A diatonic harmonica, the "blues harp", has 10 holes and plays the notes of one major scale; the missing notes are reached by bending, which is the sound of blues and rock harmonica. A chromatic harmonica has a button-operated slide: press it and every hole moves up a semitone, so you get every note in every key. That's the harmonica of jazz and classical players.
Diatonic vs chromatic at a glance
| Diatonic | Chromatic | |
|---|---|---|
| Holes | 10 | Usually 12 or 16 (8 on small ones) |
| Notes | One key, more by bending | All 12, via the slide |
| Styles | Blues, rock, country, folk | Jazz, classical, pop melodies |
| You need | One per key | One plays every key |
| Models at Thomann | 727 | 103 |
| Median price | $55 | $269 |
Prices are Thomann's on October 19, 2026.
Which to learn first?
For almost everyone, diatonic. It's cheaper, the blues and folk sound is what most people want, and the breathing and single notes you learn transfer to chromatic later. Choose chromatic first only if you want to play jazz standards or written melodies in many keys. If you start diatonic, get one in C first (see how to choose a harmonica key).
Diatonic picks
Hohner Blues Harp MS, $37
A 20-reed diatonic in C with a wooden comb, a classic first blues harp. One of the highest-ranked harmonicas we track: #1 of 159 diatonic harmonicas.
Hohner Special 20 C, $37
A plastic comb with the brass reed plates recessed into it, for an airtight feel. #3 of 159 diatonic harmonicas.
Chromatic picks
Hohner Chrometta 8 C, $95
A small 8-hole chromatic with 32 notes, an affordable way to try the slide. #14 of 52 chromatic harmonicas.
Hohner Super Chromonica 270 C, $196
The classic 12-hole chromatic in C. #8 of 52 chromatic harmonicas.
Suzuki SCX-48 Chromatix C, $211
A 12-hole, 48-reed chromatic with phosphor-bronze reed plates, sold with a case. #1 of 52 chromatic harmonicas.
Questions
Is chromatic harmonica harder than diatonic?
Different. Chromatic needs slide coordination and is less forgiving to bend; diatonic needs bending to get the missing notes.
Can you play blues on a chromatic harmonica?
Yes, but it sounds smoother and jazzier; the classic bent-note blues sound is diatonic.
How we measured. Every diatonic (727) and chromatic (103) harmonica Thomann listed as in stock on October 19, 2026, by Thomann's categories, converted from euros at the European Central Bank rate. Products show today's price and rank, updated every night.
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Denis Kataev runs AudioFu. Every night the site records the prices of more than 38,000 instruments and studio tools at Thomann, and he writes about what those numbers show: what got cheaper, what just arrived, and which discounts are real.
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