Blues Harp From the Crossroads (Gussow.025)

[welshbarbarian]

Beautifull lessons. Thank you.

[SianReynolds]

As for women harp players, don't forget Cheryl Arena - she's pretty tough.

[Glaeken1961]

Funny how great blues players grab the essence of their life experience, to the point of poetry. You embody your belief, a bubbly personality stripping away confusion to reveal stark technique. I enjoy your teaching so much. Your harp voice is so concentrated, direct, and yet also delicate. I hope in time to approach this same fluency. I chose the Puck because it forces careful technique and discipline. Thank you for your energy in making all these great videos - it's a treasure house of styles.

[Glaeken1961]

Dalai Lama says "judge your success by what you can give up.." in my case that was all my "french lessons" ...a case of records of every single player you listed which had to be sold off so I could come to the USA...But a Hohner Puck, she is portable! Bless you, Adam Gussow, you are truly a "gone cat"...

[KudzuRunner]

I'm a big fan of Tibetan Buddhism, so I like that quote. Pema Chodron is my guru, although she doesn't know it.

[kasperkerber]

Hey Adam. Thank you so much for lessons like this. I'm working my way from lesson 1 and its lessons like this that seem to help them most. I live in Saskatchewan where there are little to no harmonica players, and vitually no blues harp players so the CDs and the net is all I have. Your doing a great job.

[nosferaturr]

Yes , you're right ! But if you want to learn frech, you can also go to Quebec ! Sorry, just an inside joke. Keep on playing, keep on teaching, your lesson give me some hope !

[KudzuRunner]

If you want to learn French, yes, you can also go to Quebec, hey. Or Dakar. Or Martinique. But I was talking about CLASSIC blues. You could go to Greenwich, Connecticut and learn blues, I'm sure, but it might not be quite as funky as the stuff on Maxwell Street in Chicgao.

[nosferaturr]

Well. if you go to Montreal to do some jam session, we can talk about it !

Anyway, thanks for all these lessons M. Gussow. You really put put Blues in my french heart. The way you "democratize" (I don't don't know if it's the good word in english) the music is outstandting. Thanks.

[ostringer9]

thanks adam i have learnt so much since i began watching your video lessons also congratulations and thanks for your fantastic website MODERN BLUES HARMONICA i have downloaded many of your lessons thanks again adam please keep em coming

[dalbyonemanband]

go to that crossroads every night for 9 days at midnight on the dot..on the ninth day, you'll see something that may try to scare you off, be it a bear, black dog. that's to try and scare you off. don't be scared. if you pass the test, a black man will appear and take your instrument play a tune hand it back and there you have it..

[BluesFlashVa]

Adam, I want to thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!!! The lesson's a great!!! The guy I got my first lesson's from turned me on to "Jimmy Reed", his licks are simple but powerfull and you can't beat his straight harp blow bend licks!!

[KudzuRunner]

You're right about Jimmy Reed. He's not somebody who influenced my style much, but I did spend some hard time with his records, working out the high-note stuff on "Bright Lights, Big City." A good addition to my greatest-hits list.

[BluesFlashVa]

Adam, I love the lesson's, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge!!!! The guy that I recieved my first lessons from started me with "Jimmy Reed", his style and licks are simple but very powerfull and you can't beat his straight harp style!!! I just think his worth mentioning as a great harp player to listen to!

[uncleandy182]

I love all your videos, theyre definately helping me improve, been playing on and off a couple of years. top man.

[lianxin0216]

the same to me

[nomoboy]

Greetings from the woodshed, Adam. Thanks for your advice/suggestions, it's working. Listening is definitly important. Yesterday I watched a vid at home with a harp player (which I watched a dozen times) and for the first time I noticed/heard that he was tapping his foot all throughout the song, never noticed it before, never REALLY listened....

[jbass0760]

Adam, i just wanted to thank you for the lessons you have posted. i just picked up a harp last thursday, and from watching your videos i think ive caught on to the instrument a lot quicker. i watched all your videos saturday night and played til 2 AM. i was wondering, is the B flat harp better suited for blues playing?

[KudzuRunner]

All the harps, from G at the bottom to F# at the top, are suitable for blues. Each harp, though, has acquired a certain history in light of the classic songs that great players have recorded with it. Little Walter's "Back Track" was on a B-flat. "Juke" was on an A. "Born in Chicago" was a D. Sonny Boy played many songs on an F. Take your pick.

[rnsonmt]

Lookin' forward to Gussow.026 etc...

[bobblunn]

Great advice! All the current greats emphasize putting in time in the woodshed as well as listening to other great musicians -(Not just harmonica players)

Thanks for sharing, and...

Jam On!

-B²

[bottom11]

good advice,thanks!

[tubicula]

a crosroad in the night, ha haha be carefully about police..

[milkriverfilm]

thanks, looking forward to each of these!

tg

[milkriverfilm]

agree, agree.

along the lines of sax players, what about guitarists. i stole from Lightnin' Hopkins and Mance Lipscomb cause they were local, and doing very different things.

Sonny Terry? Paul Orta? John Popper? thoughts?

[KudzuRunner]

I should have included Sonny Terry in that list of key masters. He was very important to me personally, even though I moved away from that style later. I've never heard of Orta, I'm afraid. And I mention Popper--favorably--in the third video in this series, to be uploaded Friday...

[zyxel2]

yeah, John Popper is great, so is Mike Feltham (Nine Below Zero)

BTW. one of first advices someone gave me when i stardet playing harp was "listen, listen, listen", and if you listen a lot, and keep practicing, tecnique will catch up.

[ElvinFyre]

Adam, you are right on the money.

Mick

p.s. Still waiting for spring up here in Canada.

[zyxel2]

Wow, you are totally right about that obsession and crazyness :D