harp talk 2 (MBH.180)

[silvermediastudio]

Embrochure is part of it, as is breath control.. it takes a different amount and shape of air to get the sound you want out of each hole.. to learn a full, clear, clean, single note on 2-draw requires the beginner to crawl first. Coax it out with gentle airflow, let the reed do the work, make friends with the reed, and over time it'll bend to your will.

[TenPukaMan]

thanks, Adam, for the "quiver" of harps information. yes, i have discovered that each of my harps have different "sweet spots" and "sour spots." again you are informative, instructional, and inspirational. aloha from hawaii

[Gotama456]

anyone know what wolf song that riff is from?

[voidseeker1]

Just started playing the harp and I've been trying play this riff and i can get it to sound pretty similar but i'm not quite there yet. I start on 3-4 bent draw but im confused at the 234 and 1234 blow. so you expand to 1234 and then you end at 1 draw with vibrato right? But when you go up again to 3-4 draw do you go reverse and go 1234 to 234 blow and then start over again?

[silvermediastudio]

@voidseeker1 Try just listening to it.. 10, 20, maybe 50 times.. until you can hear it in your head. Then try to play it. Sometimes it helps to feel the way something should sound, hear it before you blow it, not be totally focused on which combination of holes are required to make the sound.

[echidine]

Very motivating, everytime I pull up one of your videos I cannot help but reach for my harp and play until I grow tired. Great playing, you have taught me so much. Thanks

[Dai7261]

You talk about different key harps and starting with a C/D harp but, which key is the easiest to play no body ever says which key out of the 12 major keys is the easiest to play. This way us beginners can practice the harder stuff on the easier to play harp and then move on the the more difficult ones.

[KudzuRunner]

When somebody asks this particular question with an edge of complaint in their voice--as though I've somehow tried to cheat them by handing them 185 free lessons--I always tell them that they should start with a G# harp.

[aloliver331]

actually, there's some good shit played with the G#/Ab harp! It's all over An Offer You Can't Refuse (Big Walter), and Kim Wilson uses it a bit, too. Maybe an F#?

[KudzuRunner]

You're right, there are a few songs out there that use an Ab harp. I've recently started using one for Stevie Wonder's "Superstition." (Find my video of that; I'm a one-man band.) F# is pretty rare.

[quinoacat]

you junkyard dog, you.....giving away some valuable secrets to playing a real mean harmonica with this one...I laugh about the whole 2 hole draw embrochure difficulty so many beginners tend to struggle with. I never had that problem for some reason. I have been told I was born to blow harp because my dad held the world speed/endurance record on Tuba, which is big brass, so maybe that explains why I finally took to harp with so little frustration nagging me....

[jrumbaug]

We use the G harp a lot. We like to do some A minor tunes. The G harp in third position ( start on 4 draw) is an easy way to play those A minor tunes

[DominicGrylls]

You have really inspired me to get better with the harp couldn't have done it without you

[gnrlies95]

Fantastic series: every video I watch inspires me to progress (even if I've only been playing a week). Just wondering though, I've been told its bad practice to use the 3 blow as opposed to the 2 draw as a root note when improvising in crossharp? I've been told it is but i see no reason why.

Thanks!

[KudzuRunner]

Yes, this is one of my pet peeves. 2 draw & 3 blow are the same note, but the 2 D is better because 1) you can bend into it (more bluesy); 2) it's louder (draw notes are louder); 3) you can alternate with 123 blow chord....better for chord rhythm patterns.

[gnrlies95]

Thanks :)

[toomasmoore]

i noticed that today and thought it was because my harp was cheep.

[minnechuk]

Great insights as usual Adam. On the topic of buying multiple harps, when you consider that most instruments cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, it's easy to to justify spending $200 for a few harps that will give you a somewhat "complete" playing environment. Oh, and "Pack Fair and Square"? It still gives me chills. Rippin!

[SGFVampwulf]

You make it look SO easy. I'd ask you to start doing something like difficulty rating some of your video lessons, but its probably all the same to you.

[ironbuttermilk]

You Harp players are all nasty jack booted Sadists!

A capo is a terrible thing for playing Blues, you bend a string and it fouls up your tuning for the whole rest of the song! And MrHilbert can bite me too. "Gotta play them all"?! No I do Not gotta, I'm not in freakin' Rush, I'm not Robert Freakin' Fripp!!!

And I'll bonk you with my Firebird and you try that with your Hohner and see who caves first!!!

This is all your fault Adam!!!

LOL just funnin' you guys. ;)

[KudzuRunner]

The great and powerful Mister Satan (Sterling Magee) used to use a capo all the time. He called it his "E keeper."

[MrHilbert]

G harp: Two of the greatest blues songs ever recorded are in D: "Christine," by Big Walter Horton, and Wolf's live version of

"Highway 49," recorded at the An Arbor Blues Fest sometime in the 70s.

[KudzuRunner]

Not a silly question at all, but I don't personally smooth away the edges, so I'm not the right guy to answer this.

[Geetar2112]

OK cheers! I´ll improvise may way around it - usually the best way to learn:) Happy harpin´.

[Geetar2112]

Thanks for all the lessons Adam. I´ve been playing for just a few months and your videos serve as constant inspiration. I have a question: could you advise on removing sharp edges from the ends of anew Hohner blues harp. It´s nothing serious, but after a while it makes the corners of my mouth sore. I´ve heard that this is common so I hope it´s not a silly question! Thanks again.

[KypHeM]

keep it up Adam. You have made so many videos this will teach GENERATIONS!!!! TO COME!!!!!

[ironbuttermilk]

I loathe and despise that you play the Bb harp all the time! I play guitar, and guitarists Hate playing blues in F (1st fret bar chord. . .Yuck!). Why do you Do that?!

[KudzuRunner]

Where have you been for the past 18 months? At least half of my 175 lessons--the more recent half--use C, D, F, E-flat harps. This lesson uses a C.

On those rare occasions when I do play a B-flat, I do it because Muddy and Walter play a fair bit in that key, and because horn players--my gods!--love it.

[muzhunter]

The very early lessons (until Mother Mojo) seemed to use a lot of B-flat. It's a swell key of harmonica, whatever guitarists have to say.

I find it's got some of the that rich timbre of low harps, but you don't have to have lips and lungs like an orang-utan to get the two-hole draw.

This week I've been working on a harp version of 'You Can Call Me Al' on the B-flat. Low octave for the horns, middle octave for the keyboards, upper octave for the pennywhistle. Go B-flat!

[ironbuttermilk]

Where have I been? Faaaar behind the curve, that's where! LOL

As yet I've tried Zero licks from the vids, but most I've seen featured you on Bb or suchlike. I watch . . . and usually think 'why should I bother?'. It's sorta like trying to learn guitar and having Hendrix saunter over and show ya how its done.

Intimidating.

But I'll try. . .eventually.

Thanks.

[deadhornetblues]

I must be the exception to guitarists that hate F... might be my favorite key, actually. I got a Bb Marine Band too for cross in F (thanks to Adam's earlier videos). Guess I just like to F around, huh?

[ironbuttermilk]

Yep, you're the exception.

and you are also one qwazzie wabbit!

[jleoblues]

I have heard more "C" harp - Key of G than anything else. Also, tell your guitarist to put a capo on the first fret and you can play in "E"

Adam, can't wait until June for your gig at the Turning Point in Piermont NY

[Geetar2112]

Come on man! I agree that F isn´t the nicest key for guitarists, especially for soloing, but there are many different ways to play an F. Learn the fret board, try some inversions. It´s NOT just a 1st fret barre chord. Anyway, the Bb harp sounds so cool it´s worth putting up with. This message is sent with good humour, I hope you receive it as such :)) Cheers!

[MrHilbert]

F is a great key. You can use a capo if you want. E flat is also a cool key for guitar, as is C sharp, which allows you to play the lowest note on the guitar and the highest. You gotta play them all.

[Glaeken1961]

Hi Mr Gussow! Regarding harps, I love the Hohner Puck. It comes in C and G. Is there a way to make an F tuned version by retuning a G? I want to stay with the Puck, it's part of me.

[harpindablues]

You can lower the pitch a whole step by sanding off a little bit at the BASE of the reed and you will have a Low F. You will not be able to raise the pitch high enough to get your normal F

[zonkyeah]

I third that!!!! A Gussow signature Hohner. If Steven Tyler gets one Give one to the Jedi Harp master. GUSSOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hambycomb]

From what you said in your video, is it basically whatever the key is of your harmonica, you are gonna play blues cross harp in the key a fifth above of what it's tuned to?

[KudzuRunner]

Yes. Google "cross harp."

[miloesskater]

Let's get back to class then.

[SGabuna]

haha very entertaining when not trying to learn

[thebladesman]

pack fair and square! love that song

[strawwoodclaw]

GOOOOOOOOOOOD STUFF still comin from the Dirty South Blues Channel - Hohner should make a Adam Gussow harp like they did with Bobby Dylan

[petro062]

YA All they have to do is ask Adam his choises and they got another winner. You got a great idea. How creative. Go for it Adam.