The harmonica is an instrument Stevie Wonder famously played alongside piano and keyboards.
Wonder became known for his expressive chromatic harmonica playing, which appears across his Motown recordings and later work. His harmonica lines often function like a second singing voice: they bend notes, answer the vocal melody and add a distinctive blues and soul character. He has used both acoustic and electronic keyboard instruments extensively as well.
His harmonica playing was especially prominent in songs such as “For Once in My Life,” “Isn’t She Lovely” and “Too High.” Because the instrument is strongly associated with blues and folk music, some casual listeners overlook how central it became to Wonder’s sound.
The answer is not saxophone or trumpet, even though horn sections appear on many soul recordings. Mandolin is also not his signature secondary instrument. Wonder’s musicianship spans keyboards, drums, percussion and harmonica, but the harmonica remains one of the clearest sonic markers of his performances.