Gindick Blues Harp Lesson ---Playing Over the Beat

Subscribe to Jons newsletter filled with harmonica instruction and song tab. http://www.bluesharmonicajamcamp.com/newslettersubscribe.htmlFor your G harp Harp students sometimes get
obsessed with which note next to play.
This riff-before-the-rhythm approach takes the energy out of their music. It turns the joy of harp playing into cerebral frustration, and creates flat-footed uninspired solos.
Instead of wailing their souls on stage,
they are up on stage thinking, "ok,
that was the I chord, where's the IV chord,
what note do I play, where's everybody gooing?"

Rejoice, an easy solution is at hand!

As long as you follow basic guide lines,
it does not really matter that much which note you play next. Almost all the notes will work.
Especially 1d 2d 3d* 4d 5d 6b 6d etc.
Almost all notes can be milked for meaning.

What matters much more is your phrasing and percussion. What matters more is how you articulate the note. What matters more is when you play and end the note. But whether that note is 2d or 3d* or 2d** -- that's not that big a deal.
They are all available, like a smorgasboard
of harmonizing sound. Just remember, the 2 draw, the root note, the tonic center, that's most important. Master it tonewise, bending and percussive. Learn the pull-off, the vibratto, the bent throat wiggle.

OK. Let's back up.
Feeling the beat, intensly is step one.
Now comes Breathing and single note tone on the 2 draw. Now comes articulation, the action you use to initiate, break up, and shape the note.
http://www.Gindick.com/bending_tone.asp

Throat articulation is the key
to both tone and percusion.
Like some bizzarre language of clicks and clacks,
gaws and goos inside the throat,
Blues Harp requires that you
engage your deep larynx in musical expression.

As yesterdays phone student said, in amazement,
"You need to train your throat."
He had been playing years, and was realizing
it for the first time.

Just like you don't want your spoken words to be muddy
or unclear, you want your articluation to be powerful, and crisp,
at times, aggressive.
At the heart of the music is the rhythm you feel,
and the sounds and silence you make over that rythm.

The "K" consonate as you inhale is an
example of correct articulation.
If you draw 2, and go ka ka ka,
and you have good single note,
you will be articulating from your throat.
Mr. Relative Beginner, your job is to get really
good at this throat articulation stuff.
Make that throat play drums on your inhaled breath.
Then make it play drums on just one hole, hole 2 draw.
Then make it play drums using simple riffs,
and build into scales, chord progressions.

And that is what my new You Tube video is about.
It's an excercise that gets you
playing your harp like a drum,
and teaches you how to use your exhaled
"Ha!"
as a rhythm point, or a rest.
It explains and demonstrates
how having a strong one beat exhale
is essential to powerful inhale based playing.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• blues
• harp
• lesson
• gindick

[chrisdavies23359]

how do you bend the note please? no matter how I suck, i guess I suck. And I am still struggling to make single notes accurately, it's very hit and miss, is there a more indepth tutorial for absolute beginners please?

[JamCamp06]

@chrisdavies23359 subscribe to my newsletter as shown in notes above for the info you need. Dont be discourged!

[OmniphonProductions]

Jon, I was a drummer first, so it seemed perfectly natural to rhythmically milk notes from time to time, but this exercise really helps demonstrate how effective and diverse it can be. What do you think of this exercise I came up with? Milk the two draw all you want. Then once you've left, don't touch it again for as long as you can stand it, milking the non-Tonic notes for at least one or two choruses. Once you finally leave "home" explore the whole neighborhood before returning.

[JamCamp06]

@OmniphonProductions Great idea!



[gfb100442]

OHHHHHH I get it now........Thanks Jon, you are truly a blessing brother!

[olssondc]

So simple an idea, so huge a concept. Thanks!

[MojoMoProblems]

wait what just happened?

[chubbyau01]

man!

[easyblues]

tanks jon..

fernando- from brasil

[urbanagain]

I like the way you constantly smile throughout your lessons...nice lesson too.

I'll check out your other stuff for sho!