soloing

Let's start a series on getting to know the high end of the harmonica.

Step #1 is to get used to the switch at hole 7 (where the blows are higher than the draws... thus why blow bending is available up there).

Play this lick 6+ 6 7 8 7 6 6+ all day today... 100's of times... and you'll be one big step closer to playing the high end well.

More to come...

P.S., watch the Gary Primich interview (http://www.bluesharmonica.com/gary_primich) on "High-end playing" when you get a moment... it will help in our discussion.

I was playing to a slow blues jam track many years ago and was frustrated at the way I sounded.

I went to my well of inspiration and listened to slow blues solos performed by Gary Smith. I noticed that the last note of each of his phrases was held (with a vibrato commonly) and the volume decayed slowly until the next phrase. It didn’t sound as if he actually stopped any of his last notes… they either disappeared into the mist of the noise floor of the band (maybe he was still playing, but I couldn’t hear it?) or he decayed to the point of almost stopping and he started his next phrase. continue reading...

It can be a great challenge to study an artist's song and remember the order of the choruses and the fine elements they contain. It's common to hear complaints by students that songs take a tremendous amount of time to memorize well enough not to have a simple mistake lead them astray and cause a wreck. continue reading...

Yesterday's dynamic change works best with live musicians that can react to your dynamic change. Our next two tips (today and tomorrow) works with both a live band or jam track.

Now use chord change as your trigger to change volume.

Play the I Chord (first four bars) at a given volume. When you reach the IV Chord (Bars 5 and 6) play at a different volume (louder or softer). When the I Chord returns in Bar 7, once again change your volume. Change again for the V-IV-I lick (Bars 9 and 10) and then again for the Turnaround (Bars 11 and 12).

Give this a try with your favorite jam track.

When you move out of time it's usually for one reason... you're too focused on what you're playing. Relax... clear your mind... enjoy the music you're creating with the other musicians (live or on recording) and focus not on what you're playing, but the composite effect of what you and the band are playing together.

The highest art of performance is to hear and react to what everyone in the band is playing as you play. If you're too focused on what you're playing, your ears close and your timing and groove suffer... along with your note selection relative to what the band is playing to support you (it's common for a soloist to play too light to a bluesy backing and vice-verse). continue reading...