THE MAGIC HOLE ON THE HARMONICA - Lesson 3 - BAJAN PIEDPIPER

Learn to play harmonica. MUSIC 098 Here's an insiders secret for you! HOLE 3 IS A MAGIC HOLE ON YOUR 10-HOLE HARP! Why? First ~ 3 DRAW IS AN EASY HOLE TO BEND! Even a slight bend (a mini bend) when you're playing produces a bluesy sound and it gives your playing a big boost! So bluesify your playing by using 3 draw judiciously!

One of the first bluesy things you can do is "wail" the 3 hole by bending it back and forth between the unbent draw and the bent draw. This is a signature blues sound and it comes from flatting and un-flatting the third. TRY IT!

But wait! ... on 3 draw ~ 3 bent notes are possible! Make sure you have studied the margin notes in Lesson#2 and you've made some initial headway with bending notes.

On hole 3 ... (a) inhale - FROM YOUR ABDOMEN - and (silently) make the pronunciation DA while dropping your jaw a bit and you should get a 1/2 step bend.
(b) Pronouncing DU and dropping your jaw some more should give you a Full Step bend ...
(c) and DO -- dropping your jaw right down --a step and a half bend.

The 'jaw dropping' is an integral part of the methodology of bending notes as it is by changing the inside shape of your mouth that you cause a deflection of the air passing over the reed, thereby altering its pitch. So there you have it! 1 + 3 = 4 notes possible on 3 draw!

Dropping your jaw and "doing things with your tongue" - pushing it forward, pulling it back, silently pronouncing "Tee" and "oil" and similar syllables when you articulate notes - enables you to produce many different tones. Remember ~ all your harp can do is give you the basic note. You have to take the note - which is like an ugly ducking - and transform it into a swan.

Now: you should already be playing the "Do Re Me" scale - I gave it to you since Lesson 2 ... 4b 4d 5b 5d 6b 6d 7d 7b Let's now play this scale on the low notes! We'll have to bend some notes! Here we go ~

1b 1d 2b 2d(bent) 2d 3d(bent) 3d 4b. Just keep going up and down the scale until you get it.

Here's a simple exercise to polish your bending - play Mary Had a Little Lamb in second position. Let your first notes be ~
3d
3d-bent-right-down
3b
3d-bent-one- step
3d - 3d - 3d ... and continue. this is a premium exercise, a powerful way to develop your bending skills.

What I've given here is easily written and easily read! BUT a bit difficult to do in the beginning. There's only one way to master it and it's the "p" word - PRACTICE! Just keep at it and it'll come, quickly and easily. Don't get frustrated and give up!

OK. YouTube and Google are two resources you must use. Perhaps two of the most valuable pages I've come across are these, please do yourself a great favor and visit these URLs ~

1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonica_techniques

2) http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-lower-the-pitch-in-draw-hole-3...

Most bending is done on the draw notes. Blow bends are possible but more difficult - and a subject for another time. When you play 3-draw, and other draw notes as well .. not every time - but sometimes ... put a little bend on the note - a mini bend - ... you can easily do this by pulling your tongue back as you inhale (draw) on the note and dropping your jaw a little ... this is a way to put some 'soul' in your playing! - We call it 'playing with pizzazz!' And of course this little secret applies to both chromatic and diatonic harps!

And talking about hats ... ALL REAL BLUES PLAYERS WEAR A HAT - GET YOURSELF A HAT! (not a cap!)

Now a word about playing with PIZZAZZ ... You've learned (or you're learning) the rudiments of your instrument. You now have to learn to really PLAY IT! The very first rule among notable artistes, musicians, entertainers is - you have to make an IMPACT. Unless you make an IMPACT you remain just another one among the millions.

Pizzazz has these ingredients...

Bending - Cupping (enriches your tone.) - Vibrato/ tremolo ~ hand ~ tongue ~ diaphragm ~ throat - (use on long- held notes.) Articulation: swoop the note i.e. say "tu- ee," oil, ta ka, koouu. etc. as you play the note. Also 'Tonguing' ( Tuh Tuh ) enables you to produce the note more clearly. Syncopation - syncopate long notes (i.e. play the note several times instead of holding it.) Phrasing : slow/fast. Kisses.

Hang on to notes you like ... caress them! Play with them, toy with them!

Glissando ~ Trills ~ Drop Offs ~ Dynamics - vary the volume from normal to loud, to soft.. Use quotes but don't overdo it. (i.e. insert a short phrase from another song. Check PAN FLUTE BLUES and you'll hear me quote Summertime.)

Fill in the blanks - fill in long pauses. When you get to long, sustained notes or long rests in songs, play something (riffs are good) to "fill in the blanks." Do everything you can dream up - be creative! Play from your heart.

Now to lesson 4 -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAro7nCPvsA

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[953steve]

HI. I like your style and have decided to try to learn to play a harmonica i bought in San Francisco on a whim whilst on holiday from Liverpool, England two years ago. It is a Hohner Blues Harp but in A. Should i get a C harmonica as a lot of songs here tend to be for that. Would you advise on a make. I've seen that Lee Oskar is well thought of. What would you recommend? Any advice much appreciated. I will subscribe to your videos as i like your manner and teaching style.

[BajanPiedpiper]

@953steve tx for your endorsement :) you can learn on any key harp -- however most of the beginner stuff on Youtube is oriented towards a C harp. Lee Oskar, Hohner, Suzuki, Seydel... are all good harps. Avoid getting a cheap harp, the chambers leak and make it more difficult to play. A harmonica, as simple as it looks, is not all that easy to learn to play! You'll need patience and determination! I encourage you not to get frustrated and give up! Just go one step at a time!

[gayhax]

including the unbent note from the three hole draw, there are 4 possible notes.

another way of saying this is, you can bend the three hole draw down a step and a half.

the two hole draw can be bent one whole step, and all the other holes can be draw bent a half step or less

[BajanPiedpiper]

@gayhax Hey gayhax! Thanks for that update!

[cassini113]

tx - you encourage me to keep practicing!

[eeskaatt]

I have a 16-hole harmonica. anyone knows what's the difference between the 16 and the 10-hole??

[jalen77232]

thank you for the videos they were alot of help :)

[blackstone1111]

simple and amazing teaching, you really want to teach people the harmonica. thanx for video

[karthikkaye]

This is the first day I started to play the Harmonica and I happened to see your videos. You are unbelievably simple in your talk but the wealth of information it contains is just amazing. I'm certainly going to patiently practice till I get this right. Its amazing to produce the music right there with such a small piece of instrument. Thanks again!!

[BachoAngus]

I don't think my harmonica has the right voice.. can anyone tell me can I fix it myself and how? or maybe theres some program or site for that?

[booobed]

what if i I have a would like to play a song taught in c? I have a hohner blues hard and its in E??