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Join me for our final lesson on accompaniment playing where we take Monster Mike Welch's CD "Cryin' Hey!" and dissect it for how we can approach playing harp on it. This lesson is for Advances skill level players and you'll need your entire set of harmonica, including your Chromatic. continue reading...

Join me for Accompaniment Study 9 where we work the art of duo playing with three song examples from guitarist and singer John Garcia.

Videos Include: continue reading...

In this lesson we study killer hooks that can be played on the harmonica. In songwriting, heads and hooks are the main elements used to make a song different, unique, exciting and memorable. When a hook is used, it makes sense that we should play it as well (doubling with the other instruments). continue reading...

I asked my student Steve B. to make some flash cards to memorize the C Harmonica and the four notes of the I, IV and V Chords. He came back for a lesson this week and showed me what he started to do at http://quizlet.com... very cool free service. So, if you're looking to memorize something, this is a great way to do it. Thanks Steve!

The "What's New" video is up at the top left-hand corner of the site. Check it out when you get a chance.

In this lesson we study how to approach playing bass lines on the harmonica. Bass lines not only sound great on the harmonica, they also help to intuitively teach the chords of the 12 Bar Blues. continue reading...

In this lesson we study how to approach playing horn lines and organ padding on the harmonica. This study brings a new slow blues jam track and full-length study song, this time a uptempo boogie with vocals and extended solos (solo based on Little Walter-style phrasing). This lesson is for intermediate skill level players. You'll need an A Harmonica for this study. continue reading...

In this lesson we continue our studies of Hole Changes, this time with the use of bending to make our harmonica more complete across its range. We'll also spend time on how to use the bluesy flat-7th of each chord... as well as the less-common 6th. "Blues Creapin' Over Me" comes back again, this time as Version 2 with very bluesy bends, fills and a solo influenced by our Bending Study 4 song, "My Blues." This lesson is for intermediate skill level players. You'll need an A and C Harmonica for this study. continue reading...

In this lesson we dig into how to play fills between vocal phrases, as well as more dynamic ideas to play under vocals and instrumentalist solos. "I Want You With Me" is again our study song, but written in a more advanced way… the way a pro player would approach this song. The solos will apply choruses from your Tongue Blocking Study 3 study song, "Gary’s Blues." This intermediate skill level players, though bending is moderate (if you’ve finished Bending Study 3, then you’re ready to take on this challenge). You'll need an A Harmonica for this study. continue reading...

In this lesson we'll complete the basic three-note chord (called a triad) used by accompanying musicians in the blues. This lesson also brings your second accompaniment study song, "Blues Creapin' Over Me," a slow blues in the key of E with the classic blues break and vocals (Gary Smith) and guitar (Jon Lawton) for you to play under, as well as a solo section. continue reading...