playing a G harmonica in 1st position. Here are the harmonica tabs from the live version included in the video:

45 45 45 -34 34 56 -45 45 

-4 5 -4 4 3

56 56 67 -56 6 -6′ -6 6 5  

7 8 -7 7 -6 6 -6 54 54 -34 34

#3Miss You
by The Rolling Stones

It was written by Mick Jagger jamming with keyboardist Billy Preston in rehearsals for club dates at the El Mocambo in 1977.

Bass player Bill Wyman was said to have visited many discotheques when he was working on the iconic bass line that really helps to make this song groove.

The harmonica player on the track is the great and legendary Sugar Blue. Mick Jagger is said to have discovered Sugar Blue busking on the streets of Paris.

The song is in the key of Am, and Sugar Blue is masterfully playing a D harmonica in 2nd position in the key of Am – which is hard (MUCH harder than playing 2nd position in the key of A, because in the key of Am the -3’ must be played with great accuracy).

If you wanna learn what he’s doing note for note you can check out my 5 Rolling Stones Riffs (Easy to Hard) Lesson. (It’s the last riff I teach cos it’s muthaflippin’ HARD.)

By the way, if you’re digging this lesson, you might wanna check out my Beginner to Boss course. I teach all of the songs in this video, very slowly, step-by-step so if you like these songs and wanna learn ‘em the easy way check it out here.

#2Roadhouse Blues
by The Doors

The song is in the key of E, and Sebastian plays some tasty 2nd position stuff on an A harmonica. Here are the harmonica tabs for Roadhouse Blues intro and first verse:

-2 -2 -2 -23 34 -23 

-2 -2 -23 34 -23 

-23 4 -4 -4’ -3’ -2  

-23 4 -4 -4’ -3’ -2  -3′ -3′ -2

-2 -2 -23 34 -23

-23 34 -23

-2 -3′ 4 -4′ -4  -4′ -4 -4′ -3′ -2 

-3′ -2 -2    -23 34 -23

-2 -3′ 4 -4′ -4  -4′ -4 -4′ -3′ -2 

-3′ -2 -2

I hope you’re enjoying this lesson so far. If you are, you might enjoy checking out my Beginner to Boss course. I assume you’ve never touched a harmonica, I teach all these songs in bite-sized bits taking you from total beginner to total boss. Check it out here.

#1Long Train Running
by the Doobie Brothers

Lead Singer Tom Johnston’s harmonica playing on this recording is full of contagious energy and exciting rhythms.

He’s playing a C harmonica in 2nd position, and this is a great song for intermediate players to work on speeding up their -4’ bends to -4’s released. Here are the harmonica tabs for Long Train Running by The Doobie Brothers:

-4 -4′ -4 -4′ -4 -4′ -4 -4′ -4 -4′ -4 -4 -4′ -4 -4 -4′ -4 -4

-4′ -4 -4 -4′ -4 -4 -4′ -4 -4 -4′ -4 -4′ -3′ -2 -2  -2 -2  -2

-2 -3′ 4 -4′ -4 -4 -4 -4 -4 -4′ -4 -4 -4′ -4 -4 -4′ -4 -4

-4′ -4 -4 -4′ -4 -4 -4′ -4 -4 -5 -4 -3 -2 -2  -4′ -45 Trill

-4′ -4 -4′ -4 -4′ -4 -4′ -4 56 -5 -4 -4′ -3′ -2 -2 -2 -2 -2

-2 -2 -4 -4′ -3′ -2 -2 -2 -2 -2

LOL. Those tabs don’t mean much without the rhythms, so make sure and check out the video so you can see how the tabs match up with Tom Johnston’s playing.

Thanks for checking out this harmonica lesson. I hope you found it helpful. Leave any questions or comments below. Keep on rocking the harmonica, and making the world a better place! ❤️🌍🎶