What youll find there is a series of links to, a filehosting site at which ive uploaded a series of blues harp lessons. Part 1 of 2 how to practice to the blues scales on. Pentatonic scales are fivenote scales that sound good over just about any kind of music. This tab is perfect for advanced beginners, since it requires the 2, 3 and 4 draw bends, but beginners. Play major scale in 1st, 2nd, 3rd position harmonica how to. It gives a safe path to a bluesy sound over the 12bar blues. So, when i play this scale, im visualizing the scale step that im on. Lee oskar harmonicas is a manufacturer of superior quality, top selling harmonicas since 1983. Plus im going to show you how to play the lion sleeps tonight right. I created the chart to give a more visual description of these breath patterns. For more about playing the blues scale, visit modern blues harmonica at tradebit, where youll find a quicktime video lesson supplemented by a pdf tab entitled blues and country scales. Oct 22, 2016 for more about playing the blues scale, visit modern blues harmonica at tradebit, where youll find a quicktime video lesson supplemented by a pdf tab entitled blues and country scales. Why not try starting with the minor pentatonic scales.
Minor pentatonic scales are a fantastic place to start, particularly for players who. Lee oskar harmonicas superior harmonicas since 1983. With the technique of bending, a very bluesysounding scale, called the blues scale, is possible. Use repetition of a single riff, and pauses between these riffs, to create a more melodic feeling to your playing. For additional charts, information on positions, and harmonica theory, visit the members area theory section. Dont get me wrong on this, its perfectly legitamite to use the minor pentatonic scale over dominant blues chords. Understand, however, that you can perform any song in any key by simply using a differentkeyed harmonica. Some years back i spent much of a summer holiday playing this exercise with a metronome. The solotuning provides all of the eighthnotes of the major scale repeated in. Often new players are drawn to the instrument because of a desire to play the blues. How to practice to the blues scales on harmonica harmonica.
Below are the 12 minor pentatonic scales presented as chromatic harmonica tabs. This harp will produce two full chords when inhaling or exhaling. You can get more charts in with custom tunings using my interactive scale generator here. Sep 06, 2017 the blues scale is a foundational element of blues harmonica playing. It is so fundamental that many professional players continue to practice it daily. This pdf contains the scale charts for the blues scale in all keys for guitar in standard tuning. The blues scale is probably the most common piece of practical blues harmonica music theory that people do learn. Harmonica123 free lessons harmonica123 learn harmonica. Harmonica scales for beginners while learning to play. You reach the next numbered position on your harmonica by counting up five scale steps from the key of the harp. Adam gussow of satan and adam explains the blues scale and offers practice tips and inspiration to the harp player in search of selftransformation. Blues scales blues is an irresistible tonality for a guitar player. Blues riffs a riff is a slang term for a short musical phrase that is usually repeated or repeatable. Then try the following go crazy insert bendsextra noteschords wherever desired.
Chicago blues legend, little walter, discovered very early that blues can be played on a chromatic. Learn the pentatonic blues scales on electric guitar. If instead you map the c blues scale on an f harp, known as second. To play the blues is a fascinating undertaking because it can be both simplistic and yet intangibly tricky to master. Here are the harmonica tabs for going down the major scale. With the technique of bending, a very bluesysounding scale, called the blues. The previous issue outlined ideas for practice, and introduced an exercise based on the major scale. By the 1920s, when recording companies began to look for blues acts, blues harp was a common sound in the southern part of the united states. Simple blues riffs are perhaps the most common way for one to begin improvising on the diatonic harmonica. When you play more than one key of harp, the idea of positions is helpful.
Blues scale in 12 positions the notes below are for a harp in the key of c, but the tab holds for any key harmonica e. This is because it is a major third, whereas the blues scale has a flat third. The blues scale is a foundational element of blues harmonica playing. Their construc tion enables playing techniques known as bending and overbending, which. Student guide for solotuned harmonica part i diatonic. C 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 a b a a b d g b d f g b b b e b b d g b d f a b d f a blow v c e g c e g c e g c draw v d 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 b d 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 e 1 2 3. The purpose of these blogs is to hopefully help eradicate the possible fear of difficulty that someone may have.
A member of the modern blues harmonica forum posted these breath patterns his name is john potts. I have also included the 5 box patterns you need to learn in order to memorize the blues scales in all keys. Ive been creating original blues harmonica tabs for more than 25 years. How to play pentatonic and blues scales on the harmonica. Also i play in different bands, i dont consider myself a pro by any means. The sampler is the perfect way for blues harmonica players to explore new.
Once again, the most challenging part of the scale is switching the order of blowing and drawing between holes 7 and 6. Heres a chart that lays out pentatonic scales in six positions click on the image to download the fullsized chart pdf. And because they use fewer notes than the standard 7note scales, pentatonics make it easier to play in multiple keys on one harmonica. Though one such hohner richter model is indeed called the blues harp, the original blues harmonica was the marine band 1896 classic, which is still manufactured today much as it was over 100 years ago and remains the instrument of choice for an enormous number of blues harmonica players worldwide. This is just a series of seven notes which help the harmonica sound bluesy, so playing this scale over and over is excellent training. Chromatic harmonica scales guitar lessons for beginners. Global blues harmonica summit live and recorded global blues harmonica summit webinars webinars by level find webinars aimed specifically towards the beginner, intermediate or advanced player. Im an internationallyknown blues harmonica performer and instructor. This course is designed to teach beginner level players the basics of playing the 12hole solotuned diatonic harmonica, which is tuned differently from the standard 10hole diatonic instrument. What to learn to play the chromatic harmonica in every key. Diatonic harmonicas are tuned to a single major scale and are available in different keys.
Harmonica articles, harmonica lessons, harmonica tabs, how to play the harmonica, learn about the harmonica. Here are the three most common positions, or keys, played on the c harmonica with their corresponding blues. Despite its name, the blues scale is not only used in blues music. An example of a chromatic blues harmonica piece is blues in the dark played by the legendary georg harmonica smith. In this lesson, im going to help you learn a scale so that you can more easily learn your favorite songs faster. A member of the modern blues harmonica forum posted these breath patterns his. Blues harmonica for complete beginners enroll in course for free if you are struggling getting started on the harmonica and want to get a decent foundation then you should come and join my free 4week. This is just a series of seven notes which help the harmonica sound bluesy, so playing this. Blues harmonica riffs beginner bluesharp instruction and.
This course is designed to teach beginner level players the basics of playing the 12hole solotuned diatonic harmonica, which is tuned differently. Here are the three most common positions, or keys, played on the c harmonica with their corresponding blues scales. Pentatonic scales play in six different keys on one. Jp allen gives a harmonica lesson on the basic blues scale. This gives you an idea of just how important it is.
Play a drone blues riff with your harmonica how to. Global blues harmonica summit live and recorded global blues harmonica summit webinars webinars by level find webinars aimed specifically towards the beginner, intermediate or advanced player beginner level. Reference material for the first time in blues harmonica history there is an abundance of lesson material available to study. Rock, country, blues, folk, and world music all make extensive use of pentatonic sounds. Oct 16, 2010 blues scale practice for diatonic harmonica warm up by trying the following with bends if possible. Blues harmonica positions at a glance blues harmonica kaizen. The blues scale is based on the ichord and the minor pentatonic scale connected to that chord.
Notation key blues harmonica lessons blues harmonica. Mastering the chromatic harmonica by practicing scales. Part 1 of 2 how to practice to the blues scales on harmonica. In addition to that scale the minor fifth is added which is a. What youll find there is a series of links to, a filehosting site at which ive uploaded a. When it really starts to sound like a blues scale is when we play it going back down starting on 6 blow then 5 draw 4 draw 4 blow 3 draw and well land on the 3 blow.
Blues scale practice for diatonic harmonica warm up by trying the following with bends if possible. Pentatonic scales wildflower harmonica instruction. Blues harmonica music theory blues harmonica kaizen. The scale on the g harmonica is an octave lower than the one on the c harmonica. Although solotuned instruments are not well suited for blues. The scale shown is the c major scale, but the pattern and relationships are the same for all major scales. There are 20 reeds on the harmonica10 on the blow exhale reed plate and. Playing the blues scale now that you can bend notes the next thing we should look at is the blues scale. When it really starts to sound like a blues scale is when we play it going back down starting on. You can also access our site through your mobile phone.
This note is the 3d from the scale on the c harmonica. Major and minor scales the scales available on a c harmonica fall into three groups. After world war ii, a large relocation of blacks from the rural south to the urban north took place. After the pentatonic minor scale and major scale, the blues scale is probably the most widelyused scale in guitar improvisation. You will also need to bend lots of notes to get the blues notes blues scales which. Modern blues harmonica online harmonica lessons and tabs. This is a very simple blues scale with a scary name.
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