online harmonica lessons

A dialog on absolutes today. Not that anybody does this, but it's a good thought process...

The two main techniques used (and thus the two main technique areas of study) on the harmonica are bending and tongue blocking.

Someone who uses tongue blocking, but no bending, is focused on textural and rhythmic elements, at the detriment to bluesy pitch content. continue reading...

Join Joe Filisko for his latest insights on the 5 Types of Tone

Join us for the newest submission to the Bassman Chronicles where we hear musicians and student audience members comment on what they heard.

I'm sure you found this challenging to do. The 2 draw is the most common hole used on the harmonica (4 draw being a close second). The 2 is the root note (we're speaking of 2nd Position here), so it's obvious that we'll be playing it a lot. This is true, but we DO NOT have to resolve every phrase we play... in fact it's boring to resolve every phrase we play.

So, what to do. There are some tools. Try this lick.

4 4+ 3 2 2 (hold last note)

Now, instead of resolving the phrase with the last 2 draw, kick into another note like in the examples below...

1) 4 4+ 3 2 1
2) 4 4+ 3 2 3 continue reading...

In this installment of the Bassman Chronicles Gary Smith and I take our amps to the Grand Dell to experiment with amp placement and to test the overall affect on what we hear on the stage and what the audience hears in the house.

Now that everything is relaxed and spit isn't running into your harp!... move around the harmonica, making every note played sound warm, full... beautiful.

If you get a little bit of an upper or lower note, adjust and then move on. If a note sounds flat, bent or airy, or the note squeals or stalls (won't sound at all)... adjust your tongue location (usually down). Your goal is to make every note sing with the least amount of effort as possible. continue reading...