Tip of the Day

When playing with others it's key that you have the bandleader in your peripheral vision around the turnaround (around the end of measure 10). This is where the signal will: go to you to solo, be made to signal a break; or be made to end the song. You don't need to look up, just have your eyes open and make sure you can see their body movement. This is key for all members of the band.

All of the ideas I braught up have to do with knowing the notes of your harmonica (the C in our case) and the three chords used in blues (C Harmonica played in the Key of G, 2nd Position). This information is essential if you want to take your playing beyond the intuitive into the purposeful. I of course will be covering accompaniment playing down the road at bluesharmonica.com, but it's about six months away. In the mean time check out http://www.harmonicamasterclass.com/accompaniment.htm.

Try playing long-held octaves with tremolo for accompaniment... just like an organ. Listen to George "Harmonica" Smith's "Mrs Bessie May" for a great example. Try 2/5 for the I7 Chord, 2+/5+ for the IV7 Chord and 1+/4+ for the V7 Chord. 

If you hear that the song you're playing to has a repetitive lick (called a Hook), then that's what you'll want to play. Figuring out the I7 lick is the easy part... the IV7 and V7 are another thing. You could improvise on those chords, or even better, do what's called a sequence. A sequence is where you play the same lick, but moved up (or down) to match the new chord. A simple way to look at it is this... continue reading...

Now that you know your three blues chords and where they're found on the harmonica, you're ready to play horn lines. Pick a rhythm like the Charleston Rhythm, or something that matches the feel of the song your playing, and pick a hole to play. For example: I7 = 2 (G, root of the chord), IV7 = 2+ (E, 3rd of the chord) and V7 = 1 (D, root of the chord). Knowing the chords and your harmonica allows you to be on any hole and hit a note that matches. Give this a try!

Now that you've looked at the C Harmonica pitch set, there's one more piece of information you need to play great accompaniment lines... the knowledge of the three blues chords you play over. Below are the notes for each of the chords.

I7 = G B D F
IV7 = C E G B-flat
V7 = D F# A C

Commit this to memory. We're referencing the C Harmonica played in the Key of G by the way (Second Position).

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What's a jam-safe song? In short it's a song that uses a groove and form that we've heard and played many times before. For grooves this is commonly: shuffle, swing, slow blues, rhumba, two-beat (Mojo and lazy) and rock beat. As for the form, it really means one, the 12 bar blues.
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If you called the song, then you're commonly responsible to lead the song. Don't be too surprised if the house band leader takes this job because they're not sure of your qualifications (it's their job to run a smooth jam). Either way, you need to be prepared. You need to say three things, key (key of E), groove (shuffle) and where the song starts (from the V) and then count them in. You can say a couple more items, but keep it brief... no one likes "arrangements while you wait." The more details you give, the more the chance the song will go wrong. continue reading...

If someone else is the leader, they'll count the song in and look to each player as it's their turn to solo. When it's your turn, the common length of a solo is two choruses (24 bars), though you can play less, or more. If it's less, they may say "go again!," so you're best off to be ready to play two choruses. If you play more than two choruses you better use structured phrasing (Chorus Forms) to keep the listener's interest. Also be aware that in a jam situation it's rude to play too many choruses... use your best judgment. continue reading...