Music possesses an extraordinary ability to enrapture individuals from all walks of life, transcending barriers and igniting curiosity about the instruments responsible for weaving the melodies.
While many would consider the guitar or drums to be the best-selling musical instrument, get ready to be taken aback as we reveal to you that it’s actually the Harmonica. According to record-breaking stats, Harmonicas have over 3 million sales each year.
Let’s embark on a journey into the realm of harmonicas and uncover the Best Selling Musical Instrument and the reasons behind their coveted status in the world of musical instruments.
It does justify, as you may often spot Harmonica players on the streets of London.
Let’s dive into the reasons why Harmonica is the world’s best-selling musical instrument and what compels people to buy it the most.
Exploring the Harmonica:
A harmonica can be considered a more compact version of the harp, known as a French Harp or mouth organ, the harmonica stands as a compact instrument, serving as a portable rendition of the harp.
Its versatility knows no bounds, finding a place in various music genres, including blues, folk, classical, jazz, country, and rock.
With variants such as diatonic, chromatic, tremolo, octave, orchestral, and bass, the harmonica produces mesmerizing tunes when air is channeled into or out of its holes using the mouthpiece.
What Is the Best-Selling Musical Instrument in the World?
The answer to it is Harmonica that first came into being in the mid-1800s in Europe. Historically, the Harmonica dates back to old Chinese civilizations, when the Chinese emperors were exceptionally attached to the melodic rhythms.
This peaked so much that harmonica-playing artists were called worldwide to perform in the ruler’s court as a leisure activity.
Harmonica is primarily a mouth instrument. Hence, the individual uses his lips and tongue to create the perfect sound. Next, you change the reed lengths or weight on the instrument end, side, or the stiffness near the fixed end of the Harmonica and keep the music rising and falling where you need.
Harmonica is also an instrument that gives off vintage vibes and can also be regarded as a very romantic musical instrument. People have often been found playing it to impress others or catch one’s attention.
However, competitively some other best-selling musical instruments are guitars and the piano. They give off cool and aesthetic vibes when played.
What Are Some of the Instruments in High Demand?
| Image | Title | Warranty | Prime | Buy |
 | Electric Bass | N/A | ||
 | Drums | N/A | ||
 | Keyboards | N/A | ||
 | Guitars | N/A | ||
 | Clarinet | N/A | ||
 | Trumpet | N/A | ||
 | Cello | N/A | ||
 | Flute | N/A | ||
 | Saxophone | N/A | ||
 | Harp | N/A |
Why Is Harmonica One of the Easiest Instruments to Play?
Interested in music and finding the quickest instrument to learn and play? Harmonica is the solution. Unlike the guitars and pianos that would require you to take lessons to learn how to play and often tune to get the music right, Harmonicas are effortless to use.
For starters, it’s a small rectangular musical instrument played when air is blown into the holes along with the mouthpiece as one blows into it using the tongue and mouth. What comes as the cherry on the cake is that apart from being the world’s best-selling instrument, it’s also almost impossible to sound bad on a Harmonica as any note you play will be ‘in key’!
Moreover, you do not have to contain the excitement of learning a new instrument within you as this best-selling musical instrument in the world is equally portable. You can take it along to show the world a new skill.
Why Is Harmonica the Best-Selling Instrument in the World?
Let’s highlight one-by-one why Harmonica has such high demand in the world of musical instruments sales. Reasons for the Harmonica being famous are mainly five.
1. Portable Without a Hassle
Harmonicas are perhaps the smallest musical instruments and can easily be carried around in your pockets as well. A harmonica at most weighs only 85gms and can be conveniently carried around in your pockets or an extra pouch.
To play it, all you need to do is take it out and hold it in a specific way without needing any supporting device and start bowing in the air and creating some surreal music.
2. Affordable
Harmonica doesn’t come in several types, and so the price range is not too varied. It would cost roughly $35 to $90 for a diatonic harmonica for beginners and $120 to $250 for a chromatic harmonica.
If this cost sounds like an investment to you, you should check out the prices for guitars or pianos, which don’t come below $500 as the starting price.
3. Easy to Maintain and Clean
A damp cloth and lukewarm water are all that you require to clean a Harmonica. Just rinse the Harmonica and tap it against your hand or against a soft surface with the mouthpiece is facing down. Then use a clean, soft cloth to wipe it dry—additionally, air dry before placing it back into the case.
However, if your Harmonica is technologically advanced, do not rinse under lukewarm water. Ensure regular cleaning of the instrument to prevent excessive dirt accumulation or rust of alloy.
4. Compatible with Many Music Genres
As already given, heads-up harmonicas can be played in a wide range of musical genres. Be it tapping to folklore or jamming with the modern, pop, rock, or roll, a harmonica is compatible with all forms of music. They have a range of keys for you to play any type of music just by adjusting the tempo.
5. Easy to Learn and Play
This world’s best-selling musical instrument is also easiest to learn how to play because of the smaller size and simple keys; Harmonicas are easy to learn and play with. You can either DIY it or learn with the help of tutorial videos or lessons. Just blow in well enough to create musical tunes.
According to recent research, Harmonicas have also proven to strengthen the muscles needed for inhalation and exhalation, enabling you to cough better to eliminate phlegm.
Now that you are aware that which is the world’s best-selling musical instrument and why let’s tell you a few variants of Harmonicas available for players ranging from beginners to advance.
The “Diatonic Harmonica” is recommended for beginner players or if you are playing for the first time as it’s easier to play than the chromatic or the tremolo. An excellent piece of Diatonic Harmonica is the Hohner M2009BXC Marine Band Crossover Diatonic Harmonica. However, if you seek an advanced option, you would love to get your hands on the Hohner Crossover and the Seydel Silver 1847.
What Should Be Kept in Mind While Purchasing a Harmonica?
- Select a harmonica with a stainless steel cover rather than going for the plastic variant as the former is more durable. Plastic Harmonica is more friendly to the lips, but it can crack more easily than steel covers.
- Since harmonicas are musical instruments keyed and tuned to be played perfectly, they have high chances of being out of tune due to human errors. Therefore, ensure to buy from reputable sellers or those with a good record of selling instruments. Always go through the customer reviews before proceeding to make an offline or online purchase.
- While harmonicas are surely cheaper than other musical instruments, they are not generally dirt cheap. Hence, if you come across Harmonicas sold at very low and negotiable prices, be suspicious about them. They are most likely to be out of tune, leaky, or unresponsive.
- But upon inspection. Get harmonicas from the local music stores and inspect them well for any factory defects. If there are, return immediately and check out a different shop.
How to Sell Musical Instruments?
Now that the quest about what is the world’s best-selling musical instrument is out of the way, let’s talk about where to get them and, on the contrary, where to sell them if you change your mind.
Your best option would be the local music store in-person or online shopping; music Diffusion is the best site for selling musical instruments. However, you can also find some best-selling musical instruments on Amazon.
Not only Harmonicas, but you can also find all sorts of musical instruments on these sites for the best competitive prices. However, after buying an instrument, if you make up your mind for selling an instrument, then check out “Careers in Music” for a complete guide on how to sell musical instruments.
Conclusion: What Is The World’s Best-Selling Musical Instrument?
In summary, the harmonica stands as the world’s best-selling musical instrument, captivating audiences with its accessibility, affordability, and versatility. Whether you’re a fledgling musician or a seasoned virtuoso, the harmonica’s allure lies in its simplicity and portability, rendering it an indispensable component in the tapestry of music.
As the harmonica continues to harmonize with the human spirit, its legacy as a timeless musical companion remains unwavering, inspiring generations to embrace the joy of music.
