What harmonica do I need for Rocket Man?

A Bb diatonic harmonica. The Rocket Man harmonica tab on this page is written for that harp.

Is Rocket Man easy to play on harmonica?

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

What are the first notes of Rocket Man on harmonica?

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

1 tab available

Rocket Man Harmonica Tabs

Elton JohnKey of A#EasyPop

1 tab · 70 BPM · Free

Key: A#Beginner level 70 BPM Free Harmonica Tab

The song "Rocket Man" by Elton John is written for a Bb diatonic harmonica, using holes 6–10. It needs no bends. A key practice hint is to focus on the hardest line, which is line 64: -6 7 -9 8 -9 8 -9 8 10. This song is suitable for beginner players, offering a chance to practice a variety of notes within this range.

Harp: Bb · 1st position
Key: Bb major
Time: 4/4
Tempo: ♩ = 70
Level: Beginner
Part: complete (80 bars + pickup)

Whole tab one octave up: at the written pitch the G notes would need a -3'' bend
58% of notes are on holes 8–10: a Low Bb harp plays this same tab an octave lower, warmer and closer to the written register
13 grace notes (quick flicks into the next note) are not written in the rhythm: play them as a quick slide or leave them out

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 P

P [4/4]

B from 12.1+

C from 19.4+

C' from 27.4+

D from 36.1+

E from 48.1+

F from bar 61

G from 69.2+

H from 77.2+

Playing Notes

Plays: complete (80 bars + pickup) Whole tab one octave up: at the written pitch the G notes would need a -3'' bend 58% of notes are on holes 8–10: a Low Bb harp plays this same tab an octave lower, warmer and closer to the written register 13 grace notes (quick flicks into the next note) are not written in the rhythm: play them as a quick slide or leave them out

What next?

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How to play the first line of Rocket Man on harmonica

Get a Bb diatonic harmonica
This Rocket Man tab is written for a Bb diatonic harmonica.
Need a Bb 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 -6 7 -6 7 -6 7 -6 7 -8 7 -6 7 -6: 6 blow and 7 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 Rocket Man?: A Bb diatonic harmonica. The Rocket Man harmonica tab on this page is written for that harp.
Is Rocket Man easy to play on harmonica?: This song is marked beginner level. Its tab needs no bends.
What are the first notes of Rocket Man on harmonica?: The first line is -6 7 -6 7 -6 7 -6 7 -8 7 -6 7 -6. Plain numbers are blow notes, numbers with a minus sign are draw notes.