At the end of this notation key i have provided a list of lesson material i have authored that i feel will. Ive begun loving the blues, both playing, and listening. Preface george goodmans harmonica cheat sheets is a combination of four great tools to kick start your harmonica playing. Below are some of my very own harmonica licks in tabulature form. The c scale on the c chromatic and a scale on a a chromatic. Chromatic harmonicas are also tuned to a major scale, but the slide mechanism enables all. Maker provides a complete major scale in cross harp for playing exact. Choose your favorite blues harmonica designs and purchase them as wall art, home decor, phone cases, tote bags, and more. For playing melodies all the eight notes from of the major scale are placed in holes 4 to 7. A c harmonica can be played in the key of c in what is called first position and in the key of g in what is called 2d position. Achieve greater fluency on the blues harmonica, with awardwinning mat walklate using the c diatonic harmonica, mat covers topics like note bending, solo development, vibrato and playing in alternative positions to create great sounding solos over the 12 bar form. Adam gussow, a noted blues harmonica teacher and performer, plays and talks harp on the front porch of his rental home in oxford, mississippi. All blues harmonica artwork ships within 48 hours and includes a 30day moneyback guarantee. What to learn to play the chromatic harmonica in every key.
Blues scale in 12 positions the notes below are for a harp in the key of c, but the tab holds for any key harmonica e. Struggling to make blues scale practice sound awesome. Two hole draw problems its not the harmonica, its you most beginners have problems playing the two hole draw note on the harmonica. But ever since ive started listening to big mama thornton, kat baloun, geneva red etc. This pdf contains the scale charts for the blues scale in all keys for guitar in standard tuning. How to play pentatonic and blues scales on the harmonica. Try improving your single notes and bends first with these easy video lessons click here blues scale practice for diatonic harmonica warm up by trying the following with bends if possible.
Because blues is a simple, consistant form of music, it is a great place to begin your improv regardless of which musical styles you to play. Once again, the most challenging part of the scale is switching the order of blowing and drawing between holes 7 and 6. I have also included the 5 box patterns you need to learn in order to memorize the blues scales in all. How to play a basic harmonica blues scale harmonica. Practice is generally considered the realm of classical and jazz players, leaving harmonica players to hone their skills on stage. I suggest you to study all the songs you find inside easyharp tabs, one by one. Blues harmonica tabs user guide free easyharp blues. We call this section basic blues harmonica improv, but the information here applies to most types of popular music you would like to jam to. They just ooze that minor bluesy vibe or sweet major vibe.
Complete blues harmonica lesson series blues harmonica jam tracks and soloing by david barrett covers a variety of subjects including heads. Pieces, puzzles, scales, and arpeggios scales and arpeggios for. If you blow out exhale on any three holes of the harmonica. C 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 a b a a b d g b d f g b b b e b b d g b d f a b d f a blow v c e g c e g c e g c draw v d 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 b d 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 e 1 2 3. Pentatonic scales are killer scales to play over blues and over iivv changes. Playing the blues scale now that you can bend notes the next thing we should look at is the blues scale. Classical the introduction of the chromatic harmonica in 1910.
The notes on each set of reeds are an octave apart and vibrate slightly off pitch from one another, creating a unique echo effect. So, when i play this scale, im visualizing the scale. This page shows how the blues scale can be played in three different keys on a single harmonica. This chart shows 4 fundamental, common playing positions keys of music that major diatonic harmonicas may be played in. Heres a chart that lays out pentatonic scales in six positions click on the image to download the fullsized chart pdf a member of the modern. Despite its name, the blues scale is not only used in blues music. Pentatonic scales wildflower harmonica instruction. It is how they use a diatonic scale harmonica to play notes that are not programmed into their harmonica. Jan 24, 2015 jp allen gives a harmonica lesson on the basic blues scale. Masterclass complete blues harmonica lesson fiddle time scales 1.
The harmonica isnt limited to blues, folk, and rock music. The good news is that you will master the two hole draw, with practice and a little guidance. Sep 03, 2014 by this stage you will probably know how to play the blues scale so now we will have a look at the major pentatonic scale. If you are just starting out, take a look at the beginning blues. Here are the three most common positions, or keys, played on the c harmonica with their corresponding blues scales. Although solotuned instruments are not well suited for blues. Harmonica instruction study chart of harmonica keys. Harmonica lessons music lessons easy guitar songs guitar tips music and the. Specifically, using a c harp i will provide harmonica tablature to play the blues scale in c first position, g second position, and d third position. It is still used today by many blues, folk and country music players. Blues harmonica riffs beginner bluesharp instruction and licks. Check out the following albums to hear the various ways the harmonica can be used. Diatonic harmonica this is the most common kind of harmonica, usually a small instrument with ten holes, containing 20 notes, also known as the blues harp. Rock, country, blues, folk, and world music all make extensive use of pentatonic sounds.
Try improving your single notes and bends first with these easy video lessons click here. With the technique of bending, a very bluesysounding scale, called the blues scale, is possible. This course is designed to teach beginner level players the basics of playing the 12hole solotuned diatonic harmonica, which is tuned differently from the standard 10hole diatonic instrument. This should be part of every blues harmonica players armory, since you never know when the band will throw you a. Using an eb harmonica a brief overview of how to play and use the pentatonic scale in three positionskeys over a typical blues progression. The harmonica and irish traditional music by don meade. The real improv of it is that you can change the order and amount of repetition of your memorized patterns and combine them in different ways. Lee oskar quickguide updated20pg lee oskar harmonicas. Use the chart to find out whether the note is played by blowing or drawing dair.
Kids have the choice to either play around with harmonicas that they buy cheap from the store, or if you really want to get serious with harmonica playing, you can go to a music shop and purchase a good grade instrument. A member of the modern blues harmonica forum posted these breath patterns his name is john potts. So, when i play this scale, im visualizing the scale step that im on. A solotuned harmonica usually offers the tonic blow chord. Blues harmonica beginner blues harp riffs and licks, jamming, and bluesharp instruction. The minor pentatonic is used in a bunch of different genres but if we add one extra note it will become particularly wellsuited to blues music. Pentatonic scales play in six different keys on one. With the technique of bending, a very bluesysounding scale, called the blues. Essential scales document, the c blues scale which is both the i chord blues scale in first position, and the iv chord blues scale in cross harp, correct. Below are the 12 minor pentatonic scales presented as chromatic harmonica tabs. This should be part of every blues harmonica players armory, since you never know when the band will throw you a curveball. Pentatonic scales play in six different keys on one harmonica.
A mixolydian scale commonly used in funk, blues, and rock music played in the. The notes f and a were recovered in the lower octave a b for the upper octave. Each easyharp tab pdf has his own audio file mp3 to help you in your. Here are the harmonica tabs for going down the major scale. To play the blues is a fascinating undertaking because it can be both simplistic and yet intangibly tricky to master. These licks are to be played with a harmonica in the key of c. Jp allen gives a harmonica lesson on the basic blues scale. Bobs blues harmonica the harmonica is a very powerful instrument. Find your harmonica harmonicaconfigurator table of positions tone tables pdf. Often new players are drawn to the instrument because of a desire to play the blues.
The blues harp cheat sheet this cheat sheet provides chords, cross harp key, 12 bar blues progression, and blues scale harmonica tabs covering all 12 keys. Once you achieve this on the draw note, try the same thing on a blow note. Student guide for solotuned harmonica part i diatonic. Choose your favorite harmonica designs and purchase them as wall art, home decor, phone cases, tote bags, and more. Drawing in the lower half of the harmonica gives you an e7 chord. If youre practicing the blues scale, then choose a bluesy jam track, or even better, a minor jam track, this way if you accidentally step outside of the blues scale, or play a bent note out of tune like the 3, youll know it right away. Whatever your musical genre, this harmonica combines the features and playability with which you are already familiar, so you can start playing right away. Jun 28, 2011 i just kind of figured the blues to be more of a male thing, and i also never really listened to it much, nor played much blues on the harmonica.
The hohner echo harmonica, sometimes referred to as a doublereed harmonica, is a harmonica that features two reeds for each set of notes. Guitar man demonstrates how to play a basic harmonica blues scale and how to bend a note on a harmonica. The key of the harmonica is usually stamped on the metal or painted on the wood someplace. While live performance can produce rapid improvement, thoughtful practice can also bring great dividends for harmonica players. The sampler is the perfect way for blues harmonica players to explore new possibilities. The blues scale is closely related to the minor pentatonic scale with just one extra note the 4 draw bend. The blues scale is three blow, three blow, three inhale or suck, four blow, four suck, five suck and six blow. What scales must be learned by a chromatic harp player. You can also access our site through your mobile phone. Some years back i spent much of a summer holiday playing this exercise with a metronome. Bare numbers represent blowing into the hole of the same number, bracketed numbers represent drawing sucking on a hole of the same number.
Use the chart to find out whether the note is played by blowing or drawingdair. This harmonica is based on the diatonic scale an eightnote scale. Blues harmonica blues harp riffs, licks, jamming, and. While vamping a reggae groove with the a minor blow and e7 draw chords. Shop for harmonica art from the worlds greatest living artists. Chromatic harmonica scales guitar lessons for beginners. Learn the note names all harmonic minor scales in table form, in all 12 circle of 5ths keys, including single and double accidental theoretical keys home mobile view scale. Harmonica scales for beginners while learning to play. Shop for blues harmonica art from the worlds greatest living artists. After the pentatonic minor scale and major scale, the blues scale is probably the most widelyused scale in guitar improvisation. You can get more charts in with custom tunings using my interactive scale generator here. Instead of a single harp, you now hold two harmonicas in your hands, opening. These musical devices can be enjoyed by both children and adults.
I have just bought these 2 chroms for the above reason reducing use of slide and in many greek cases to adapt one for men c and the other for women avoices. Having a chrom tuned to a key other than c you can make playing in that key much easier as the amount of slide use is reduced. Its much more fun to practice scales while playing to a jam track. Sep 06, 2017 how to play the blues scale in 2nd position on harmonica hello and welcome to this weeks harmonica lesson which is a short but really important one how to play the blues scale. This is helpful for both recovering notes of the scale. David barrett presents a useful and informative book of scales and scale based exercises for the harmonica.
You will need a c harmonica and we are playing in 2nd position in the key of g. Includes an explanation of harmonica notation and tablature, plus a diagram of the. It is this scale from which the modal scales are extracted, i. This is helpful for both recovering notes of the scale and chord. Pentatonic scales are fivenote scales that sound good over just about any kind of music. The scale below is what i like to call the master scale. Blues harmonica improv, what about other styles of music. How to draw a harmonica, step by step, wind, musical. This articles shows the notes on a harmonica, and the reasoning behind their layout.
Hooks, bridges, unison playing, harmony playing, instrumental song construction and comping. You can play the blues scale with any g instrument. George goodmans harmonica cheat sheets by george goodman. Student guide for solotuned harmonica part i diatonic presented by the gateway harmonica club, inc. How to play the blues scale in 2nd position on harmonica.
Reference material for the first time in blues harmonica history there is an abundance of lesson material available to study. Learn to play blues scale practice on your harmonica, the tab is below. Blues downloadable lesson wildflower harmonica instruction. Basic harmonica good to start on or stay with blues harp,musicians play wonderful music on these, change pitch on reeds as they play most are in the key of c, but available in all keys the singlerow harmonica 12. How to play the major pentatonic scale on harmonica. The previous issue outlined ideas for practice, and introduced an exercise based on the major scale.
These play along harmonica lessons teach blues harp players 101 fantastic blues riffs for the diatonic harmonica in c. Blues basics in this downloadable harmonica lesson, well learn the basics of cross harp blues, using a c harmonica. I created the chart to give a more visual description of these breath patterns. The extra note is the 4 draw bend also known as the the flat five. Figure 8 detailed how bending can be used to fill in the missing notes of the natural scale of the harmonicathe c major scale for the c major harmonica for example. Heres a chart that lays out pentatonic scales in six positions click on the image to download the fullsized chart pdf. North mississippi frontporch blues harp lesson by adam gussow. Bending notes are essential to play blues on the harmonica. The solotuning provides all of the eighthnotes of the major scale repeated in holes.
Blues scales blues is an irresistible tonality for a guitar player. All harmonica artwork ships within 48 hours and includes a 30day moneyback guarantee. Free sheet music for harmonica diatonic download pdf. Play in g major second position 2 draw or 6 blow is tonic play in e minor fifth. For additional charts, information on positions, and harmonica theory, visit the members area theory section.
This is just a series of seven notes which help the harmonica sound bluesy, so playing this scale over and over is excellent training. A simple and clear guide to correctly use the easyharp blues harmonica tabs, that. Why not try starting with the minor pentatonic scales. We start with the blues scale and practice playing along with a jam track, learning to move around using both steady eighth notes and shorter phrases. You might be surprised to learn that several classical, pop, and world albums feature the harmonica. Try playing the two scales and listen for the difference. And because they use fewer notes than the standard 7note scales, pentatonics make it easier to play in multiple keys on one harmonica.
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