Tip of the Day

My review of the Laney Cub Cab with upgraded 12" Weber speakers ($500) is now up. You can see the review here https://www.bluesharmonica.com/amp_reviews

My review of the Fender Mustang amplifier ($119 with 1x8" speaker) is now up. You can see the review here https://www.bluesharmonica.com/amp_reviews

12/2 - Studio Recording for the Harmonica
Register: https://squareup.com/store/harmonica-masterclass-co/item/studio-recordin... continue reading...

There's an ongoing discussion at modernbluesharmonica.com about repetition in music. Check out the video at the top of the thread. Thanks to fellow student/teacher Marc G for sharing. If you would like to learn how we as blues harmonica players use repition in our songwriting and improvising, start your Improvising Study here https://www.bluesharmonica.com/lessons/improvising_study_1_chorus_forms

http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com/board/board_topic/5560960/5497215.htm

Figuring out the key a song is being played in is one of the challenges of being a musician. We study from recordings, and in most cases, information on the key is not available. I outline a method in Ryan Walker's lessons (https://www.bluesharmonica.com/contributor/ryan_walker), in Lesson 5, but there's a new program that will tell you the key. Drag and drop your song into Capo (http://supermegaultragroovy.com/products/capo/) and it will tell you the key. Out of all of the songs I've tested it has only been incorrect once, so not too bad of a track record. continue reading...

Listen to a collection of 78rpm records and cylinder recordings released in the early 20th century. These recordings were contributed to the Archive by users through the Open Source Audio collection. Also the Internet Archive has digitized many.

Here's the homepage https://archive.org/details/78rpm

And an example you might enjoy on John Lee Williamson (Sonny Boy II) https://archive.org/details/TheRealSonnyBoyWilliamsonjohnLeeWilliamson

Thanks to John H for sharing

Counting in your mind is part of the process of reading sheet music (like you do with your study songs at BluesHarmonica.com), especially when it comes to long-held notes and rests. This becomes increasingly difficult while playing in time with a metronome. To help you keep track of where you are within the bar, here's a metronome that counts for you http://eumlab.com/pro-metronome/. After downloading this free program, click on settings and choose the "Voice Counting" option.

One of the fun things about being a harmonica player is to make your own harmonica case. Cases exist on the market specifically built to carry harmonicas, but to carry a lot of harmonicas they’re commonly large and heavy. If you’re looking for something cheap and in a small package, look no further than your local stores. These three cases are from Target and Walmart, the most expensive one being $13 and the least $4. continue reading...

“If you want to become a great musician, you need to know three things. First, you must master the rules before trying to break them. Second, music is about tension and resolve. Third, practice, practice, practice, but when you’re out playing, forget it all.” Unattributed classical composer, quote from the Jazz of Physics by Stephon Alexander

BluesHarmonica.com technology instructor showing what the new midi harmonica can do. Thanks John! https://youtu.be/l7Qu_sTLBT8