Harmonica Lesson: Attacks and Percussive Techniques

[svm12345]

How are you getting those notes at 12:00-13:00? you're playing E, G#, B, C# D... how do you get that on the diatonic?!?!

[jalen77232]

how you get the spit out

[12gagedan]

@jalen77232 tap the harmonica out on your knee.

[Ledvolta]

really great vid

[coldfire59]

Super vidéo, mec! Merci beaucoup! (Great vid man, thx a lot!)

[branko2301]

lol magic dick :D

[amplimax]

Your wife must love your tongue. :X

[Masahdus]

Hello Dan and reagards from Finland ! I bought my first harmonica yesterday..and stumbled to your videos...really great stuff. Thanks for the inspiration...keep up superb work. I'll be back...over and over again..

[hillspring13]

Super-duper vid, as usual, Dan, but I didn't quite catch where the "big-*ss" sound came from (over and above the tongueing) at 12:36, especially since there's an edited continuity break at 13:07, where I thought the extra hint would be :-) That BA sound is what sorts you guys out from mortals like us. Cheers from the UK.

[12gagedan]

I'm tongue-slapping just about every note, plus throwing in octaves/splits. The big sound comes from the chord-type sound that comes out just before you slap down your tongue. You're actually playing more notes, so the sound is bigger. Start with your mouth over holes 1-4 (ish) then draw to sound the chord. SLap your tongue down so only hole 2 sounds. The "WHUP" sound is what makes it big.

[hillspring13]

Glad you wrote "1-4(ish)" 'cos I'd need a forked tongue to slap it onto 1,3,4 whilst leaving the 2 open! You make it all look so easy: great player and great teacher. Speedy and full response much appreciated.

[thtsarumr]

Dan, for some reason Im unable to submit a comment with my email in it

[12gagedan]

just go to my youtube homepage and click on "send message"  no need to make your email public. That's why youtube blocks it from the comment box.

[chash1114]

Thanks for your help, Dan. What records, albums, or artists do you recommend?

[sendmeonmyway7]

I have a Hohner special20 in C and it sounds nothing like yours i have played a few videos about getting the right sounds i follow them but i stil can't get my harp to sound like its in the right key? any ideas....

[12gagedan]

If the harmonica is stamped, "C" then it's the same harmonica as I used in the video. The difference is the player. It takes a long time to develop tone on the harmonica. If you're a beginner you should not expect to sound like me, however, you can get in the ballpark. To get better, keep comparing your sound vs. pros' sound and you'll improve over time.

[mydogtube]

dan;

I spent saturday night watching your videos and maan did I learn tons. Thanks for taking the time to post. If you have the time I'm interested in high end turn arounds and plain twelve bar licks 'cause I get lost when I'm in the middle of a twelve bar run. thanks again

[12gagedan]

number one: Listen to lots of blues and really absorb it. You really need to feel the changes down to your core. Number two: Safe notes. Really try to land on the notes that carve out the changes. Number three: let go and just try to play w/o music. It's tough, but I believe it's important. I've tried to make turn-around videos before, but they sucked. I don't know how to explain a turn around. I just learned them by doing. Keep playing, and thanks for writing/watching. d.g.

[610friend]

Dan! What's the score of 12:18????

[12gagedan]

I F'ed up. I play tongue block so much, that sometimes my pucker embouchure gets a little weak.

[12gagedan]

oh wait. did you mean "what's the tab"? There's a comment on my video "additive techniques". Somebody put the notes in the comments section (I think).

[meblaw1]

Dan, your a great teacher. Thanks.

[cky2k1035]

wow. i really didnt know that there was this much to know about a harmonica. this is insane. no joke im going out tomorrow and buying one. this is too fun. thanks for the video!

[ale282828]

hello, I am curious to know what kind of harmonica is, if I go to the store what should I ask? scuse me for my english but i'm italian.. :)

[mcrenren]

hi my name is ross and im from ireland and i just thought i would lissin to some harp to day and seein you now im dying to buy one and play and i subcribed just thear so yah you got me hook t

[12gagedan]

awesome.

[nomoboy]

Great lesson Dan, but somewhere along the line you changed from a C harp to an A, luckily I have both...

[12gagedan]

Good ear. I played the head to "Automatic" by the Red Devils for about 10 seconds, then I switched back to the C harp. I didn't think it was enough A harp to warrant inclusion in the description box.

[ARCDBEACH]

This is random, but what's the benefit of an "A" or "C", one tonally 'lower' than the other? Are there mass produced others, even a chromatic kind, that are good (what manufactues would U recommend)? I'm a cellist/keyboard guy, who wants to check the Harmonica,so...

[12gagedan]

Diatonic harmonicas only have 20 natural tones available.  With bends and OB's you add maybe 15 tones, totalling ~35. While it is wholly possible to play a diatonic harmonica chromatically (Howard Levy, Tinus, Chris Michalek) the instrument is limited in its tonal range. Different keyed harmonicas give you a much broader choice of possible sounds. Switching harps also makes it easier for one to play in more keys. There's a lot of tricky technique in getting all the possible notes cleanly.

[FunMan125]

Ever since I started watching Dan Gage, I am able to play faster, and switch between pucker and tongue block more comfortably and seamlessly. Thanks Dan!

[greendice9]

hey dan i know it's your new video but you fill it out

[greendice9]

he dan you pin head take it easy

[LeoBrazil89]

great video dan

thks

[greendice9]

right on DAN

[zzwx588]

great video!

Little question to any of you: i was playing (excersising pucker) when i suddenlly noticed that when i draw at '4' i hardly heared a note. Everything was fine a few moments ago. When i blew in the same hole, it was a clear C. Somehow it solved when i drew hard; the tone came back again. what did i do wrong? How can i avoid it?

[12gagedan]

It's most likely clogged with spit. A drop of spit can stop a hole from sounding. Tap it out, an/or blow out the spit, and viola, it works again.

[pallomed]

Fantastico....muito bem explicado

[davidsolomon83]

Dan's vids are really helpful, i learned alot from him, he's really good for teaching the beginners.

Thanx dude.

[rockerrolling]

great lession dan. I liked the way it took your tounge a little while to change from "harp mode" back to "speech mode"at the end......... thanks again for the post.

[whisperingsin]

yes!!!

[DanRidgeway]

A good breakdown and explanation of a very useful technique that is easily overlooked or not given enough thought.

I made a video as a response to Jason's on Funky harmonica, but the audio cut out so I need to re-record it.

[Tsutsomu]

thank you very much Dan.

Friendly :

Steph.

[1SHAKISBOY]

i just susbcribed to u

ur great

[12gagedan]

thanks for watching.

[harpnerd]

Hi Dan, Thanks for another great lesson.  I know it takes a lot of effort to do these. I Hope to see you at a So Cal blues gig sometime soon. Your band is sounding really good!

Until then, harp-on

Take care, Mike, (the other tall harp player)

[jsilvatx]

yeah iv'e missed you around oh and i never thanked you for the eggnog recipe WOW! we liked it! lol

[CHARLIEHARP]

Hello Dan really good video as always. Man james Harman is one of my favourite harp players, not only for how he plays the harp but also how he sings the blues. I met him in bb kings blues bar in 2003 when I was in the states going to University. Anyway, big Hug from London UK your friend Charlyharp

[12gagedan]

Harman is awesome. Such tone. Such attack. Such individuality, and dedication to his art. Good to hear from you charly.

d.g.

[Tryharp]

Well done Dan.  Thanks

[Kenneth1944]

Always glad to see another of your videos, they still give me encouragement Dan.

[12gagedan]

Glad to help.

thanks for watching.

d.g.

[Mazblues]

damn! I can tell you played that 12 bar shuffle over & over again by the way you ROCK...did you ever play some of the pre-war dudes such as foster, whitter or wooten? great practice for tongue slaps & breath control!

keep it up my friend

[12gagedan]

so many times. . . it's still fun, though. I'm not big into the prewar cats. only sbw 1.

[DesertRatDan]

Thank you for emphasizing the importance of practice, practice, practice! I get so frustrated sometimes when it seems like I'm not making any progress, but then once I start hearing the notes coming out the right way it keeps me working at it. Thank you so much for your videos.