Tip of the Day

Here's the hook the piano and guitar play. Play this on your F (or Low-F) harmonica in 2nd Position,

I7 = 2 2" 2

IV7 = 4+ 3' 4+

V7 = 4 4+ 4

Or on your Bb Harmonica in 3rd Position...

I7 = 4 4+ 4

IV7 = 6+ 5 6+

V7 = 6 6+ 6

The concept of variation is pretty straight forward... present an idea and then repeat it with some change. By repeating an idea you create a theme for a chorus or entire song if you carry it through to the end. If you repeat it through the entire song, then we call that idea the Hook of that song.

Our example for this series will be B.B. King's "Rock Me Baby" from the release "Blues on Blues," available on the iTunes store. This performance is in the key of C, so you'll need an F Harmonica (I prefer the Low F) for the following examples. continue reading...

Harmonicas come in all twelve keys. To play in a given key you simply grab the appropriate harmonica and away you go. Each harmonica is approached the same—same blows, draws, bends and techniques—the harmonica does the key change for you. We start with the A Harmonica because it’s the most common harmonica used in blues. The common keys of harmonica are G, A, B♭, C, D and F. To learn this instrument and play along with the majority of your blues music selections, you’ll need these keys. continue reading...

Most new musicians start out by learning scales on their instrument, and the first scale that’s commonly taught is the C Major Scale. The C major scale does not contain any sharps or flats (those notes represented by the black keys on the piano). This makes it an easy scale to start with and to remember and understand. continue reading...

Instruments are commonly designed to play all twelve tones in music, and can thus play in all twelve keys. It takes time for instrumentalists to learn their scales (which notes are, and are not, associated with a given key) and ultimately master the ability to move around on their instrument fluidly within each key. This takes a lot of practice over time, but it’s a common necessity. continue reading...

The A harmonica is by far the most common harmonica used in blues. If you were to go to a jam session or sit in at a buddy’s gig, the harmonica you would throw in your pocket would no doubt be the A harmonica.

The harmonica that you first learn will be the key of harmonica you’ll be most comfortable playing for a while, so it’s beneficial to have your “go-to harp” be the common A harmonica. continue reading...

Thanks to fellow student Gary Hayes for sharing this paper, it's the source of most of today's literature on practice.
http://projects.ict.usc.edu/itw/gel/EricssonDeliberatePracticePR93.pdf

I've mentioned this book in the past, but a good friend (and fellow student of yours) reminded me that it's time to mention it again. "The Practicing Mind" http://www.thepracticingmind.com does a great job of simply laying out the mental process of practice.

Thanks for your patience while I was traveling... Tip of the Day is back! Take a look at "Challenges of Playing on the High End - Octave Substitution" from 10/12. In this I used the opening to "Juke" (minus pulls and such, just the basic pitches) and wrote 3+ 3 4 5+ 6+ 6+. continue reading...

You can also move licks down one octave to better understand their movement and note selections. Here's a Lee Oskar lick in its original form on the high end and then down one octave...

9+ 9 8, 8+ 8 7, 7+ 7 7 6 6+ (played in a triplet rhythm)

6+ 5 4, 5+ 4 3, 4+ 3 3" 3+

Note that the 6 turns into 3". If you have a lick that relies on the 3" in the lower octave, it may be a smart choice to play that lick one octave higher so its easy availability as a 6. In this case, the high end version of the lick is much more fluid, requiring less movement. continue reading...