Masterpieces you’ll want to play on the harmonica. Popular songs that look cool if you can play them.
The harmonica is one of the classic instruments you’ll find at school.
Many of you have probably played it in music class, right?
Because it’s a simple instrument that produces sound just by blowing, even small children can play it easily—that’s the nice part.
This time, we’re introducing famous songs you’ll want to try playing on the harmonica at least once.
We’ve gathered a genre-spanning selection, from long-loved Japanese and Western songs to recent popular J-pop.
If you’re thinking, “I want to play popular songs on the harmonica,” or “I want to perform the harmonica in front of people,” be sure to use this as a reference!
- Harmonica masterpieces: world-class performances you should hear at least once
- [Brass/Wind Band] Recommended for Beginners! A Collection of Classics and Popular Pieces Perfect for Practice
- [2026 Edition] Songs Loved by People in Their 60s: Classic Hits from Their Youth
- [For Seniors] Beloved songs to sing in December: heartwarming moments with nostalgic kayōkyoku and children’s songs
- [For Seniors] Popular Karaoke Songs That Everyone Can Enjoy Together
- A Must-See for Those in Their 20s: A Collection of Youthful Songs That Bring Back School Days
- Popular songs that are easy to sing at karaoke. Recommended classics and hit songs.
- I want to play it on the recorder! Carefully selected classic pieces and popular songs recommended
- [For Seniors] Winter songs you'll want to hum along to. A collection of classic tunes recommended for BGM and recreational activities
- [For Seniors] Songs to Hum in March: Heartwarming Moments with Nostalgic Classics that Evoke Spring
- Coming-of-age songs for your 50s: heart-thumping × heartwarming classics and popular tracks [2026]
- [2026 Edition] Youth Anthems for Your 40s! A Roundup of Popular Heart-Pounding × Heartwarming Songs
- [2026] Introducing recommended jazz medley videos!
Great songs you’ll want to play on the harmonica: popular tracks (41–50) that look cool when you can play them
NautilusYorushika
This is a song by Yorushika, a rock band led by Vocaloid producer n-buna.
It’s included on the album “Elma,” released in August 2019.
Vocalist suis’s crystal-clear voice seeps deep into your heart.
It’s a beautiful yet emotional rock ballad where you can feel an explosion of feeling within quietude.
The work tells the story of two characters, Amy and Elma, expressing the emotions of trying to overcome loss and sorrow.
Why does it make us want to cry as we listen? Playing it on harmonica might let you savor the world of the song even more deeply.
It’s a perfect track for those who want to share a moving experience through a sound that resonates with the heart.
SubaruTanimura Shinji
Here is one of Shinji Tanimura’s signature songs, released in 1980 and selling over 600,000 copies.
Many of you may have heard it as the commercial song for Nikka Whisky’s “Super Nikka.” It was also a hit across Asia outside Japan and remains popular.
Although the song has a grand, expansive feel, it suits the harmonica very well.
It would likely shine even more when performed with piano or strings rather than harmonica alone.
Someday My Prince Will ComeFuranku Chāchirru
Originally written as an insert song for Walt Disney’s 1937 animated film Snow White, this piece later became beloved by jazz musicians and has frequently been performed and recorded as a jazz standard.
It’s also a work often featured by the master of jazz harmonica, Toots Thielemans.
Suitable for advanced players who can improvise solos.
Becoming a Thousand WindsAkiyama Masashi
This song became famous in the version sung by Masafumi Akikawa in 2006, but it originally began as a Japanese translation of the poem “Do not stand at my grave and weep,” which drew attention in the United States, to which Man Arai added his own Japanese lyrics and composed music in 2001.
The singing is wonderful, of course, but the harmonica’s tone matches this piece—whose melancholy evokes vast, expansive scenery—remarkably well, giving it a rich, compelling atmosphere.
I encourage you to try performing it.
paprikaFoorin
If you’re looking for a harmonica piece for children to enjoy, this is the one to try! It’s a track by the music unit Foorin, released in 2018.
It became widely known after being featured on NHK’s “Minna no Uta.” The song was written and composed by singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu.
It’s a piece with a gentle tone and melody that people of all ages can enjoy.
The key is figuring out how to recreate the song’s cheerful vibe on the harmonica.
CheersNagabuchi Tsuyoshi
This song might be perfect for a harmonica performance at a celebratory event.
It’s a track by Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi, a singer-songwriter from Kagoshima Prefecture, and the title song of an album released in 1980.
Thanks to its lyrics celebrating new beginnings in life, it’s popular as background music for weddings and receptions, as well as a karaoke favorite.
Nagabuchi’s masculine vocals are really cool.
The tempo is on the slower side, so even beginners may find it approachable.
Put your heart into playing it and make it a moving performance!
A Little Love SongMONGOL800
This song by MONGOL800, released in 2001, became a huge hit.
It’s often sung at karaoke and feels very familiar, but apparently it has never actually been released as a single.
It’s frequently used in commercials and covered by other artists.
The song works well with virtually any instrument, and if you’re playing it on harmonica, it should be a lot of fun to perform together with percussion like a cajón.