Classic Blues Songs You Can Play on an A Harmonica: Full Guide

Your key of A harp is very useful for blues songs.

A key of A harmonica is one of the most useful tools a blues player can own, because it has a great range of notes and fits for playing one of the most popular keys in the blues. It has been used by early country blues stars like DeFord Bailey and Sonny Terry as well as later blues legends like Muddy Waters and Little Walter.

This guide focuses specifically on authentic blues songs you can play using an A harp because the original recording used one. The list below is a great resource for finding great blues songs that you can use your A harp to play.

A Quick Note on Positions

Most blues is played in 2nd position (cross harp). On an A harmonica, this means the key of E. I will indicate in the table below when the song is played in a different position.

👉 If you would like more information about positions, check out my Guide to Harmonica Positions.

Classic Blues Songs Using an A Harmonica

Here is a list of more than 70 blues songs by classic blues harmonica players, all of which use a key of A harmonica:

Title	Artist	Notes
Alcoholic Blues	DeFord Bailey
All Cried Out	The Paul deLay Band
Asked Her For Water	Howlin' Wolf
Baby Scratch My Back	Fabulous Thunderbirds
Baby	Little Walter	(3rd position)
Blowing The Blues	Sonny Terry
Blue Mood	Little Walter
Boom Boom, Out Go The Lights	Little Walter	Free Tabs
Bright Lights, Big City	Jimmy Reed
Bring It On Home	Sonny Boy Williamson II	Free Tabs
Can't Hold Out Much Longer	Big Walter Horton
Careless Love	Big Walter Horton
C-Boy Blues	Kim Wilson
Chicago Bound	Jimmy Rogers
Creeper Creeps Again	James Cotton
Cry Before I Go	Jimmy Reed	(1st position)
Davidson County Blues	DeFord Bailey
Dirty Deal	Mitch Kashmar	(1st position) Free Tabs
Don't Get Around Much Anymore	Big Walter Horton
Dust My Broom	Sonny Boy Williamson II
Evans Shuffle	Muddy Waters
Extra Napkins	James Harman
Fox Chase	DeFord Bailey
Got My Mojo Workin'	Muddy Waters	Free Tabs
Hard Hearted Woman	Big Walter Horton
High Temperature	Little Walter
Honest I Do	Jimmy Reed
Hoochie Coochie Man	Muddy Waters	(1st position)
Hoof & Mouth	Mark Graham
Hootin' Blues	Sonny Terry
I Just Keep Loving Her	Little Walter
Ice Water Blues	DeFord Bailey
It's Not Easy	Big Walter Horton
John Henry	DeFord Bailey
Juke	Little Walter	Free Tabs
Jump The Boogie	Papa Lightfoot
Key To The Highway	Sonny Terry	Free Tabs
La Cucharacha	Big Walter Horton	(1st position) Fine Cuts album
Live The Life I Love	Muddy Waters
Lost John	Sonny Terry
Luedella	Jimmy Rogers
Mean Mistreater	Big Walter Horton
Mean Old Frisco	Sonny Terry
Moanin' At Midnight	Howlin' Wolf
Muscle Shoal Blues	DeFord Bailey
Mystery Train	Paul Butterfield
Nineteen Years Old	Muddy Waters
Oh What A Beautiful City	Sonny Terry
On the Road Again	Canned Heat	(6 draw tuned up one semitone) Free Tabs
One Of These Mornings	Little Walter	(3rd position)
Pan American Blues	DeFord Bailey
Pocket Rocket	Kim Wilson
Rocker	Little Walter	Free Tabs
Rocket 88	James Cotton
Rock Me	Muddy Waters
Rockin' My Boogie	Big Walter Horton
Roller Coaster	Little Walter	Free Tabs
She's So Sweet	Sonny Terry
She's Tuff	The Fabulous Thunderbirds
Smokestack Lightning	Howlin' Wolf	Free Tabs
Snake Dancer	Little Walter
Spoonful	Howlin' Wolf
Telephone Blues	George 'Harmonica' Smith	(3rd position)
Tell Me Baby	Big Walter Horton
Temperature	Little Walter
Temptation Blues	Big Walter Horton
That's All Right	Jimmy Rogers
The Creeper	James Cotton
Too Late	Bacon Fat
Up Country Blues	DeFord Bailey
Walter's Boogie	Big Walter Horton	Free Tabs
West Helena Blues	George 'Harmonica' Smith
Whammer Jammer	The J. Geils Band
Whoopin' The Blues	Sonny Terry
You're So Fine	Little Walter

I hope this table has helped you to find some great blues harmonica songs to play. Why not check out my Blues Songs for C Harmonica / Blues Songs for D Harmonica / Blues Songs for G Harmonica / Blues Songs for Bb Harmonica next!

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