Blues Harmonica

By the end of the week, you’ll be able to:

• Understand what cross harp means, the first five different positions and play the minor pentatonic scale in 2nd, 3rd and 4th

• Play the scale blues scale in 2nd position smoothly

• Improve your tone using vibrato and hands

• Play a range of moveable riffs and fills up and down the first six holes

• Play 2 + shuffle rhythms

• Understand and play along to a 12-bar blues progression

• Improvise to a blues backing track using the learnt scales, and patterns, and add your own free style

• Combine all of the above to either play on your own or jam with others

• Sound like a legend!

DAY ONE

• Explore the first five cross harp positions. Understand the holes and notes on your C harp

• Practice bending

• Develop and practice the best hand position for you

• Learn the minor pentatonic scales

• Play a shuffle rhythm in 2nd position

• Practice a basic improvisation

DAY TWO

• Learn the blues scale in the second position

• Learn a vibrato technique

• More minor pentatonic scale work

• Learn a ‘Pat Ramsey’ lick and practice in different positions

• Practice playing an F on hole 2, a Bb and A on hole 3, and a Db on hole 4 (bending)

• More improvising

DAY THREE

• Recap and practice what’s been learnt so far

• Learn a moveable triangle lick and play in different position

• Learn how to play along to the 12 Bar Blues

• Start to develop your own favourite licks

• Add holes 8, 9 and 10 to your licks

• Improvise in 3rd position

DAY FOUR

• Learn some new scale intervals Add some hand wah wah

• Mix some different licks together with some sustained notes

• Understand and practice turn arounds

• Practice increasing speed on licks

• Learn some new blues licks in various positions

• Improvise in 4th position

DAY FIVE

• Review and practice all of above

• Talk about home practice and what to do

• Talk about mics, amps and effect pedals

• Prepare own solos for concert

• Practice as a group for the concert

Please bring the following on your first day of class:

• MUST have a good quality blues harp in the key of C – Hohner (Marine Band), Special 20, Pro Harp, Blues Harp, Tombo – Lee Oscar or Seydel (Session Steel)

• Having a backup harp is a good idea – either C or an F harp can cover you

• Two notepads – one for scribbling notes and one for transcribing

• Pencil and a rubber

• A clipboard for handouts

People who already play a blues harp but would like to improve.

People who have attended a previous blues harp course

Ukelele, banjo, piano players etc. who would like to add another instrument.