Reddit reviews American Harmonica Songbook: (Blues Harp in C)
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> Is the harmonica an instrument that beginners can learn?
Piano is definitely easy-mode for learning about the foundations of music. Its typically much more expensive however, even small electronic keyboards can cost hundreds (and don't have the best feel when playing either).
However, the certain set of songs the Harmonica was originally designed to play, is going to be the set of beginner songs that you'd practice with a Piano anyway. These are your "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "Mary had a Little Lamb", and the like. In fact, a book like America Harmonica Songbook will contain nothing but beginner friendly songs (on Harmonica OR the piano).
However... the Harmonica has a number of advanced techniques. Bending and Overblowing are difficult maneuvers needed to unlock certain notes. (notes that are just... there... on a Piano or other instrument). Chords are also difficult, often requiring tongue-blocking (ie: an octave blowing through holes 1 and 4 while tongue-blocking 2 and 3).
Performing the techniques aren't necessarily hard. But performing them in a musically coherent way? That will take years of training your lips, tongue and throat to do all the techniques. It probably won't take you much longer than a week or two before you can perform an overblow for example, one of the hardest notes to sound. But to play it with a rich tone, accurately, while thinking about chords (and everything else going on in a song) is what takes the years of practice.
Not that any instrument is easy mind you. Playing a set of chords in triplets with your left hand, while playing them in 4/4 common time in your right hand on a piano also takes years of practice. I guess what I'm saying is... music gets hard.
If you want to mess around with 1st position songs (America the Beautiful. Happy Birthday. Mary had a little lamb), the Harmonica is more than acceptable. There's a ton of songs to learn in this simple style.
If you want to pull out a Whammer Jammer? That's gonna take years to learn.