2020 Harmonica Goals and Updates
A Look Back and a Look Ahead
2020 harmonica goals and updates—what better time to pause and reflect? It’s the end of 2019, not the end of the world (or my YouTube channel!), and I wanted to share a little round-up of everything that’s been going on—plus give you a sneak peek at what’s coming next. Stick around to the end and I’ll even play you out with a bluesy version of Jingle Bells—and show you how to learn it too.
Learning from the Best
This year, I decided to do something I hadn’t done in a long time—get back to being a student myself. I took private harmonica lessons with some absolute legends: Rollin’ Platt, David Barrett, Liam Ward, and Ronnie Shellist. Every single lesson opened up something new for me.
One of the biggest shifts? I started working on tongue blocking. Now—I’ve never been a strict tongue blocker—but I’m embracing the hybrid approach. It’s brought a lot more control and texture to my playing. I’m planning to keep learning and pushing my own playing even further in 2020.
Live Music with Delacroix
Another big project that kicked off this year was a second YouTube channel with my band, Delacroix. We started uploading a new live performance every single week. It’s been a total blast—and a huge challenge—to keep that consistency going.
If you haven’t checked it out yet, you’ll find blues classics, fresh arrangements, and a whole lot of raw energy. And next year? We’re planning to release a full Delacroix album. Very excited to share that with you soon.
Reinventing the Edinburgh Harmonica Workshop
Now, I did say I wasn’t going to run another harmonica workshop. But after hosting the Edinburgh Harmonica Workshop for the third time, I had such a great experience that I knew I had to do it again.
So I’ve changed things up—made it more intimate, smaller groups, and focused heavily on giving students real stage time. It’s all about building confidence, getting people up and performing, and deepening the learning experience. I’ll be running more of these in 2020, so keep an eye out if that sounds like your kind of thing.
Big Changes at Tomlin Harmonica School
Over in the online harmonica school, things have been growing in a really exciting way. We’ve had some incredible guests join us for live Q&As and special seminars—players like Will Wilde, Harry Higgs (who actually gave me a live lesson), and Lee Sankey.
Their insights added something fresh and inspiring to the community—and I’ve got more amazing guests lined up for 2020. If you’re a member, it’s going to be a big year.
On top of that, I launched a brand-new beginner curriculum. I realised I hadn’t built enough structured material for complete beginners—and it was something people were asking for. So I went back to the drawing board and created a step-by-step series to help new players get the right start. And if you’re just getting started, 2020 will bring a whole bunch of fresh YouTube lessons just for you.
More Beginner Lessons, Better Foundations
Speaking of YouTube—my strategy for 2020 is to go even deeper into beginner-focused lessons. Tone, rhythm, single notes—those foundational pieces that make or break your playing. I’ll be breaking things down in an easy-to-digest way so that you can actually feel yourself getting better week to week.
If tone’s something you’ve been struggling with, check out my post on Harmonica Tone Improvement for Beginners—it’ll point you in the right direction.
Thank You for Being Part of This
Honestly—none of this happens without you. The comments, the shares, the likes, the emails, the encouragement… it means the world. I’m genuinely grateful that I get to teach, learn, and build this harmonica community with you.
Happy harping!
