Blues Harmonica Secrets Revealed (Gussow.014)

[jochemkraanen]

hi adam, first of all thanks for the great lessons

. I have a question. is this the same for a c harmonica?

[freshoffmymind]

thanks to you i love my harmonica..

BTW press 7 over and over

[jasperhamann]

hi adam, i just wanted to say thanks for your great lessons, ive been practising for 2 months now and startin to get that blues sound for which this lesson is great! and i must say your missisipi front porch slow blues is my inspiration :)

[bbeddick]

Mr Gussow

I have a quick question for you if you don't mind. I cant seem to get any sort of good sound on a 2 draw. I have heard little things here and there about the 2 draw being hard, but I feel the only way to get sound on my harp is to be loud as HELL. It is a hand-me-down hohner so i feel it might be something wrong with the reed and i shouldn't worry about it 2 much. But im just not sure, sry for the long post. I would love any help you could give me...Thank you

"a drunken hearted boy"

[kpls72]

Adam and all: Nice lesson. I have a LOT of time over the years with this type exercise. I learned the scale via tablature, but what made it come to life was realizing that Butterfield's take on THE WORK SONG on the 2nd BBB lp was a good place to "get it". It helped me a lot, and might help you all. Thanks again Adam 4 the lessons. Between you and Jerry Portnoy's CD set, I am learning a LOT. Adam, you broke it down in the best manner I've ever seen/heard. THANKS. Tom

[dawgphoto]

Isnt the 3 blow the same as the 3 dr....oh nevermind. .. The 3 draw bend is a definite struggle for me... it makes my head vibrate.... i think im gonna break open the piggy bank and get that vid.. great stuff . I learn alot from your videos.

[MyManDan]

hey man, i only have a G harp right now, but i want to play blues in the key of A, what key harmonica do i need to buy??

[calebwastaken]

You'll need a D

[Geetar2112]

Spooky! I feel this is a personalised lesson just for me.......I was enjoying yet another great lesson and you made me jump..........at 8:11 you said "Doug that´s the blue scale". Made me jump man!

Regards from - guess who:)

[PayoFyah]

adam i cant get the sounn you made on 4:42...is it bended or natural note...im playing a big river hohner harp...thanks for the lessons by the way

[KudzuRunner]

Thanks! I'm glad we were there for you. Mr. Satan sure has the mojo--the "mother mojo," as he calls it.

[icancervivor]

WOW... I couldn't believe my eyes and ears to find you out here in cyberspace.....! ! ! big fan of satan and adam for over 16 years i believe ! ! ! !  after college and the band split... you two guys gave me the inspiration to go solo... i can't thank you enough.... being a long term cancer survivor ... music was my salvation... and you guys have that positive uplifting spirit.... thank you blues brother... WOW ! !

[MYTHIRDSHADOW]

Thank goodness you had an "A" harp ! ! Thats all I have and I've been wanting to know if I had the right amount of bend on that 3 hole AND I DO! ! ! Thanks SO much Adam.

[alosam2]

Thank you so much for this video, ive seen a few of ur vids months back, and i only yesterday went out and bought a harmonica mainly because of you. All in all i just want to thank you for all the time you put into teaching your viewers... keep doing what ur doin, inspiring souls!

[motzyca22]

dude thanks very much the funky thing didn't quite appeal to me, but man this one really does...

thanks a lot man

[christianisgroovy]

Aren't 2 draw and 3 blow the same thing?

So can't do 3, blue third, 4, 4 draw...etc as the scale instead?

[KudzuRunner]

They're the same note but not the same thing. The tonal qualities of 2 draw are better; you can play the note much louder and slide into it from the bent note. Plus 2 draw lets you alternate with blow chords; 3 blow IS a blow chord, or part of one, and won't let you do that. I'm a missionary about 2 draw over 3 blow; trust me on this one. The only time I use 3 draw is 1) as part of a chord, or 2) as a passing done. I never hang on it very long, for the reasons above.

[christianisgroovy]

Thanks

[DonQuijote01]

Hehe, the learning curve? Hahahahah, in one year I can go out of the lower part of that curve.

[exmortegothiar3]

MAN you are the BEST!!!i really think you are one of the best harp players in the world!!!THANK YOU so MUCH!!

[billy218]

Hi adam,

thanks alot for the lessons you're absolutely the best teacher out there!

Im actually havin trouble getting a clear blue third note, my 4 bend is ok, but the 3 is kinda hard,

any tips?

[KudzuRunner]

Sure. Download my $5 video on "bending the three draw" at Modern Blues Harmonica (the store...scroll down the page).

[expatriot1]

One of the things I really like about your lessons are your very creative and applicable metaphors.  I like to think about the blues scale as a house with not a lot of elbow room, but a lot of camera angles. I saw this lesson so many months ago, but your metaphor has stuck in my mind.

[NotSoUniversal]

cant we just start with 3 blow? its the same as 2 draw...maybe its not the same on all harps tho, i duno

[KudzuRunner]

3 blow and 2 draw are indeed the same note, but pretty much every professional blues player I know uses the 2 draw whenever possible, reserving the 3 blow as a transition or passing note. The tone you get on 2 draw is better, better vibrato, and you can approach it from below in various ways using the 2 draw bend.

[NotSoUniversal]

cool, thanks

[LeeTchate]

Inspiring. Big "thank you" from Hamburg, Germany. Five stars.

[Kilovolver]

Mr Adam, thanks from Venezuela! Your lessons are usefull and inspiring. I went today to the store to get my Marine Band and couln't find a b-flat tuned one (grrr), so i keep practicing with my BluesBand tuned in C .I'm a total newbie on my way to learn to play blues harp thanks to you, man

[siddvlaroy]

nevermind, should have watched the whole video first

[siddvlaroy]

....so is the 3 hole draw without the bend part of the scale?

[tommygunl88]

this is the best episode but i still can't get that riff in the lesson. ill keep trying

[treybn333]

Begin with the end in mind

[bassinjasson]

I keep a copy of the blues scale tab in each of my harp cases

[bertouli]

Adam, you are an awesome teacher. These lessons have so far tought me more that 1 year of fooling around with books, CD's and harmonica instruction sites!

[KudzuRunner]

Thank you! That's exactly what I hoped to accomplish: turbocharged harp-progress.

[timmybeave1056]

this is really kick ass. thanks so much. where can i buy the dvd's?

[bag85]

iea!!! i hit it!!! the first time i really heard the difference and the utility of the bending notes!!!

[Jabeslee]

Thank you, Adam for your perspective and spirit

[corruptedfuzz]

Oh and btw, you are an absolutely amazing harp teacher!!!!!!! Definitely the best.

[KudzuRunner]

The 2 draw allows you to approach the note--the tonic note--from below, through several different bends. Much more tonal range.

[g0moz]

Hey Adam thank you for showing a sonny terry lick .. hope you do more ..

[strawwoodclaw]

is it Funeral Hill?

[festa82]

Thanks for putting your time and effort into these lessons,what you are teaching is absoultly priceless!

[KudzuRunner]

Thanks for your thanks.

[Dranectrakon]

thanks!

[kokoro86]

I shudder at the number of bad habits I'm gonna have to unlearn now! Aaaargh! Thanks again.

[KudzuRunner]

KK: I checked out your channel. I"m glad I can be of help on your journey. Keep on practicing; you will get where you want to go.

[Erikjr21]

omg! i got a book once and played it for practiced it for a year maybe 2 years and always wanted to hear it out load, although i think yours is a bit different yours is more advanced i think. SWEET

[KudzuRunner]

As we know, there are dozens of harp instructional books and methods available. I'm trying to bring the Old School method--front seat of the car, no tabs, nothing written down--to folks who may not have that option available....

[eternalfrost21]

does the same set of holes (2d 3d-bend etc) on other key harps(i hace a c) work too?

[KudzuRunner]

Yes! Double Yes! Once you've learned a lick on one 10-hole diatonic harp, it works in all the other keys. Of course, high keys feel a little different from lows keys. But the music remains the same.

[pagmatic]

oops.. I meant "doing" a blow...

[KudzuRunner]

I think whatever sounds right IS right, actually. I'd have to know which particular lick you're talking about in order to give you a good answer. But you're asking the right questions!

[pagmatic]

I'm referring to playing the Blues Scale. Going from the 2 draw to the 3 draw (the first two notes in the scale).

hope that makes more sense.

[KudzuRunner]

I'm pretty sure that I'm moving between the two holes with the help of the slight 123draw release that I speak about earlier in the video--where I continue to draw in but relax my mouth a little and let a little air in before clamping back down.

[pagmatic]

are you going straight from the 2d to 3d? Or are you blowing between them? I've tried from draw to draw; but it doesn't sound right. I tried dowing a blow after the draw and it sounded more like it.,\

Thanks again!

[ElvinFyre]

Adam, you're a wonderful teacher as well as an excellent harmonica player. I've only been playing for a few years, and do sing/play in a working blues band, but, man, I have so much to learn. :-) Wish you were closer to Canada, but you got me glued here to YouTube.

Mick

[chalberk]

master gussow! thanks for your lessons, i have been playing for a while but this page has been my favorite ,learning directly from the master, i already bought the delay pedal, not the boss (too expensive) i got the beringer, it sound interested, its great to investigate new sounds.

next time show us some more of missisippi if you can please, since i live in the "corner of world" we don`t have idea how looks there. thanks

gonzalo

[KudzuRunner]

I'm thinking along the same lines. I only live 60 miles from Clarksdale, the heart of the "blues" Delta. So I play on driving out there and working up a few lessons. Thanks for the feedback.

[mississippisaxman]

Adam, First of all thanx for the tips I've been playing for over 35 years (self taught) and you are so right about not getting the little things like the blow around to unload exccess air and the slight opening of the corner of the mouth deal. Thanx again. I just got back from Clarksdale (ground Zero) it was awesome jammed some & boogied alot. Keep up the awesome info.