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From: KudzuRunner
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  • what type of harmonica is it? what tuning?

  • Absolutly fantastic! I really enjoyed the 'not a shuffle blues' that is exactly the sound I am looking for. All your video's have been really helpful, i've been playing for over a year now and (for not a very musically gifted person) am getting quite good so thankyou very much.

    Have you got a tab sheet for this? Also what key and make of harp? Sounds like B-flat, your usual marine band?

  • @talbot300889: Yes, it's a Bb harp. I've revised the "more info" extended description to include links to a video and tab for the first song, "Buford Chapel Breakdown," which I ended up putting on my first album. It got a lot of airplay on "Bluesville" XM/Sirius satellite radio.

  • @KudzuRunner Regards! I had a look at trying to buy an albus of yours on amazon (I don't know if you use that it the states) but all the albums are mp3 downloads. I'm more of a retro CD man (there's just something about a box on the shelf that means something to me) Are your albums available on CD for Uk residants?

    Kind regards David

  • @KudzuRunner Sorry I've just read the more info... thanks!

  • aplausos.....

  • ...woooww.....¡¡

  • so fuckin good,and groovy.sorry for my english i am a frog from montreal.

  • Show

    

  • adam, i picked you up at old suzanah, and havent put you down since. thank you sir.

  • he is the one earth needed

  • som raiz , parabens Adam(Brazil)

  • 4 people don't like real blues music.

  • Cracks me up the way people walk by and don't even look at you! You're The Elephant in the Room!

  • Adam, you're a hero.

    A while a go I was really into your lessons and they helped me a lot!

    Just wanna say thanks for those lessons.

    I want an Adam Gussow action figure.

  • Hello .. excellent musician.

    What amplifier uses that sounds so wonderful?

    What microphone?

    Wonderful performance and superb sound !!!!

  • You're working it Man!

  • Greetings from Poland! Thanks for everything!!

  • First - thanks for all the videos; they're very helpful. Second - is that drum homemade/modified or did you buy it "off the rack." Any info would be very helpful. Thanks!

  • @jegelskerdegtoo: I bought the drum setup from Pete Farmer. His website is called footdrums (dot) com. He doesn't still make this exact model, but he's got great stuff.

  • Followed this guy on youtube for some time and watched his lessons. Today when I was listinging to BB KINGS bluesville on satilite radio i heard him on there. Just as soon as he started playing I was like hey thats Adam. One of the best harpist ive ever heard.

  • Adam você realmente é incrível! Seus vídeos me ajudam muito!

    Você já esteve no Brasil? Continue com mais vídeos, obrigado!

  • Adam, You never cease to inspire me. Love this vid!!! I'm at a point in my playing where I hit a plateau and just havent improved past it. Everything came rather easily prior to now. Have you ever experienced a period where you have felt a struggle to get to that next level?

  • now that sounds amazing! respect from scotland!

  • GREAT this guy should be a star

    PETER BRUCE PHOTO

  • We're all warmin up listenin to you Adam. You are like a cool glass of (water or beer take you preference) on a very hot day.

    And I agree with the last guy - how can they just pass by....?

  • I'm wondering how some people (in the video) can just pass by without a look or to stop, are they deaf??? Your music is so amazing!!!!

  • I really enjoy your playing. Beautiful art friend ... I tried to post a response video showing a suitcase kick drum, but it didn't work. Type in suitcase drum kit or suitcase kick drum, as there are a few good vids on youtube, even how to make one. They are cool and sound good. Might have a more groovy/street visual, and you could pack some cds or harps inside it ...

  • One talented dude!  Somebody get that man some shade!!!!

  • Haha you kinda look like Clint Eastwood in this one.

  • Excellent .A real blues man

  • FANTASTICO

  • Nice Harp ;o)

  • That is crazy cool. I just began 2 days ago and I am going to keep playing forever now.

  • Is there so much great music in Mississippi that people just walk by that sort of thing without even giving you second glance? Thats just weird how many folks just walk on by.

  • great stuff I can listen all day long this guy playing his music...

  • HI Adam, Can't thank you enough for being so generous with giving free harp lessons to the entire world! I think I've watched only 10% of them but I learned a few new things. - Ross

  • Adam, Mahalo (thanks in Hawaiian) for your continued flow in inspiration and instruction of playing the blues harp. Your personality and style of teaching makes it so accessible to padawan learners. Just when I get too frustrated or hyperventilated and want to put down the harp...there you are encouraging me via your vids. Thanks again, Jedi Harp Master.

    "Puka" is Hawaiian for "hole" thus I am the Ten Puka Man. Aloha, Adam.

  • you rule adam just started playing a couple weeks ago your lessons are the best i would love to see a james cotton inspired lesson if u get a chance keep up the good work and if ur ever in texas come jam

  • How many online lessons are there?

  • @drakeu85: I've got about 200 free lessons on YouTube and about 60 inexpensive videos + tabs at Modern Blues Harmonica.

  • Adam, this is AMAZING! I just read a yahoo answers question on how long it takes to learn to play harmonica. The person who answered directed me to your videos. This is fantastic!!!

    Q: IYO, can a middle-aged person learn to play harmonica as quickly as a child, assuming she puts the same amt of time into it??

    Tx. I bought a harmonica because it was cheap and portable, but I don't actually like a lot of harmonica music I hear. I love this.

  • @barkingchihuahua: Yes, I had a 50 year old student in a beginning class many years ago, and he became obsessed with the instrument. He practiced hours a day. Within two years, he was working regularly with TWO blues bands in New York City.

    You should take a look at my website, Modern Blues Harmonica (dot) com. Lots of lessons there. Also, on my personal appearances page, a list of gigs. Chicago, New York, Copenhagen, Kansas.....and Mississippi, of course.

  • @KudzuRunner Thanks, Adam. I live in Minnesota & will order some of your stuff.

  • Adam i love your harp playing.

  • Wow...thank you! ive been playing guitar for almost 9 years now and just picked up a harmonica. Im really into the blues and your videos really inspire me. thank you for the techniques, skills, and feel. best of luck my friend.

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  • I've been playing guitar and drums almost my entire life, all it took was this video to get me hooked onto the harmonica.. I really, really, REALLY, love your musical style and I cannot wait to actually be able to play music! Thanks for being awesome I guess!

  • if i was a good enough guitar player i would love to jam with you

    but blues isnt my specialty but im starting to get into now

  • Fair enough, Adam, I can see that and I know what you mean (even if I come from an electronic music background).

    Paul.

  • I, like many others, am studying your amazing harp playing, Adam, thanks for inspiring me (though my girlfriend would disagree, I'm sure you know what I mean!).

    For the live one man band performing, have you ever thought about maybe using a foot pedal loop sampler or similar to get some beats going and freeing yourself up to concentrate on the harp?

  • @coresect : No, I love the challenge of making it all happen in real time, without any machines helping out. Remember, I played with a one-man band for two decades. I watched what he did. It's in my blood

  • I've learned a few things from Adam. We all need to pitch a few coins toward him.

  • YOU ARE MY HERO!!!

    Hi from Italy ;)

  • good on you man...keep it up

  • did you make any money?

    Cheers, Bart

  • @bartlandstra: Not much, that day.

  • What drives a university professor to play on sidewalks ?

  • @wimharp: You mean: What drives a street musician to become a university professor? Great question! I decided that it wasn't enough just to play music for the people; I needed to honor my inner pedant.

  • @KudzuRunner Well, It certainly helped you a lot in becoming an excellent harp teacher. I learned quite a few things from your videos and it helped me to get trough the glass ceiling at a certain point in time.

  • I think this is a Bb harp. Isn't it?

  • Yes.

  • adam,you are a great person.thank you.

  • Wonderfull !!! You're the man xD

  • You are Cool Guy Adam!! Great Vid!

  • Wow this is really impressive. I wish they allowed things like this in my area. Unfortunately they would lock someone up so quickly for doing this on our sidewalks. I'm about to buy my first harmonica and attempt to teach myself to play...

  • Hey chgsf03 buy a good harp Suzuki pro 350 is the tops and i have had most.

    You cannot learn anything on a cheap instrument, Adam isfantastic on Marine band harps but they take some playing, he is the King though aint he !!!!

  • Where do you live that they imprison street musicians?

  • Left leg has got to be tired.

    Good stuff. So much tallent Adam.

  • Actually, the left leg (downbeat) isn't tiring. But when I do shuffles, the right leg (backbeat) really aches--the hip flexor. Slow shuffles are tough.

  • Thanks Adam. I watched your videos on your website, I really liked the documentery on Saten and Adam. (in Harlem)

  • Thats the shit right there!

  • this is the best piece of harmonica ive ever seen!!!! dude you are awesome.

  • Still my hero Adam. You play a HUGE part in keeping great  blues alive. You may not know that, but I'll bet you do. Hope to see you in May!

  • need to get one of them foot drums, really great stuff.

  • It sounds like you are having a lot of fun! I wish I were there to hang out in one of those (surprisingly) empty benches with some cold ones.

    Great Stuff!

  • Im watching your vid (Gussow .010) for a simple version, and came across this one a few weeks later. Been burning it for a week now, I want to get this down...vid response to come.

  • Sam nie wiem co w tym jest, że można słuchać tego bez końca...

  • I hope you're saying nice things about me, meng, cause othawise Ima hafta go off on chu.

  • Hey, Adam, why don´t you start some kind of Harp Religion? i´d sign in immediately! ;-) Great Show. Keep it up!!

  • Where is everybody? Clarksdale looks deserted. You'd drawn a crowd in most places.......................I­ think. Great job!

  • You really had it going on that fine summer day. All of the vids are great.

  • Looks like he's plugged into a socket high on the wall...don't see any battery.

  • No, I ran a cord through the crack in the door--orange thick extension cord--and into a socket inside the store.

  • fuckin stellar man 6/5!

  • Great job on "Moanin," but I have a slight quibble: leave out the foot drum on the A section - or just hit it on the 'amen' phrase. Then it's more effective when you come in with it in the B section. Just my less than humble opinion. I've just started playing harp again, and I'm gonna try this, with the first part of Lee Morgan's great trumpet solo, which doesn't get complicated until the brdge, as I recall. Great job over all.

  • I hear what you're saying, but you and I hear things differently. I kept the beat going because I wanted to hip listeners to a continuity they might not have otherwise have sensed between the two songs. The foot drum is that link.

  • damn moanin sounded badass never heard a harp playing it

  • Really nice work!!!!

  • Dude, during that vid I was thinking of telling you about the Farmerfootdrum-site. Doesn`t look like its one of petes regulary drums...

  • Amazing.....

  • Hi Adam,

    I love your improvisation. Could you give me tabs of basic riff , including bend/ notes ? You mostly play around it in first min of the video. Another question can I play it on my C harmonica. Is the any table to convert holes from B Flat you used?

  • The song is called "not a shuffle blues," or at least that's what other people have called it. If you go back to my first 10 YouTube videos (Gussow.000 through Gussow.010), you'll find a video set in my car in which I play this song and show you how to play. You can find a tab sheet in the "more info" link to THAT video.

  • perfect

  • this guy is legendary!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

  • Adam, you are the genuine artifact, and an asset to the blues harp community, thanks for all the great videos.

  • Knowing of your not inconsiderable guitar skills, I ask: why don't you add that instrument to this operation? You could play harp on the rack.

  • adam as a harp player i just want to say thank you so much for the online lessons and your web site morden blues harmonica, has really helped me get better and become more musical cheers!

  • Adam, this is fantastic stuff! I love the street music genre, just out there for all to see, enjoy and gain a little more from their day. Inspires me. I am a professor too, and started playing harp last year. Your vids have been the best help. Keep posting music.

  • I particurlarly like the all the people...walking by....knowing they hear you and yet, pretending not to. The reality of a street performer: the emotional strength to perform for performing sake, knowing everyone hears and most enjoy even though few acknowledge. Outstand Adam, simply outstanding!

  • Adam the history has made a circle!.

  • Truely a man that makes the world a better place. Why can't everybody do things like him.

  • What an eccentric guy, hes a professor or somethin as well!

    imagine ur teacher bein him, amazin

  • If I were there I would have gave you money

  • Just saw the trailer to your documentary, when does it come out?

    Just picked up the harp a few weeks ago and learning from the web and CDs etc so thanks for tutorials.

    Alex

  • Man! As allways you are amazing! :D

    Never quit and never die of a drug overdose, please. :/

  • Oh and while im at it, what amplifiers do you use, thanks in advance for any type of answer!

  • The way to do that would be to not take drugs then, wouldn't it now?

  • Kick'n it old school.. Love it .....

  • The Professor at work in his Lab ! Got to love it

  • clap clap clap!!

  • 'Every trick in the book' on display,here. Could not play harp like that if you had the usual( rack-harp/guitar) one man show.Great to hear that beautiful amp. tone. 5*****

  • Adam,

    You inspire me!!!

    Tahnk-you

  • Not for any other reason would I now come to Clarksdale, even as much as I love the people of Mississippi - but Adam, you make this broken down old man wish that I could have been there. Your music uplifts the fallen and evokes many "HALLELUJAHs!" THANK YOU!!

  • You provided details on the date and location of this excellent performance, but I'd like to know how hot it was and what the humidity was also, so I can truly assess your performance and endurance. I'm guessing 94 degrees and 91% humidity, and 115% sinuous, sultry soul. Well done professor.

  • Kind of an used expression, but - awesome Adam!! I love the shifts between triols (do you call it triols in english - don't know..) and 16th beats!

    :-)

  • Very nice Adam! Sweet sound!

  • Awesome Adam!!

  • I don't get how there isn't a crowd forming, amazing stuff as usual.

  • really liked the "not so shuffle" when you first recorded it waaaay back on MBH .010, Ive got it down pat, and its good to hear variations in it not heard in the instructional vid...gave me something new to work on. Great Playing... from one Adam to another...

  • Where I'm from we have an annual w.c. handy festival and i would love to hear this stuff on the streets when that is going on.

  • Darn good man! Cheered me up with this!

  • wow great solo i want to know more about the harp you are playing keep up the good videos

  • I´m only a newby but I rekon it´s a Bb harp, and "knowing" Adam it´s most probably a Marine Band.

  • I really love the live sound here. You should release this as a track.

  • Love Adam Gussow. Period!

  • Prof Adams, the sound is you!

  • love the one man band ! ! ! farmer foot drum ? sure would like to try one ! ! ! your harp tone is killer ..... doesn't get much better.... keep em commin '

  • Sounds like Kim Wilson on "Good Morning Little School Girl"

  • Does he play this song? I didn't realize that. I've never heard his version.

  • I don't think he does; I was just noticing the style there sounded very Kim Wilson-esque

  • Your tone is awesome whatever you play through.

  • That was amazing, very nice

  • Good Morning 5 stars Doc!!! Would you please describe this equipment gear?

  • mic: Shure PE5H

    amps: Kay 703 (early '60s) and HarpGear 2 (new)

    pedal: Boss DD-3

    passive signal splitter to I can play through both amps at the same time

    drums: Farmer Foot Drums by Pete Farmer of Bellingham, Washington

  • i love your sound. Please more! ;)

  • Mr. Satan must be proud. I could watch you doing "your thing" all day. Hope to see more of the one man band. Thanks Adam.

  • Runners legs at work! Great sound; now come to DC; grab yourself a corner downtown. I be there, and so would some dozens too or more. thanks doc

  • Just made my morning and the rest of the day. Going to have to try hard not to watch this at work.

    Really pumped to see you in Portsmouth, NH this weekend!!!

  • Wow a complete body work-out ....No Gym needed...

    Great Sound..and One Man Band:-)

  • exellent

  • This is great!! Just like old times, wasn't it? :-)

    Thanks for sharing, and giving it all away! Please keep posting this videos. You have no idea how much it helps and inspires me (and I think a lot of other people)!

  • Wish I was tere.

  • That's a 5 star performance. That's the way it's suppose to sound. Good job. My question... how is your foot holding up? You were hitting straight quarter notes for the most of the tune. I gotta think it wears your foot out, or does being long distant runner help??

  • The downbeat with my left foot on the bass drum is no problem. I can do that, hard, without any struggle. It's the right foot on the "cymbal" pedal that's a little tricky. My hip adductor--the small muscle that connects the upper thigh and hip; high hurdlers have strong ones--gets tired from the up-and-down. I'm still figuring out the best seat-height, etc. Shuffles require a staggered off-beat with that right foot. Tricky!

  • My memory says most drummers use their right foot for the bass and left for the "hi-hat/cymbal". Are you left handed? (grin)

  • Yes, I am. And I've always kept the downbeat with that foot.

  • Amazing--and inspirational!

  • Good stuff adam!

    What harp/key are you using here?

    Harp key of A ?

  • B-flat on the first two songs. I can't remember if I use a C or a D on the last song.

  • Alright cool, thanks!

  • Sounds like a D harp, key of A (2nd pos) on the last one.

    Great stuff.

  • That was great. Hay Adam I am gong to be in Clarksdale in Sept for Gindick's jam camp, Do you think you could set up a street jam wit all the jam campers. That would be a blast.

  • Why don't you email Jon and suggest it? I'm certainly open to the idea.

  • Great playing! What drum are you using?

  • I give you all the info at the end of the video.

  • whaaaoooooo !! super adam !

    great blues ! très belle prestation !

    sincerly...

    gabriel cedra.

  • Super Adam

    votre feeling est excellent continuer a nous faire plaisir...vive le blues

    salutations de Suisse

  • Clarksdale must be some great blues mecca; people walking by like they hear this sort of thing every day.  In Wichita, a good crowd would have gathered before the cops came to run you off.

  • I hope you've got more money into your bag from this appearance than we have seen on this vid! Greetz from Austria!

  • good stuff

  • 'Great Adam'. Keep spreading the Word!

  • Love It !!

    Adam no matter whee you go you always play that amazing sound.

    You got me hooked on the blues.

  • That wa ver nice street blues!

  • Hello Adam great stuff I really like it. You have become a master of the street busking no doubt about it. big Hug from london Charlyharp.

  • Really great stuff.

  • Your tip bag would be overflowing if all of us Youtube fans were there :P

    Great work!

  • If I was walking on the street in that area there ain't no way I would not stop and drop my jaw. WOW that is awesome.

  • Great Adam

    Satan would be proud

    Who'd think that the student came to be as great as the master

    Thanks for bringing the sweet pain of the blues into my life

  • please come to San Antonio TExas. We dont hear stuff like this in here...the River Walk shall be a good place for you to play your music.

  • I'm putting my $10 into your tip bag :)

  • Keep them Coming!

  • Nuito bom esse cara!

  • Thanks

    Very good rhythum. You are very good .