Harmonica Country Blues

[makilakixki]

Hi, Lee. Suggestion on your prospective lessons: most of us harmonica players folowing your videos would appreciate some rural blues covered by you. I think this sample here in the video could be a good start if only some guidelines on the cool riff. Keep up the good work :-)

[leesankeygroup]

@makilakixki Hi there (?), the new YouTube design makes it harder to see people's names. Thanks for the suggestion. It's a good one and a few people have asked me to cover some county blues. I will definitely do something on it in 2012. Perhaps after I have finished the series on tongue blocking. That would make sense as you need to tongue block to play this style of harmonica. Happy New Year, Lee

[Hiroshimaslim]

Hi Lee, fantastic playing as always. I'd love to see a video or two on how you set up the basic rhythm to this piece, and maybe one or two of the more straight forward licks you lay on top. I've been working with your country into to 'Stone in my shoe' for about 8 years now, and am only just beginning to make the smallest progress. This kind of stuff is why I picked up the harp. Thanks for all your videos, they've answered some questions I've had for a long time. Cheers, Kit

[leesankeygroup]

@Hiroshimaslim Hi Kit, that must be the live version from She's Not Alone. Like you, this country style harmonica was also one of the things that captured my imagination. When I heard Sonny Terry, I said "I've got to do that". Been trying ever since. I like your suggestion of explaining the core rhythm, perhaps I will do it after the tongue blocking series. Thanks for your interest, Lee

[eeskin]

I finally made it !!

You just have to practice some time

Thank you Lee!

[leesankeygroup]

@eeskin Better late than never, thanks for watching Emrah and glad you enjoyed it. Lee

[shkeni]

Unbelievable... loved it!

[leesankeygroup]

@shkeni Thanks for watching. Check out the great Sonny Terry if you like this style of harmonica. Le

[shkeni]

@leesankeygroup Thank you Lee, I do love his stuff indeed.

[eeskin]

actually, an exercise video for all bends of 3 hole will be appreciated very much

[leesankeygroup]

@eeskin HI Emrah - hole three drawing is one of the hardest aspects of playing the harmonica. Looking at one aspect - hitting the right 4 notes - here is a simple but very effective way to practise. Alternate between draw 2 and each draw 3 note. So 2d, 3d, 2d, 3d*, 2d, 3d**,2d, 3d***. Do this down and then in reverse. The point of returning to 2d is a) to help your ear hear the relative sound of the 3d notes relative to the root. And b) to help hit bends accurately moving from another hole.

[leesankeygroup]

@leesankeygroup Hope this helps. I'll think about a video on this, but I don;t tend to cover beginner topics as it has already been done so by Adam Gussow, Ronnie Shelist, Jon Grindick etc. I focus more on intermediate and advance levels. But I hope the exercise in my response helps. Lee

[eeskin]

@leesankeygroup thank you very much, I guess no one has mentioned this exercise before

this kind of unspoken tips are very useful especially if you are a begginer

I'm going to try for a week and let you know how it works

[leesankeygroup]

@eeskin Let us know how you get on.

[nvwoos]

How about just a breakdown on this? I mean just the main rhythm thing?

[leesankeygroup]

@nvwoos Hi, thanks for the suggestion. Yes I'm giving it some thought and hope to upload something soon. Are you looking for advanced or intermediate or beginner? Lee

[eeskin]

@leesankeygroup I want some beginner/intermediate vidoes.

I am not good at 3 hole bend

[SurlyMac]

Thanks, Lee - being able to watch while I listen to your wonderful playing is always a valuable lesson.

[leesankeygroup]

@SurlyMac Hi Scott thanks very much for saying so. Great to hear. Lee

[papnevelde]

Hello Lee,

The weather is cold, but listening your great instrumental I feel like working on the fields!

Stevie

[leesankeygroup]

@papnevelde Hey there Stevie, thanks for posting. Glad you like the tune. it's been cold here in London too. Best regards Lee

[tenbarsteam]

Hi Lee

Any chance of a breakdown of Monkey Lips?

keep on harpin'

regards

Andy

[leesankeygroup]

@tenbarsteam Hi Andy, nice suggestion. I've been thinking about trying that but a super tough song to explain. Are you looking for something which note by note, bar by bar? Or an overview of the key techniques?

[tenbarsteam]

@leesankeygroup Thanks for getting back Lee. I wasn't looking for a note by note explanation of the tune. An overview would be good, maybe with some background on the style. I guess it's mainly tongue blocked. It reminds me of William Clarke a lot, was this your intention?

[arthur1062]

awesome lee , loved it , happy 2011 , arthur

[leesankeygroup]

@arthur1062 Hello Arthur, thanks for watching. I hope you are well. How's the playing coming along? Been to London harps?

[caracho1980]

Great again! Lee, you are a awesome player! You have got that kind of playing what makes me motivated again and again! Sorry for my bad english! :-)

[leesankeygroup]

@caracho1980 Wow, that's some sweet feedback. Many thanks. It's always nice to hear when you have inspired someone in some way. With compliments like that I'd say your English is just fine! Regards Lee

[Tsutsomu]

Hi Lee,

Really happy to hear from you again my friend.

I wish you a great 2011 and a lot of success.

Thank you very much for this great one.

Friendly :

Steph.

[leesankeygroup]

@Tsutsomu Hey Steph, Happy New Year to you and all the best for 2011. Thanks for watching so many of my vids. Regards, Lee

[GreyOwlPhotoart]

That's really nice Lee. Hypnotic rhythm throughout, breaking out and dropping back into the groove with ease. Well done. Best wishes. Kieron aka ♫G®€Ÿ ØWℓ♫

[leesankeygroup]

@GreyOwlPhotoart Thanks Kieron, just trying to keep the pulse going throughout.

[TheEttingoff]

This is great glad you posted it

[fiendant]

Fantastic. thanks for sharing:o)

[jodanchudan]

Fantastic!

[kendad555]

Love the grove and your other stuff...any way to get you to do a instructional video on your breathing pattern for that grove??? I've tried, but can't keep up :-( . From a good ole USofA fan.

[leesankeygroup]

@kendad555 Hi Ken (?) thanks for watching and for your kind words. An instructional video on this? Hmmm tricky to explain online but let me give it some thought. I'm not sure what I doing at the time anyway. Surely someone has covered basic country rhythm already? Regards Lee

[Bobyslav]

Hell yeah!

[harpin191]

Bravo!

[strawwoodclaw]

groovy :-)

[harproli]

Great! Very well done. Thanks for sharing.

Greetings, Roli

[leesankeygroup]

@harproli Hi Roli, thanks.

[XeDro98754]

You are great! I liked it that you can play a single notes while playing the chords!

[leesankeygroup]

@XeDro98754 Hi there, you do this by using both sides of your tongue. If you play only lip pursing this kind of playing style is going to be very difficult. Thanks for watching. Lee

[XeDro98754]

@leesankeygroup Thanks alot! You are very good!

[pritchharp]

Fantastic rhythm playing. Wish I could even get close to that!

[leesankeygroup]

@pritchharp Cheers Adam, nice comments. May be you can. It's a case of small steps which lay down a foundation. I.e don't try to play something complicated or fast initially. Just start simple and get things down 100%. I learned this style by playing along to Sonny Terry records. It took me a long, long time to be able to play this way and even now I'm learning all the time. There are bits of this clip that to me aren't smooth, but hey that's what happens on something improvised. Lee

[honeydawg]

Count me a fan... dig it Lee.

[leesankeygroup]

@honeydawg Thanks for your interest and watching.

[nvwoos]

Very cool Lee.

[leesankeygroup]

@nvwoos Cheers, having some fun on Saturday morning. Lee

[g0moz]

loved that one Lee . well done

[leesankeygroup]

@g0moz Thanks Jan, happy new year to you. Regards, Lee