lesson

In Ryan Walker’s latest lesson at BluesHarmonica.com we work on his half step bending control (Bending Study 5) and charting a John Garcia 8 bar blues song (Accompaniment Study 9, Duo Playing).

In Beginning Student Hob Bosold's latest lesson he plays the Tongue Blocking Study 1 study song "Walk with Me" to the jam track, learns about the slap and lift technique in the study song "Temperature" and receives his LOA-L1 pin.

Here's a new post by Jason Ricci on playing the Minor Pentatonic Scale. Soloing Scales are used to guarantee a quality. Use the Major Pentatonic Scale (2 3" 3 4 5+ 6+) to give your soloing a light quality (such as for Jump & Swing Blues and ballads) and use the Minor Pentatonic Scale (2 3' 4+ 4 5 6+) for a dark/bluesy/minor quality. This scale, as well as the Blues Scale (which just adds the flat-5... 2 3' 4+ 4' 4 5 6+), contains no notes that will clash with minor... they are the go-to scales for minor playing. continue reading...

After a lesson take your recorded files and import them into your computer. Label the files with the lesson date and number them. Listen back to your lesson (I do this the same day) and don't pick up your instrument, but make notes of important topics with their corresponding track numbers and time codes (a time code is simply what time it happens in that track). With this preparation you're ready to get to work on what's important the next time you sit down to practice.

The fact that you're taking lessons from an instructor and not studying their primary instrument helps to set the tone that these lessons are to be very specific in focus. continue reading...

These are the things to have with you for your first lesson...

1) Printouts of the current songs you're working on (as well as maybe one you can already play well, so you can give them a taste of what you can do).

2) Download the MP3s (original and jam tracks) to your smartphone or burn a CD if that's more convenient (I have students bring their songs on a thumb drive, it makes it very easy for me to load onto my computer and use with my preferred programs). continue reading...

In yesterday's tip you left a message for two instructors. When there are multiple instructors to choose from it's to your advantage to meet them to find which one is the best fit for your personality, learning style and goals. Most likely you'll speak with them on the phone first, so here's how your conversation might go before the first lesson... continue reading...

More examples are up for Joe Filisko's series on the Fox Chase/Lost John http://www.bluesharmonica.com/lessons/fox_chase_study_1_technique_approach

"If you think you got it, record yourself and listen back to see if you 'really' got it" said Rod Piazza in a conversation regarding preparation for the performance of a song.

It's difficult to listen to yourself closely enough while playing to make an accurate assessment of your performance. Make use of the easy tool of recording (most of us have phones or computers that have recording software and microphones built in) for self-assessment. continue reading...

Beginning Student Hob Bosold's latest lesson is now up (http://www.bluesharmonica.com/contributor/hob_bosold). In this lesson we review tongue switching, sliding on the face of the harmonica with one breath and solo harmonica study material. Hob learns how bending works, how to play two-note combinations, shakes, speed licks and how to approach playing with good tone on the high end.

Videos include:
Lesson 3 – Intro
Lesson 3 – Tongue Block Study 1: Walk With Me, Choruses 1-3 Review, Part 1
Lesson 3 – Tongue Block Study 1: Walk With Me, Choruses 1-3 Review, Part 2 continue reading...