What is wrong with me? Blues is boring :)
They call it blues , Every body is playing blues , improvising , The same scale they go up and down
Man I can't stand blues , I just don't like it unless it comes in a meaning ful song with lyrics.
For a few min It might be interesting but after that the same up and down , the same thing.
Can you guys direct me to some blues that might change my idea?
whocares:
There's a reason that there is more than one flavor of ice cream.
The world would be a pretty boring place if there was only one style of music the folks liked. (And thank goodness for that, as whoever was in charge might pick my least favorite style, "New Age," or second least, "Smooth Jazz," which I think is better described as "ear pudding.")
bluesharmonica.com is blues-based, as that's what David loves, and loves to teach. But if your juices get flowing more readily learning other types of music, there are plenty of good players and on-line teachers. Just to name a few: James Conway out of Chicago, with Celtic music. Yvonnick Prene in NYC, with jazz. And tons of really good country and folk teachers.
But if for some reason you're convinced that all blues harmonica is the same, before giving up on blues as a style, give a listen to chromatic players such as Big Harp George, Paul Delay, and William Clarke. And diatonic players such as Aki Kumar (with his "Bollywood Blues" style), and Rick Estrin.
Nearly all styles of music have their own forms. Blues tends to focus on three to four chords, typically in 12-bar format, tho' plenty of great blues are in 8-bar and 16-bar format. There are popular classical pieces that may have only two chords in them. Great American Songbook tunes tend to be in a 32-bar AABA format, with more chordal intricacy, but almost always finishing with a V to a I chord, just like blues. Sacred music is a whole other genre, but again often with just two or three chords. And trad jazz is generally in 16 or 32-bar format, often with just three or four chords.
So yes, there is often a lot of "sameness" within one genre or another. What makes each exciting in its own way is what writers and performers do within those limitations, sometimes to everyone's wondrous surprise.
Find the type(s) of music that give you joy and make you want to play, and play, and play even more. There is no "wrong" taste in music. (Even if one is enamored with "New Age" stuff.)
Your comments make me wonder what blues you're listening to that uses "the same scale...up and down."
You could say that about a lot of wonderful music.
Here are a few different recordings from across the spectrum of what' considered blues. Does it all sound the same to you?
Kenny Burrell Chitlins Con Carne
Hambone Willie Newbern Roll and Tumble Blues
Bessie Smith Careless Love Blues
Professor Longhair Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Ivory Joe Hunter Since I Met You Baby
Big Joe Turner That’s All Right Baby
Sonny Boy Williamson II Mighty Long Time
Howlin’ Wolf I Asked for Water
Ma Rainey Hear Me Talking to You
Fats Waller Your Feet’s too Big
Thanks it seems to me it is nice to listen to some blues or play blues from time to time for a change but it is not my thing
But when people talk about harmonica it all starts from blues I am in it any way to learn harmonica and move from there.
Blues has become the popular focus for harmonica, but as you know there is much more.
The fundamentals of technique taught here will serve you in many other styles of music.
For a broader perspective, might I suggest my book Harmonica For Dummies, Second Edition? It teaches with a wider focus. It's available on Amazon.
whocares:
For some interesting contrast, take a listen to Chuck Darling's "Harmonica Rag," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I8RJxcCZqE, recorded in 1930, back when "electrical" microphones were beginning to replace gathering musicians around a big tin horn and recording acoustically, directly to a master disc. (Al la Muddy Waters' famous "The blues had a baby, and they called it rock and roll," some folks figure that the blues and ragtime had a baby ... and they called it "jazz.")
After you've listened to what Darling is able to do with a harmonica, then listen to recent recordings by Jason Ricci, Howard Levy and Lee Oskar. Each of them started (years ago) playing simple blues on harmonica. And each has gone beyond the stratosphere in a distinct direction!
I'm also not keen on listening to the blues for leisure, but just dig playing it on the harp, I find it exciting and adventurous with all the variety of techniques you can use. I've been playing for 1 year now and have only just started to get my bends going. Now I can't leave my harps alone as bending feels like it's coming from my soul and gets me into the groove. So for me, playing blues is a completely different ball game than listening to it. I'll be 60 next month, but feel like I've just been born again. So maybe carry on listening to rock n roll or whatever you're into, and just give the playing a go.