"Low Hanging Fruit" Part 1: Licks

[MrThidj901]

Holy Cow! you made my day! (6:12)

[breakingthe4thwall]

My face fucking melted.

[MrSKoPEZ]

gettin these awsome riffs out of the way early picked up a harmonica a couple days ago and atm just practicing these licks and i can play mannish boy and the other one pretty good

[beatyourfacecrew]

7:15 = Winning

[12gagedan]

@beatyourfacecrew  i'm an F-18, bro.

[zstevensclayish]

Dan can you please give the harmonica tablature for the last two licks? (James Cotton lick and Kim Wilson lick)

[panelbeater13]

frickn heck that was cool

[goshinjk]

I like that you mention while driving. I do this all the time. I drive a soft top Jeep Wrangler. Stop lights are a blast. Anyways..I hold mine in my left hand so I can do a quick gear shift. Also...definately shake the hands while driving and not the head. Great presentation on your vids. Gindick and Gussow have covered a great deal. But don't sell yourself short. Thanks for your contribution.

[12gagedan]

@goshinjk Thanks man. I just revere those guys, and I want to make sure more people find them. 

[secilXD]

look dude i dont know if u noticed but that thing at the end was very fuckin original..you discovered electric harp and it sound fuckin awesome..make a fuckin band or something.don keep this to yourself.people need music like that.thx for the lessons btw.be cool

[zhukkidze]

cool teacher! ThX from Belarus!

[jussanjaeger]

That microphone sounds amazing!! What kind of microphone is it?

[12gagedan]

@jussanjaeger it's not the microphone, it's the fact that the microphone is being pushed to distort because the volume is too loud going into it. It's just a little sony stereo mic for covertly taping shows.

[hohner2010]

awww dan this low hanging fruit is wolf in sheeps clothing, theirs a load of ace mini help me out and also rip out over and over again. will you do another using sonny boy williamsons hand tecs?

[12gagedan]

@hohner2010 I have a friend who does the sonny boy hand thing way better than I do. Maybe I can talk him into helping with a video like that. Sorry for the late response. Apparently I don't get notified on all the comments.

[steamrollinstan]

Dan, the man, always one of the best damm youtubin, blues boogie woogie hoochie coochie, low hangin wotever who cares get down and let the thang go for it , gentleman i have learnt from.......and its all free...lol

[Mudfutbol]

Awesome, awesome! Thanks from a devoted beginner student and fan.

[tommror]

Hey Dan!  What kind of mic do you use in the end of the video? It really sounds like an amp ;) Need!

[baxball]

Dan great stuff, i just got my first harmonica today, i saw your video on single note playing, but i am really having trouble any advice?

[wildbill8547]

Dan -- what was that lick from 6:22 to 6:25? It sounded real good but I can't slow it down.

[12gagedan]

@wildbill8547 I have no idea.

[GUSPINSKEY12345]

Thanks a lot of people see your vids in NH man cep them cuming

[anagaaw]

Thanks Dan you are a legend We love you in England

[cravenmoorrrrrrrrr]

"love this man"

[laughingsb1]

You're an outstanding teacher. This is really helpful stuff. Now I gotta learn to drive.

[miks8]

sounded like an electric guitar! :)))

[xpalacios]

"uhm..it's my..day..job"

lol

Dude, awesome videos!

I've had harmonicas all the time but never knew how to play them.

This is a good inspiration to get new instruments into my music.

[cozymonk]

"...your driving and you don't want to shake your eyballs"

But don't you need at least one hand to drive? unless you use your knees...

[12gagedan]

knees, all the way.

[mfredd062164]

Sometimes you learn something and this is one of those times.

Thanks.

[rcolsa]

hi there im having problems with the notes bending< can u post a new video of the proper way to do it, thanksss

[12gagedan]

I have a bending video. There are also other bending videos out there. It's up to you to put the practice into it. There's not much a second video would accomplish.

[unpilarenunputiclub]

i´ve been playing harmonica, for 3 days! and i can notice that this videos are solid gold! good work man! keep making videos! you rock..

[mrcmxoner]

I just bought a C bluesband hohner I had a 24 double hole and I used to play it while playing guitar but I wanna learn to really play harmonica and you're helping me man : )! thanks!

[daverocker1]

Hehe. Low hanging fruit......sounds like an innuendo. I've got your low hangin fruit right here buddy.

[yammie1501]

your videos are really helpful. i am still having a hard time with bending. can you give me a few more tips? i can certainly change my pitch wistling inward or outward and i'm trying to do the exact same thing with the harmonica, but i'm still not quite getting it

[12gagedan]

It's a matter of feeling the pressure change within your mouth the correct way. Imagine the air moving in a different path (up and in instead of straight in) through the harmonica. You have to experiment within your mouth and really feel what's going on. It takes practice, but once you feel/hear it, then you can always find it again. I'm going through similar trouble trying to learn the 1 Overblow at the moment. It never ends.

[AnerStroz]

i just got my Hohner blues harp couple a days ago and your vids really help me..thanks

[ballzack509]

u are great i just got my first harp to day a hohner american ace it is a ckey i like it anyways your vids have helped me a lot expeshaly with bending=]]]

[12gagedan]

American Ace is a good place to start. I have one. It's not awesome, but it works well enough.

[djgxg]

lol the ending sound like an overdriven guitar=)))kickass microphone you have there

[cardsfanzeppie]

Thanks for all your valuable advice. I am finding it very helpful as I try to learn how to play. Keep up the great work. It is much appreciated!

[macthefinger3]

bad ass ending!

[mrogojanu]

Thank's a lot. I started to play harmonica after watching your video :).

[javihdelgado]

Man, you're great! Thanks so much.

[polabear661944]

THAT WAS AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol

[TheOneAndOnlyMATS]

do you know the song Hootin' Blues, i came across that video and when the video was done i was on my way to my local music store and bought a c harmonica :) so now im here. do you kow what snong im talking about ? would be cool if you culd do that riff :)

[12gagedan]

I don't. find it online or on youtube and send me a link. I'll take a listen.

[bluesharp3515]

Hi Dan, I think he means Hootin the Blues - Sonny Terry? not the easiest licks to play on a new harp :-) Love the stuff by the way!!!

[toomyg155]

Thanks again Mr. Dan for this and all your lessons

[devoking94]

when is part two coming

[12gagedan]

I'm pretty sure part two came out over a year ago. It's called "low hanging fruit part 2, harmonica philosophy" if I remember correctly.

[Acefrehley667]

dan you rock!!

[Jesterrrrrr]

that ending was slick, so nice

[rkramer19]

oh ok i didnt see that video ill check it out...and keep up the videos they are great and youre very talented

[rkramer19]

what exactly does bending mean? I understand draw and blow but i keep seeing the bent draw but i cant figure out what it means?

[12gagedan]

You could watch my "bending video" to get an idea. Basically, there's a blues harp technique that allows one to play notes not readily available on the instrument. By changing the airflow, one can actually fire the opposite reed, and get semitone notes that aren't there by just blowing and drawing. It's one of the reasons blues harps sound "blues-ey"

[backstabingliar]

It sounds like an electrick guitar at the end of the video :) Good stuff man.

[12gagedan]

distorted harp can be gnarly. Glad you liked it.

[Crashoverall]

this helped me a lot. thank you very much!

[geekboyII]

Thanks for the vid. I just started learning last month and I got stuck because I didn't know what to play. Now I got something to aim for.

[conarym9]

your so right about the James Cotton lick. I saw him live at Yoshi's and he did that lick for about three minutes straight. I'm glad you taught it taught it to me. Maybe now I can drive the crowd crazy.

Thanx a bunch man all your vids are really straight forward and informative. You got a lot of talent. Keep the blues alive! Peace.

[red051090]

what does draw mean? does it mean to suck or blow?

[12gagedan]

Draw means to suck. The word "draw" always means in towards the subject. You draw water from a well (to yourself). You draw attention (to yourself). You draw a number (from a hat, to yourself). Don't think of it as "sucking". Draw gently, the air through your harmonica.

[volcomboarder11]

draw means breath in, so...suck.

[12gagedan]

If you think you're "sucking" air into the harmonica, then your tone will likely "SUCK" as in "Suck Ass". You have to "breathe" in and out of the harp. It's a semantics argument, but also an important concept that I'm trying ot convey.

[Awesomebeard]

Exactly the kind of video I need. No bullshit, just straight up good lessons. Thanks!

[12gagedan]

cool, cool, cool. I'm so glad I could help.

[mully537]

thank you very much. this is exactly what i needed to get going. All the other video makers usually dont even tell you what their doing. you make it very very clear for a begginer.

[zacre]

hey man i dont inderstan how to tonguing??? can u explain cause somebody told me thats is necessary???

[strawwoodclaw]

Zacre -

it comes in time you block holes with your tong. say black holes 4 & 5 with your toung so you play 3 & 6 & get a octave sound. its seams to come with time just like note bending

[strawwoodclaw]

wow i cant even spell see what the PC does to me????!?!???

[12gagedan]

Your tongue does so much when playing harp, whether you use TB embouchure or lip purse. When lipping (like whistling) your tongue is used for bends and articulations like "ta, ta, ta". When you actually tongue block (TB) as a primary mode of play, your tongue does all that PLUS keeps you playing only one note at a time. Some people will claim you can't bend while TB'ing. NOT TRUE. You can do it all, just like the old blues guys did.

[bovetheone]

in other words ..dangle berrys

[bloodyxgrins]

thank u for your help

[ProTeamJerk]

thanks man this was really good the easiest for me a newb to music like me to understand do you think you could go over the positions in a later video thanks man

[12gagedan]

I've been meaning to do more vids. Choosing harps, and positions have been hot topics. Thing is, I'm super busy at work. It takes me a while between videos, cause youtube is a fun side-thing. Work pays the bills. Thanks for the support, though. New videos will come. . . eventually.

[ProTeamJerk]

i understand man take it easy

[milanoflix]

Thank you, thank you!

What's your mouth technique? Lips, tongue block?

Also, what tips for learning & practice? Whistle, play slow, breathing?

[12gagedan]

I tongue block a lot, but pucker some too. Can switch between embouchures at will. Just never sure how to spell that word. I started with pucker, learned TB later. Do whatever works for you. Practice a lot.

[Ledvolta]

great video

[mikenco]

Fantastic pointers! =)

[jasonricci]

I'm pretty sure there are bed bugs here at the centervill IN Super *...I think their too small to see but you can definitly feel them crawling. To say this video is much better than bed bugs would be bad because noone likes bed bugs! Which is sad...maybe thats why bed bugs bite? Good points here anyway.

[12gagedan]

"Truly, you have a dizzying intellect"

[iraklix]

I wanna ty u in advance buddy.

you've been very easy 2 understand how 2 start playin. gg byeee

[12gagedan]

Thank you all for watching and posting such positive comments. Pay us back by doing your best to become good harp players. That means practice!

[DistantSoul13]

thanks 4 the help you helped me year ago...

[rodcallaghan]

Just want to say to all you guys who are givin it away , A BIG THANK YOU, good on ya.

[Crashoverall]

thank you, your videos are amazing and have helped me a lot

its really great to find some help .

[wolfsmind2]

Dan,

Great stuff! Good starting riffs is just what I need right now. I'm pretty good with single notes, straight-harp tunes and some bends, but I'm just getting a feel for riffs and soloing. Thanks!

One question: can you give me tabs for the James Cotton riff? I know you're alternating a 4d and 4db and there's a 4b in there, too, but I can't quite figure out how it all comes together. 3d 4d 3d 4db 3d ???.

Dave

[slash62295]

hey aweosme video... i hav been playing for 3 days i im having a problem bending... but this video is really help do u know where i could find tabs or somthings. thx

[Conquistador666]

Aweosme!!!!!

[hawkssens]

Thank you VERY much! This really helps a lot!

[blopper68]

Hi Dan,hope you managed to get over the fires,

very engaging lessons my man.

Let it be known other tubers,this guy can really play hot stuff.Gotta hear him with a full band,wow.

Regards,Sean.

[12gagedan]

Sean, you're a tone monster, and I'm proud to know you.

[mahfudzmn]

you're the man! i've been watching some other lessons but you actually say what key you're playing and hole draws or blows, really help me out, in just 30 mins! awesome man! really!!!

[GUITARRRRA]

Sounds like a guitar at the end

[leopal1]

Awesome!You play very good.Keep posting videos!

THX

[12gagedan]

Working on it. My "real" life is pretty busy at the moment, though. Thanks for watching.

[JamCamp06]

Great lesson.

[12gagedan]

Jon,

Thank you. That means the world coming from you. I quote you a lot, and try to send students your way. You're the original harp teacher, and I am but one of your many students.

[botarblues]

thanks for your post dan, you're a good teacher and I loved the wailing overdrive solo jam. hearin you with a band would be a

gas

[12gagedan]

edbluepills dot com My old band in CT, the first two clips are flawed, but the others work.

[022852]

Hey, you lost me on the Kim Wilson lick.3d 4d 3d 3d 4d 3db 3db 4d? B Blues

[12gagedan]

3d, 3d, 4d

3d bent, 3d, 4d

It sounds like: da da dee, DU da dee, da da dee, DU da dee, . . . .

Minute 1:48 of Kim's version of "Tigerman"

I'm playing in the key of G on a C harp in this video

[022852]

What key of harp are you playing?

[12gagedan]

"C" Look to the upper right of the video, in the description. The first thing I list is the key.

[acebrawler73]

These vids are great. I'm really just starting. Do you have any suggestions for a really good dvd or book. Possibly one you or someone you know may have used? I think a dvd would be better because of the visuals. Any advice you can give me will be appreciated,(by the way, i thought the "amplified" solo at the end actully sounded really good.

[12gagedan]

Jon Gindick published several beginner books. I started with "country and blues harmonica for the musically hopeless". He has a bigger book called something like "rock and blues harp..." I have not seen Ronnie's dvd, but will ask about it when I meet him next month. Honestly, I think youtube is going to be the best starting point for many people. You just have to hope you can tell the hacks from the decent players.

[Bud24Shore]

Very helpful. Thanks a lot. The end I would have just said to turn down the sound cause of volume but that actually sounded really original.

[gatekeeper1973]

Thank you Dan.

[12gagedan]

Geoff, Thanks for the compliment. My favorite harp videos are by "kudzurunner" and "jasonricci" You'll learn a lot from these.

[billybob889900]

Yes, I've looked at a few of the Jason Ricci ones - he's goooood! and thanks for the tip about kudzurunner - have you seen Ozharp's second tutorial, the one that includes his student? Their banter is HILARIOUS!

[billybob889900]

Thanks very much Dan - I'm just about to start lessons and your tutorials are the very best I've found so far for beginners like me - From Geoff in the UK.

[internetbrother]

Great but I still have problem bending and I search all youtube and saw some video but still can not figure out

[12gagedan]

Ronnie Shellist has a great bending video.

[kokoro86]

Hey Dan, liked this post very much!

I have to agree emphatically that 'Hoochie Coochie Man' is definitely a must for the would be blues harper.

[12gagedan]

I'll add the hoochie coochie lick to the next one.

[ernal]

Great lesson. Very helpful. Would it be possible to do a similar one on turnarounds? A few different turnaround options would be nice to learn.

[12gagedan]

I taped a couple of minutes of turnarounds before realizing that I had no idea how to communicate what I was playing. Let me think about them for a while, and I'll try to make a coherent video on it soon

[neuropatico]

excellent, thanks alot! I'm about to give yo a donation

[12gagedan]

I don't think I deserve any donations 'cause my day job is for money, the harmonica is for fun. But thanks for the thought.

[Mueleski]

Nice Lesson, Thanks.