Blues Harmonica Secrets Revealed (Gussow.015)

[necke22]

adam I have a question. any of those notes of the scale can be played anywhere in a progrecion blues? I mean that in the note to play I, IV, or V.

thanks.

[AndonMie]

You're too cool for school Adam Gussow.

[MrJerryjenkins]

Hey Adam, scratch my previous post when I said I could not get blue 3rd. Those harps don't bend period on the 3 hole.

[MrJerryjenkins]

Adam, I am finding myself coming back to the basics after going so far. I have a question. I bought a set of harps, Hohner Blues Harps. B Bb and C, of this set I can't get a blue 3rd. All the other harp A-G I have no problem bending, even starting bent, scoop bend or holding a long bent note. Your best pro opinion, me or the harps? I have gotten that shrill sound and it has been a sensitive reed but not on those 3 harps

[MrJerryjenkins]

Adam, I am finding myself coming back to the basics after going so far. I have a question. I bought a set of harps, Hohner Blues Harps. B Bb and C, of this set I can't get a blue 3rd. All the other harp A-G I have no problem bending, even starting bent, scoop bend or holding a long bent note. Your best pro opinion, me or the harps?

[dcplace2007]

What key is the harmonica in on this lesson? Not the crossharp key, but the straighharp key...thanks...

[Greattauro]

Haha lesson 14 and 15 are my birtday presents from 3 years ago aren´t they Adam? ´Cause they sure do count as presents for me :D, and you uploaded them on my birthday :D

[MrDidjcripey]

Words of wisdom... as usual.

[whyerp]

what is a 3 blue?

[XPMBblues]

3 draw partial bend (down 1/2 tone)

[klykas]

Maybe its a stupid question but still .. can I play these same notes on my C harp while practicing? Or totally other note combination is needed... I am not very musically educated .. obviously :)

[Satington]

you can play the same notes, but in a different position. Just learn the pattern and then apply it to any harp.

learning what notes you're playing will come if you take the time to educate yourself.

[klykas]

thank u :)

[10trait]

Of course you can... I follow this lesson on a G harp, im not in the right tone but the distance between the note is the same, so.

[tictoctictoc07]

why do you play in your car

[jrring]

Why not?

[tictoctictoc07]

tooshay

[19so92]

01:09 that's great melody

[sphinxrising58]

I was given a fairly decent Harmonica once & thought, how hard could it be to learn to play it ( famous last words ), lol

Much harder than it looks, which is why I guess they call them professionals because they make it look like anyone can do it, lol

[bluesj1231]

Dear Adam, I've been workin'on your lesson about te bluesscale, and I noticed that although I've been playin'for years now at a average level, I still do things wrong. It's become a habit for example, that I mostly play the 3 blow on the way down the bluesscale, where 2 draw should be played.Why?

[jacksmasher]

can you say what harp you are using when you play.thanks for all the tipssss

[telliseed]

I have a question. I just got a D harp (Hohner blues harp) and whenever I do a 4 draw with a bend, I get this very high pitched, shrill, whistling that hurts my ears. Is this a problem with the harp, or am I just bending incorrectly? Thanks, your videos are great, and I've grown as a player a ridiculous amount since I've been watching them.

[KudzuRunner]

I've never had this particular problem. I think it's something wrong with the way you're bending. But I can't diagnose at long distance.

[oscarv30]

Adam why does the 2 hole deep bend sound so good in blues? Shouldn't that be on the blues scale somewhere? lol. All i know is when I'm playing and I hit the 2 hole draw on the deepest bend it feels good.

[KudzuRunner]

That bend is the flat seventh--one octave below the 5 draw (we're talking cross harp now) and very much a key note in the blues scale. You've got good ears.

[oscarv30]

Adam I recently found (right after I posted this) this website that lays out the harp notes in any key. You punch in the key and what position and it gives you all the notes and the notes when you bend em. THIS WAS HUGE FOR ME... hey all you harp nerds... google "diatonic layout generator". This was amazing for me! See you in San Diego Dr. Gussow.

[lwcary]

Hi, there! Just wanted to drop you a note to tell you HOW MUCH we all appreciate your detailed, "nuts 'n' bolts" blues harp instruction! You meticulously pull out all the stops and give us those little subtleties that most harp teachers overlook. Keep up the good work. Harpfully yours, Lloyd

[rasdasa]

Excellent, thank you a much!

[NotSoUniversal]

do you use the "ta's" and "da's" all the time or only when you need to do consecutive notes in the same hole? or just whenever you want that type of sound?

[KudzuRunner]

I don't use them all the time. As with most things musical, it's a judgment call. So your last sentence gets it exactly right: I use tongue articulations whenever I want that type of sound.

[chrisstoj]

Adam, I taught myself the blues scale a month ago and practiced it all the time not noticing that I was playing the wrong one. It sounds the same, it's just a couple steps lower than if you start on 2d. Does only inferior music come out if you play blues based on a scale that starts on 1d?

[LeeTchate]

chrisstoj: are you sure it sounds the same? what kind of instrument are you using? to play this scale on a diatonic harp starting from the 1 hole draw would require bending the 2draw down 2 steps, and the 3draw down 3 steps even. sounds rather challenging, but then i'm just a beginner.

[chrisstoj]

@LeeTchate Turns out I was playing in third position... and yes those are indeed the bends!

[laugho999]

why are you in a car?

[KudzuRunner]

#1, I explain this in a previous video. #2, it's the perfect place for harmonica lessons.

[theotherkidd]

Good stuff Adam! Thanks for the help.

[Ledvolta]

thanks, Adam. This is priceless stuff! does it work in every key?

Mitch

[KudzuRunner]

Any harp lick or set of licks theoretically works in every key of harp. Some licks, especially high note bends, get increasingly hard to do as the harp key moves up. I've never heard anybody work the 8-10 hole bends on an E harp, for example.

[Syekate]

Hi Adam, I just had to say that you've done an amazing thing here. As a beginning player, I wanted to know how to do things right from the start, and you have certainly given me that. I've breezed through the first 15 videos, but am going to stop here for a while just to practice and perfect the basics you've shown us, especially the blues scale. Cheers!

[KudzuRunner]

That's a great way to work with them. Just pause, practice hard every day, and give things a chance to sink in and transform your playing.

[MisterPignose]

Great lesson to show the importance of the blues scale. Very inspiring for me to work on basics.

[evanstheframe]

Adam on this video the penny has finally dropped lol. I tried to play around with the harp to soon. Had a few things learnt and would let rip. Didnt sound to good. For the last week or so all I have done is play around with the blues scale. That together with your lessons on the 12 bar blues progression I am finally starting to piece everything together. Thank you for all you do and keep up the good work.

[yaguarete167]

tip: inhale and pronunciate chuk-chuk in the 2 and 3 draw (realy nice sound)

[tweek72]

Thanks man-good lesson-I'll go pratice some more

[Johnohpro8]

What are the notes to the blues scale? How many blues scales are there? can you list them. thank you.

[yarhman75]

Got to overblow dot com, there is a scalefinder from which you can get the blues scale for any key on any key harp. I use it all the time.

[totolatvia]

Gussow,you rock!

[expatriot1]

Arghh! I don't get how to do the air release thing that winds up giving you such a cool kind of base sound....when I try it sounds sloppy and all over the place.

[tmpubs]

Thanks to your information and inspiration I've been "diggin' deep" lately (playin' with some balls my wife calls it), and trying to get a handle on that manual steering. Tough for a newbie. Man are my lips sore, but god I love the blues, and now that I'm progressing and can make my own feelings come outa my harp, I'm one happy camper. Thanks for sharing, Best to Mr. Satan...without him, where would we all be?

[KudzuRunner]

Digging deep is what it's all about. Many players don't realize just how much physical force you need to learn to apply to those reeds. Sore lips are what you get for it, but also a much better sound.

[yaguarete167]

sonny boy williamson used to use fingers in the back of the harmonica like keeping the air of coming out, its that a technique or i confused?

[JohnnyT68]

Good question! Have the same thought on his "Bye, Bye, Bird" video (a must see!).

Johnny.

[yaguarete167]

Thank you.. do you have some tabs of sonny? i been searching for good ones, sorry for the bad english im argentinian..

Facundo

[JinzoCreed]

Thank you =D

[bustawhytee]

Hey man your lessons are inspiring, you flat jam bro. Blue soul to the core. Thanks for these lessons. I sent you a video response last lesson (14) That was me after 6months. ...your lessons I have been cranking out some funky "almost blues" check out the short rhythm on my last video. This was inspired by the lesson on "letting" you body tell you when it needs to let out. If you are ever down in Raleigh, NC and you need any help call me!! BamBam owes you one! :)

[KudzuRunner]

Thanks, BW/BB. I'm really glad to hear that the material I'm putting out there is something you can run with and make your own. I'll check out that video when I'm able to.

[rockytheharp]

Well Adam...It's Official...You Are The Man !

We are all so excited to have you as a teacher.

Thanks Again,

RockyTheHarp

[dabizo1]

I appreciate your time. Very logical and informative. Thanks

[blogward]

Hi Adam, I reckon Hohner owe you commission. Is there a particular reason you favour the Bb? I used to play with a sax player who favoured the F blues scale. I don't have Bb now, but I remember it being nice and mellow.

[KudzuRunner]

Great question. Actually, I am an official endorser of Hohner Harmonicas--they're the only brand and model I've used for 32 years--but they haven't given me so much as a free t-shirt in the 15-odd years that I've been an endorser, nor answered an email. Hmmm. Hey guys, how about a call?

[KudzuRunner]

To answer the other question: B-flat gives you all the low-end power of an A, but it's brighter, chirpier, bluesier. I did almost all my playing with Satan and Adam on A and C harps; only recorded a couple of tunes on a B-flat. This particular instrument is a beaut, right off the shelf.

[nomoboy]

Fantastic blues scale lessons..Thanks Adam

[KudzuRunner]

Thanks, all. Make harp your drug and leave the bad stuff alone!

[jonlewandowski]

Adam...can't get enough...my "woodshed" time has become fun again! Great to hear new slant on the basics.(Just a bit scary...I'm now checking YouTube before my E-mail, can you say "harp crack addict"?

[jrhorowitz]

very informative. thanks for this!

[pagmatic]

another great one. Thanks for being so giving. It seems you got cut off at the very end?

[KudzuRunner]

You're welcome. Actually, my camera ran out of juice as I was dumping "footage" into my MacBook. So I made a virtue of necessity--improvised--and decided to let the forceful last statement end the thing. Different flavors of How-To....