Tip of the Day

The Major Pentatonic Scale we started with in this series was 6+ 6 7 8 8+ 9+ 10. The same notes are found one octave lower 2 3" 3 4 5+ 6+ 6. These are notes we use all the time. Try making up some licks with these lower notes and moving them up an octave. This is called octave substitution and is a tool often used by improvisers to move up to the high end in a way that makes melodic sense, and commonly without the need of a slick transition lick. Take this lick for example: 2 3" 3 4 5+ 6+ 6+ 5+ 6+ and then repeat it at 6+ 6 7 8 8+ 9+ 9+ 8+ 9+. I use this in my instrumental study song "Blow! continue reading...

Our next step is to tip our hats to the V7 Chord in Bars 9 (the beginning of the V-IV-I lick) and 12 (the last piece of the turnaround). The V7 Chord is D F# A C, making 6 A, 8 D and 10 A from our scale available as notes of the V7 Chord. continue reading...

We've so far ignored chord change in favor of the simplicity of one scale and its focus notes relative to the home chord (I7 Chord). Our next step is to tip our hats to the IV7 Chord in Bars 5 and 6. continue reading...

In Improvising Study 2 you learned about Focus Notes. These are the most common notes to start a lick on, and are based on the I7 Chord (G B D F on a C Harmonica in 2nd Position). Now that you've worked on Focus Notes on holes 1 through 6, it's time to work them from holes 6 to 9. Improvise again to the jam track you played with yesterday and now play one chorus starting, or playing a pickup to, the 6+ G (Root). Then the next chorus on the 7 B (3rd). Another chorus on 8 D (5th). Then 9 F (flat-7th). And lastly 9+ G (Root again). continue reading...

Now that you've dialed in playing up and down the scale, put on a jam track and improvise to it, ONLY playing the notes within the scale. It will be a challenge to stay within the scale, especially for those with more improvising experience (muscle memory will pull you out of the scale, so make sure to choose a moderate tempo jam track). Take mental note as to which notes within the scale sound really, and where, so we can further explore how to choose notes within this scale that will interact well with the three chords of our 12 Bar Blues progression.

The passage I had you practicing Friday (6+ 6 7 8) contains the first four notes of the ascending G Major Pentatonic Scale. Those notes, in this order, represents one of the best licks to transition you into the high end of the harmonica.

Here's the complete scale...

6+ 6 7 8 8+ 9+

Add the 10 at the end and you get another usable note = 6+ 6 7 8 8+ 9+ 10

Practice this ascending and descending 100 times today and you'll be ready for our next step. continue reading...

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.

The Harmonica Documentary is now available for Video on Demand. Amazon Video-on-Demand link:
http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Full-Soul-Harmonica-Documentary/dp/B00HZFU6FC

Due to the fact that we're not required to study scales and chords to play our instrument (at least at the basic level), playing to non-12 Bar Blues can be a great challenge. Many times the change in the form is very simple once you look at it closer. I've placed at https://www.facebook.com/bluesharmonica my transcription of "Watermelon Man." In this blues-based jazz instrumental you can see that Bars 9 and 10 of our standard 12 Bar Blues are played three times (the V and IV Chord) to make this a 16 Bar Blues. continue reading...

The simple toothpick is a great tool to have in your harp case. It works great for cleaning the little cracks a crevices where mouth gunk likes to reside and for freeing stuck reeds by simply pushing the reed in and out of its slot a couple of times.