What harmonica do I need for Good King Wenceslas?

A G diatonic harmonica. The Good King Wenceslas harmonica tab on this page is written for that harp.

Is Good King Wenceslas easy to play on harmonica?

This song is marked beginner level. Its tab needs no bends.

What are the first notes of Good King Wenceslas on harmonica?

The first line is 7 7 7 -8 7 7 6 -6 6 -6 -7 7 7. Plain numbers are blow notes, numbers with a minus sign are draw notes.

1 tab available

Good King Wenceslas Harmonica Tabs

TraditionalKey of GEasyFolk

1 tab · 164 BPM · Free

Key: G Beginner level 164 BPM Free Harmonica Tab

The song "Good King Wenceslas" by Traditional is written for a G diatonic harmonica and uses holes 6–9. It needs no bends. One practice hint is to focus on line 9, which features the hardest line with the notes 9 -9 8 -8. This beginner-level tab features a mix of draw notes and is a great piece to practice your harmonica skills.

Harp: G · 1st position
Key: G major
Time: 4/4
Tempo: ♩ = 164
Level: Beginner
Part: complete (34 bars)

How to read this tab

4 blow (↑)
-4 draw (↓)
w h q e s whole · half · quarter · eighth · 16th
q. 3 ~ dotted · triplet · tied
1 + 2 + count: beat and “and”; (1) = keep holding

–

Ready

A from bar 1

1 [4/4]

B from bar 9

C from bar 18

D from bar 25

E from bar 33

Playing Notes

Plays: complete (34 bars)

What next?

Next song like thisYankee Doodle

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How to play the first line of Good King Wenceslas on harmonica

Get a G diatonic harmonica
This Good King Wenceslas tab is written for a G diatonic harmonica.
Need a G harmonica? See our harmonica guide
Read the hole numbers
Each number is a hole. A plain number (6) means blow out, a number with a minus sign (-5) means draw in.
Play the first line slowly
The first line is 7 7 7 -8 7 7 6 -6 6 -6 -7 7 7: 9 blow and 4 draw notes. Play it slowly, one clean note at a time, then match the rhythm of the recording.
Carry on line by line
Once the first line sounds clean, learn the rest of the tab one line at a time. This tab needs no bends.

Questions about this tab

What harmonica do I need for Good King Wenceslas?: A G diatonic harmonica. The Good King Wenceslas harmonica tab on this page is written for that harp.
Is Good King Wenceslas easy to play on harmonica?: This song is marked beginner level. Its tab needs no bends.
What are the first notes of Good King Wenceslas on harmonica?: The first line is 7 7 7 -8 7 7 6 -6 6 -6 -7 7 7. Plain numbers are blow notes, numbers with a minus sign are draw notes.

Tips for playing Good King Wenceslas

Line 9, 9 -9 8 -8, changes breath on every note while stepping down from hole 9 to hole 8. Practise it as out, in, out, in with the harp barely moving.
The jump from blow 7 to draw 9 skips hole 8. Practise the move on its own so you land on 9 without sounding the hole between.
About 62% of the notes are blows, so you can run out of air. Sip a little breath in through the nose between lines.

Free Christmas Harmonica Songbook

A free printable PDF: how to read harmonica tabs, then public-domain carols such as Silent Night, Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls, one per page, easiest first, each with a link to play it here.