Welcome to Harmoniscribe!

After three years in development, I’m in the position to be able to release Harmoniscribe to the public. It is a harmonica transcription platform that enables players to transcribe their favourite music in a simple way that doesn’t involve using software that isn’t purpose-built for the harmonica.

As of writing this post, I’ve been playing the guitar for 14 years so am well aware of the plethora of transcription systems available. The contrast of those options to those for the harmonica is staggering, as notation is stored all across the internet and books in all sorts of formats. One of the reasons I’ve built Harmoniscribe is to provide a place where standard notation can be kept and used in a way that benefits harmonica players even if they had never heard a song before. This system is not a replacement for courses and teaching provided by professionals, rather it’s a place where you can apply the skills you’ve gained to songs and challenge yourself to create your own notation and learn new music.

Currently, it’s only available for diatonic harmonicas but if there is a demand for chromatic and other types then I’m willing to add them in. There’s lots of scope for improvement for such a system, although it’s a big push in the right direction for harmonica transcription when compared to the traditional methods that have been used for so long (think simple text that reads -4 -3 2 1 5). Naturally, such a shift in the landscape of transcription will cause some friction amongst those who are well-established using these older methods, however I welcome any suggestions and improvements that I can make to the website.

Matt