instruction

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...

Ring ring... ring ring...

"Hello, school of generic music in generic town."

Hi, this is David Barrett. I'm interested in speaking to one of your jazz guitar or piano instructors about private lessons. I play harmonica, but am interested in working with an instructor that can help me with my musicality. I prefer someone who has formal music training so they can help me with some basic music reading for rhythm training and music theory when it's needed. Any experience in blues is a plus. 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...

Yesterday I shared with you the important tip of using a yawn to create an embouchure conducive to creating big tone. Today I share the second element of how I create big tone on the harmonica... it's the word "radiant." This helps me to both play softly and direct warm/radiant air through the harmonica. Playing softly is at the core of controlled technique and the ability to play with dynamics (playing softly as your default provides a large dynamic range in performance). continue reading...

Just announced...

10th Harmonica Masters Workshops
Trossingen, November 4th - 8th 2015
http://us7.campaign-archive2.com/?u=16e053fd13650d3df590bb67c&id=203e64e...

The Harmonica Masters Workshops have been taking place in Trossingen since 2003. Initiated by musical director Steve Baker, with world-class instructors and a full supporting program of sessions and concerts, they are now regarded as the leading educational event for blues harmonica in Europe. continue reading...

Not only does the use of a focus note answer the "what do I play next" question, it helps us to move around the range of the harmonica. A common trap new improvisers get into is overplaying their comfortable note range, commonly holes 2, 3 and 4. If you play a 2 draw focus note one chorus, then cross it off in your mind and don't start on that 2 draw again for the rest of the song. If the next chorus you play a 4 draw focus note, then it too is no longer an option in subsequent choruses. continue reading...

One of the most common questions posed by students is, "How do you know what to play next?" The answer is that we usually don't... it's very rare that we know what we're going to play next... it's what hole we start the new chorus on that determines which lick from our vocabulary is played.

For example... continue reading...

With all vibratos your mouth needs to be tuned to the reed you're playing, and with this type of vibrato you move your tongue in a Ya Ya Ya-like motion to change the pitch (jaw is stationary, only the tongue moves). This is similar to the idea of the Chewing Vibrato in the way that the throat is not used at all. continue reading...

The throat vibrato is generally easier to produce at a faster speed. Though powerful... think Paul Butterfield... that intensity is not always appropriate. Gary Smith has a silky-smooth slow vibrato and I remember him saying to me at age 16 that slowing it down was really a challenge... and it was. It took me about a year to produce a good vibrato and another couple of years to slow it down.

The mouth and tongue (in their relaxed state) are influenced by the throat tremolo to produce the vibrato. What I feel when I slow my vibrato down is that I simply slow down my tremolo. continue reading...

Now that you're working on the different vibrato types, it's time to match them all up. Play your throat vibrato on 1, 2 and 3 draw and then chewing vibrato on 3". Work on matching the depth (how low the note bends) and duration (the time between bends) of the chewing vibrato so that it matches that of the 1, 2 and 3. Do the same for your chewing vibrato on 7+, 8+, 9+ and 10+ to match the vibrato on your 4, 5 and 6 draw. You don't have to play them the same all the time (musical context will dictate this), but it's good technique to have an even approach across the range of the harmonica.