Classic Blues Songs You Can Play on a C Harmonica: Full Guide

Most online harmonica lessons use a key of C harmonica and it's probably the first key you ever owned. Luckily, there are lots of great blues tracks that feature a C harp so it's one of the most useful tools in blues music.

This guide focuses specifically on classic blues songs you can play using a C harmonica because the original recording used one. I have included links to free tabs where available.

How a C Harmonica Works in Blues

With a C harmonica, you can play:

• 1st position (straight harp) → key of C

• 2nd position (cross harp) → key of G (most common for general blues)

• 3rd position (slant harp) → key of D (most come for minor blues)

Most classic blues songs below will use cross harp (key of G) on a C harmonica. I will tell you in the table when the song is played in a different position.

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

Classic Blues Songs That Use a C Harmonica

Here is a list of more than 90 blues songs (mainly by classic Chicago greats plus some of my own personal favourites), all of which use a key of C harmonica:

Title	Artist	Notes
Ah'w Baby	Little Walter
Ain't Foolin' 'Round	Paul deLay
All My Love In Vain	Sonny Boy Williamson II
All Night Boogie	Howlin' Wolf
All Night Boogie	James Harman
Annie Lee	Billy Boy Arnold
Another Man Done Gone	Sugar Blue	(low C harp)
As The Years Go Passing By	Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues
Baby Please Don't Go	Muddy Waters
Beer Drinkin' Woman	Gary Primich
Betty	Bacon Fat
Big Boy	Carlos del Junco
Blowin My Nuts	William Clarke
Bluebird Blues	John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson
Bring Another Half Pint	John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson
Bye Bye Bird	Sonny Boy Williamson II	(low C harp) Free Tabs
Can't Hold Out Much Longer	Little Walter
Chicago Sunset	Charlie Musselwhite
Chicken Shack	Little Walter	Free Tabs
Cocaine Habit Blues	The Memphis Jug Band	(1st position) Free Tabs
Come Back Baby	Little Walter
Confessin' The Blues	Little Walter
Country Blues	Sugar Blue
Crazy About You Baby	Sonny Boy Williamson II
Do It If You Wanna	Sonny Boy Williamson II
Don't Start Me To Talkin'	Sonny Boy Williamson II
Down South	John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson
Early in the Morning	William Clarke	Free Tabs
Everything's Gonna Be Alright	Little Walter
Everything’s Gonna Be All Right	Carey Bell
Evil is Going On	Howlin' Wolf
Goin' Away Baby	Jimmy Rogers
Going to Germany	Cannon's Jug Stompers	Free Tabs
Hangin' On	Charlie Musselwhite
Harmonica Stomp	Jazz Gillum
Harpin' On A Riff	Charlie Musselwhite
Hate To See You Go	Little Walter
Have A Good Time	Big Walter Horton with Carey Bell
High Compression	James Cotton
Help Me	Sugar Blue
Hoodoo Hoodoo	John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson
Howlin' Wolf Boogie	Howlin' Wolf
I Want To Be Loved	Muddy Waters
I Wish You Would	Billy Boy Arnold
I’ll Be Around	Howlin' Wolf
I'm a Man	Bo Diddley	Free Tabs
I'm Goin' Home	Charlie Musselwhite
It's Great To Be Rich	Billy Boy Arnold
I've Had My Fun	Bacon Fat
If It Ain't Me	Jimmy Rogers feat. Walter Horton
Icepick’s Advice	The James Harman Band
Just Your Fool	Carlos del Junco
Key To The Highway	Little Walter
Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide	Sonny Boy Williamson II
Leave Me Alone	Paul deLay
Little Red Rooster	Sugar Blue
Lollipop Mama	William Clarke
Mashed Potatoes Canada	Carlos del Junco
Mean Old Woman	Sonny Terry
Mighty Long Time	Sonny Boy Williamson II
Mr Highway Man	Howlin' Wolf
Nine Below Zero	Muddy Waters
Off The Wall	Little Walter	Free Tabs
Oh, What a Beautiful City	Sonny Terry
Oh Baby	Kim Wilson
Old Time Religion	Woody Guthrie (feat. Sonny Terry)
On a Monday	Leadbelly (feat. Sonny Terry)
One More Headache	The Butterfield Blues Band	(3rd position)
Pawnshop Bound	William Clarke
Pigmeat	Cephas & Wiggins
Rainin' In My Heart	Slim Harpo
Riding The El	Billy Boy Arnold
Shake the Boogie	John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson
So Glad	Howlin' Wolf
Stealin' Stealin'	The Memphis Jug Band	(C and G harps) Free Tabs
Teenage Girl	William Clarke	(C harp in 2nd and G harp in 1st)
Tell Me Mama	Little Walter	Free Tabs
The Blues Overtook Me	Charlie Musselwhite
The Blues Keep Falling	James Cotton	(3rd position)
Too Late	Little Walter	Free Tabs
Trouble In Mind	Muddy Waters
Under the Sun	Big Walter Horton with Carey Bell	(low C harp)
Walter's Swing	Big Walter Horton
Watch Dog	William Clarke
Worn Out Shoe	The Paul deLay Band
You Bring Out the Boogie in Me	Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
You May Leave, But This Will Bring You Back	The Memphis Jug Band	Free Tabs

You can play many blues songs using a C harmonica

Thanks for reading this article. I hope it has helped you find some songs in the right key! I also have the following guides to other keys:

Blues Songs for A Harmonica

Blues Songs for D Harmonica

Blues Songs for G Harmonica

Blues Songs for Bb Harmonica

Blues Songs for F (and low F) Harmonica

Want to Learn Blues Harmonica Properly?

If you want to go beyond just picking up songs and actually understand how blues harmonica works, I have an online harmonica school designed to take you from beginner to expert.

We focus on:

• mastering cross harp

• bending notes cleanly and consistently

• building real blues vocabulary

• developing tone, timing, and feel

These are the exact skills behind players like Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson II - and I even teach specific songs played by these guys and many more.

What's more, you can follow all of my courses with your C harp. If you're serious about improving, click to start your free trial today.