As musicians, we believe there’s no better way to celebrate America’s birthday this Fourth of July than to learn a new song. There are thousands of appropriate tunes out there to choose from, however we feel you can’t get more patriotic than “The Star-Spangled Banner.” ArtistWorks harmonica master Howard Levy breaks it down in the video below.

During the War of 1812, lawyer Francis Scott Key was taken prisoner aboard a British ship after a failed POW exchange. While in captivity, Key witnessed the US victory against Britain during the Battle of Baltimore and was inspired to write a poem, which would become the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The United States officially adopted the tune as their national anthem in 1931.

Not only is “The Star-Spangled Banner” a fun tune to learn on harmonica, but it can also be used as an exercise to practice your scales and bending. “By being able to bend the bottom of the harmonica, you can play some simple melodies featuring notes that aren’t in the major scale,” says Howard. “But, it’s not hard to play at all.” 

Check out Howard’s full lesson on “The Star-Spangled Banner” below.