Milon Gupta was born in Calcutta on 22 November 1933. His mother was a singer who performed on All India Radio. As a child he played ordinary mouth organs, until a marine engineer gave him two Hohner chromatic harmonicas, which launched his journey on the instrument.
He was entirely self-taught and had no formal training. He took the mouth organ to levels never reached in India, adapting Indian melodies for a Western instrument. Early audiences were amazed by songs that had never before been played on the mouth organ.
This website officially salutes Milon Gupta for his talent.
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Which Harmonica to BUY?
The standard choice for most Hindi film songs is a 12-hole, 3-octave, chromatic (with slider) harmonica in scale C.
- Will a diatonic harmonica do?
- Not really. A diatonic (no slider) harmonica cannot play every song correctly.
- Is a 16-hole better than a 12-hole?
- No. 12 holes cover about 95% of Hindi film songs; the extra four holes are lower-octave notes mostly used for chords. Beginners also find 12 holes easier to handle.
- Can I use a 24-hole “Tower” model?
- You can play songs on it, but it is usually a toy-grade instrument. A 12-hole chromatic in C is better for learning.
- Which brands?
- German or Japanese makers: Hohner (German, approx. Rs 10–13K), Suzuki SCX-48 (Japanese, approx. Rs 12–14K), Seydel (German, approx. Rs 12–14K). Course members get help choosing an instrument.
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