The heart of blues harmonica (AG.1)

A short lecture for blues players on the sources of inspiration--anger, passion, a conflicted hunger for drama--and ways of working skillfully with them.

A viewer who saw this video--another professional harp player--referred me to a post he'd written on the subject of anger. It perfectly sums up what I'm trying to say here:

http://www.harp-l.com/pipermail/harp-l/2007-May/msg00813.html

If you're interested in learning more about the mechanics and aesthetics of blues harmonica, please visit:

http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• adam
• gussow
• blues
• harp
• harmonica

[bbeddick]

Very powerful stuff sir...I just started playing the harmonica with the intention of "Play'n me sum good ol' Blues", and now i am just trying to watch and learn everything I can. I find your perspective very similar to my own, and REAL. I hope one day I can have a taste of what you feel when you let out your soul on the harp, thanks for the videos, I've seen a few and there great (play on brotha)...From North Carolina

-just a poor drunken hearted boy

[KudzuRunner]

@bbeddick : Thanks. I'm glad that the spirit of what I'm saying got through. You should come on down to Hill Country Harmonica in late May. (Google it.) We'd love to have you there.

[LRSe7eN]

Newb Question: That piece you played in this vid, is that memorized or are you free styling your way through the piece.

Also the music at the end is awesome!!!

[KudzuRunner]

It's not memorized, but some of the parts are standard little bits of boilerplate. I'm assembling them freshly here, and I've got lots of freedom about how to inflect them, how to leave spaces between them, etc.

The music at the end is a blues singer named Grace Brimage; I'm on harp; Wild Jimmy Spruill is on rhythm guitar. It was recorded in a tiny NYC studio near Penn Station in 1989. Never issued, until I put it on "Adam Gussow and Charlie Hilbert: Blues Classics." google it.

[affahchan]

Anybody, what song is playing at the end? The artist would like some credit...

[KudzuRunner]

Blues singer Grace Brimage, with Wild Jimmy Spruill on rhythm guitar (chuck chuck chuck chuck) and me on harmonica. Recorded in NYC in 1989. Jimmy is dead and I've been unable to track down Ms. Brimage. The cut is available on a digital album entitled BLUES CLASSICS, featuring the music of Adam Gussow and Charlie Hilbert. Google it!

[mrdannygb1606]

you said some of your videos was cooky,i dont agree!for i hopeless ameteur starving for lessons they where the journey you really just find of that quality!thank you Adam!three years in on the blues harp youre the reason i any good at all!

[andahazy]

Sometime you gonna smash the bristles of your brush, you gonna pound your lovers pubis, and you gonna pull that fatal punch.

Leave it alive.

[andahazy]

The Warrior, the Lover, the Painter.

[pphatgg]

Man you are so real! And real is what makes the difference between a good teacher and a great teacher. Thanks for everything you've taught me. Soon I'll fly to California and I really hope while I'm staying in the US that I'll have a chance to meet you...again (remember Helmond?) See you down the road.

G

[trmidgley]

yep, pretty much explains ot

[bbeddick]

So it's 5:23 in the morning, and i've been jammin all night at the bar. what am i doing now? havin another drink and watching some more gussow. Its wierd but i saw that i posted on this video 11 months ago when i started playin, that seems like a long time ago. HA. I just gotta say mr. gussow, without ur videos, i might have never player the harp.and had nights like tonight. u are an awesome dude mr gussow. jam on!

From NC

"A drunken hearted boy"

[CapnVerbs]

You have so much priceless material in your videos, but for some reason I keep coming back to this one. I have a five year old son as well, which allowed me to connect with you on a much more personal level than I have been able to in your other videos because I can instantly relate to what you are talking about. I love sharpening myself on the harmonica, but this technique that you speak of is actually helping me to sharpen my life as well. Thank you for being you. Many blessings.

[belletain20]

How true, the passion of the harmonica is what keeps me coming back to it. I play my best when I think less and feel more. The practice is what allows me to internalize the technical and release the animal. Thanks for your work

[joope125]

I understand what you're trying to get at in this video; I just lack the ability to articulate it on the harmonica without either sounding pretty awful or concentrating too much about the machine language of the harp. One of these days though, I'll be able to bust out in improv.

Thank you so much for the lessons.