playing melodically on harmonica (C Harmonica) .034

[wannatroll]

4 blows get job done.

[ciromago]

Hey! , how are you? this kind of lessons are just great, basically because what you are telling on this video, you can apply to any instrument, i mean, that s the hole thing! that's how the good music works, just mixing scales, a pretty one, and a bad one! hahaha, thats probably the best example how to play...i just bought a pro harp hohner , my 2nd time on the harmonica, haha , damn this lesson would be so great 9 years ago when a just start playn guitar xD . Cheers!

[snowypetrel]

Such a massive help - you seperate the notes into clear expressions. Brilliant teaching thanks.

[TomTheHarmonicaKid]

Man thanks so much for this lesson - its actually explains so much! - as for the "mixing of the scales" ,p

[ricklilly1]

Incredible!

[bjkaboom]

awesome technician and teacher!

[hippieman128]

how the hell do you overblow the five? i can only do 7-10 and sometimes a 6.

[jondreauxlaing]

@hippieman128 Blow bends and Over blows are two totally different things. Technically you can't overblow 7-10 (you can overdraw them though). In general, an overblow is a half step higher than the draw reed of the same hole, though Jason can bend the overblow past that. Jason, Adam Gussow and Chris Michalek all of pretty helpful videos on how to overblow. Chris' video on overblowing was most helpful to me.

Great video, Jason.

[HarleyLavaLamp]

Wow... excellent instructional piece for me. I've been playing harmonica since I was a kid with no formal music training, and I didn't realize what I was doing until now.

[mescalinebandit420]

that was great im bout to find my C harp and get to work nice playin fa sho!

[estderoma]

hey there's a subliminal message at 6:53 you clearly say "I'm gay" ahahah

[no1GeorgeBarnett]

Incredible. I've never seen someone play the harmonica so effortlessly and easily. All the best x

[pauhell]

man,amazing lesson truly one of the most clarifing shit about my new skill in life,you know Im a bass player and Ive been messing with harmonica for a while, man fuckin good lesson, thanks

[gabthethird]

Dude... it's incredible... One day people are gonna be blown away by my skills and they'll ask: dude where did you learn all of that???? One simple and wonderful answer: Youtube and all the crazy harp players who gives you great tricks!!!

[szaman69]

Best lesson I ever got ;)

[TomTheHarmonicaKid]

@szaman69 exactly! :)

[tpioneer]

you are good :)

[petro062]

Sounds like Turkey in the Straw. I bet you could make that rock.

[DannyGrease]

kewl J

Danny

[JJ4POPE]

pretty

[12gagedan]

It's the secret to his solo on "I'm a New Man" I just got it. (not that I can play it)

[ZackPomerleau]

Nice Piano, you play?

[jasonricci]

No Brady plays that Zach...

[ZackPomerleau]

Well me thinks you should learn man! -Zack.

[845515786]

my mom found a harmonica in C in a drawer last night i realy want to learn to play it but i havent got a clue. hopefully i can learn from this vid

[ZackPomerleau]

I would try some Adam Gussow videos.

[elkriverharmonicas]

Hey Jason, went shooting with dad today, shot his Shiloh Sharps Silhouette, 200 yards, open sights (no scope) but five bullets in a 2 1/4 inch circle. Three in the same hole. I'm feelin' cocky, man, cocky! You ready for Sept. 20?

[cypher951]

Wow! Holy Sh*t Jason. That's why I love you......well not in a weird or creepy way ;)

bf

[philjlew]

yeah..what they said...thats the stuff that makes you think! thanks.

[kokoro86]

I particularly loved this lesson, Jason!

I think that I'm gonna try taking this lesson to the woodshed and grinding it out until I'm not stuck in the bluenote rut.

[bluzlvr]

This is a great lesson, but I'd like to point out that you don't have to skip the overblow note, instead, just play it natural and you get the mixolydian mode (flat 7th) which is a perfectly bitchin' scale on the guitar, so why not on the harp? I'm pointing this out for people like me who are still strangling themselves trying to learn overblows.

[jasonricci]

yeah but that note IS the flat 7 which is the note I'm trying to get people to avoid when playing major (pretty) so in this context for me or what I'm trying to teach here is not perfectly bitchin'... Other times I totally recommend the mixolydian. Thanks J

[elkriverharmonicas]

Hey, what Jackass gave this four stars? This video could be a book, man. Excellent lesson.

[fssharp]

Jason - Excellent lesson. I am in the rut of playing blues scales on blues nimbers and major pentatonic on pop/country numbers. This will a big help in adding musicality by alternating (but not intermingling) phrases in my playing (and keeping away from the majors over minors but not vice versa). One of the best playing lessons I've ever gotten - THANKS - keep up the good work and continued success.

[MisterPignose]

For me, this is some of the best knowledge that you've put forth revealing your approach. Thanks for this gem!

[lorentzinvariant]

You're a very talented musician. I hope you don't mind an amateur's question: I can execute all draw and blow bends accurately in tune, as long as I hit the default note first. For example, I can do all 3 draw bends on the third hole, as long as I hit the default third hold note FIRST. I want to be able to go, say, directly from, say, the 5hole (or any other hole) right to one of the bent notes at the 3rd (or other) hole, without hitting the default note first. Any tricks, or just more practice?

[jasonricci]

Hi Great question...The good news is your doing great and thats totally normal! the bad news is what your wanting to do is just more practice...Identify some licks that you want to do real bad like that and go for those first so it's fun and you have the ambition to not give up even though you keep missing...you'll so so get it soon I can feel it.

J

[lorentzinvariant]

Thanks for your reply! Another problem I have (no I'm not trying to sneak a free lesson ;)) is that, like many other amateurs, I seem to draw (or blow) harder to get bends than you (and other masters, like Levy, delJunco, etc.) do. The result is that I often get unintended accents on bend notes. I know the answer here must also be more practice. Oh well ... ;)

[johnnieharp]

A customized harp is the secret to bending with low airflow. I have a few from Chris Michalek (chrismichalek on youtube). He and Jason have played each other's and they are set up similarly. Very little air pressure is required to bend. IMO you can't play JR's stuff without customizing your harps. Check out JR's earlier vids on customized harps and also chrismichalek's on how to customize your own. After playing customs, I have no idea how Gussow can play out of the box MB's. JH

[jasonricci]

Hi Johnnie Congrats on you michalek harps! Chris , Adam Gussow and I all learned to play almost al what we play now on stock harmonicas. There is no doubt that custom harmonicas are certainly better and easier in many ways to play overblow related material however it is important not to give the instrument more credit then it deserves.

[jasonricci]

At a seminar I did in Amsterdam i asked the group to hand me one of their worst harps. i was able to overblow every note in the middle octave but on some couldn't get the 7 Overdraw. i'm not contradicting what your saying here becuase much of it is true only adding a disclaimer that learning on a stock harp or at least just setting the action tighter is actually GOOD for your playing.

[johnnieharp]

JR, interesting... So perhaps a good exercise both technical and physical (in terms of improving muscle coordination and strength) would be to go back and forth between adjusted and non adjusted harps in the same key (b flat for instance) doing the same scales/exercises. This would be akin to weight or resistance training for the arms and legs to improve strength but for the mouth and throat.

Thanks for your comments!

JH

[jasonricci]

TOTALLY! and Thank you my friend! V\Congrats again on the harps they will also in their way help you learn faster!

J

[johnnycardy]

Jason, this was an extremely interesting lesson, thanks!

[BloozandBoomz]

Thank you very much Jason for putting this video up! It is very helpful!

[larrymail]

Thanks so much for that jason.

I'm one of those guys always in the blues scale. I'll work on incorperating the major scale.

[eharphyde]

very helpful lesson, jason. answered some questions and gave me some homework.

how about a shot and some information of the harp player on the mantle?

[N1LLe]

VERY GOOD LESSON!!

[DistantSoul13]

that was gr8.....

[robthebog]

just thanks man !!