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Post by JamesP on Jun 14, 2015 13:09:20 GMT -5
Most of us think of lead harmonica as "where it's at"! But, being a great harmonica player means sometimes you have to play "backup", playing chords and setting the "groove" for those pesky lead guitar players!
There are basically two chords on the diatonic harmonica. There’s a blow chord, which is a one (I) chord and a five (V) chord, which is a draw chord. However, most people tend to play this in second position, which on a C harmonica, the key of G. So, when you’re in the key of G, you’ll be starting on the draw chord, which is a one (I) chord and then blowing for the four (IV) chord. The easiest rhythm to learn, (Basic Train Rhythm) is just a blow/draw pattern. You draw twice, that’s inhale twice, and then blow twice. So, sounds as simple as this. And then again, two blow chords. Pick up the tempo and play it as eighth notes, that will be one, two, three, four. And so then, you just make it a little faster and get that, add some hand effects.
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Post by Pistol Pete on Jul 12, 2015 4:34:20 GMT -5
In cross the I is on draw 234 & the IV is on blow 456. To get your third chord for the 12 bar progression you can use Vmin on draw 456, or the Vdim7 on draw 345.
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Post by mindthegap on Jul 14, 2015 12:21:25 GMT -5
Hi, I got a nudge by email as I've not been here for a while! Hello again.
This is a really good topic and doesn't get discussed so much. When I was beginning, I found it tough being thrown into the limelight to play solos. Whereas rhythm accompaniment is much more accessible. It's more repetitive so you don't need so many moves, and I found I could play more in the background and find my feet. Plus it means that you can play more (with a band) by tasteful comping instead of either soloing or laying out completely. Some of my favourite songs have the sound of the harp throughout.
I spent some effect studying good comping - and I found there's more on offer than just playing the chords. There are loads of great rhythmic phrases, often arpeggiating the chord in satisfying ways. There are horn lines, and bass lines and guitar inspired hooks.
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Post by mindthegap on Jul 15, 2015 5:31:17 GMT -5
I've seen that Jerry Portnoy's Master Class set on sale - it gets very good reviews but it's relatively expensive. What do you think of it?
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Post by JamesP on Jul 15, 2015 6:48:02 GMT -5
First of all, thanks for the heads-up on Jerry Portnoy's Masterclass. Here's a great insight (review)
By
silverwingit "silverwingit"
This review is from: Jerry Portnoy's Blues Harmonica Masterclass (Audio CD)
I have never felt strongly enough about any product to take the trouble to write up a rating. But, the potential of this 3 CD set to dramatically enhance the ability of any but the most accomplished harmonicist (diatonic or chromatic) is enormous. The title is slightly misleading, but in a good way. I would not confine its benefits to blues (diatonic) harp players! I had purchased and aggressively used all the top-rated blues harp instructional products (including those available at Amazon), avoiding Portnoy's because of its relatively high cost. Mistake! It's not that the other materials are not worthwhile. It's that Portnoy's CD set is where I should have started. Learning from the rest of the instructional material out there would then have come much easier. After "taking" Jerry's Masterclass, I find myself going back to the other material with far greater technical ability and a more thorough understanding of the instrument that grant me fuller access to information I was previously unable to absorb. In this Masterclass Portnoy clearly articulates even the most difficult to understand nuances of playing effective harmonica, rendering the material accessible even (especially?) by a beginner. As the serious student of any musical instrument should expect, Jerry carefully concentrates on all the fundamentals. He takes his "student" through each technique in small steps, giving superb examples all the way. You just follow along with Jerry's lessons on your diatonic (in the key of A), stopping and repeating at your own pace until you're comfortable with each new technique. You decide when to go on to the next lesson, and can come back for a refresher any time (a highly recommended practice). If you want to learn specific blues licks, there are better resources. If you are seeking what amounts to private lessons from a harmonica virtuoso and extraordinary teacher, this is the mother lode! Jerry says that once you've taken his class, learning blues licks is a matter of listening and using the skills he has taught you. And, he's right. Not only all that, I recently took on chromatic harmonica. Although it's a very different beast than a blues harp, fundamentally, blowing the chrom' is the same as the diatonic. And, as I've said, Portnoy's CD set dwells almost exclusively on harmonica fundamentals. Thanks to him (and bit of effort on my own part, of course), I can easily apply techniques that seem to mystify many far more accomplished chrom' players. If you want to learn how to play harp at a high level, this is the way to go. And don't worry about Portnoy's qualifications-he backed Muddy Waters for years and continues to back Eric Clapton, just for starters.
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