Pentatonic scales play in six different keys on one. Learn to play blues scale practice on your harmonica, the tab is below. 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. Sh1 solo harmonica study 1 blues harmonica lessons. Here are the harmonica tabs for going down the major scale. Harmonizing a scale is the bedrock of chord theory.
While some benefit will come from practicing up and down this scale, most musical passages use bits of the scale only, and not always starting from the bottom c. Key of c blow draw a mixolydian scale commonly used in funk, blues, and rock music played in the key of g in 2 position on the c major diatonic harmonica. This gives you an idea of just how important it is. Chicago blues legend, little walter, discovered very early that blues can be played on a chromatic.
Struggling to make blues scale practice sound awesome. See more ideas about harmonica lessons, guitar lessons and harmonica how to play. Playing the blues scale now that you can bend notes the next thing we should look at is the blues scale. A member of the modern blues harmonica forum posted these breath patterns his name is john potts. Heres a chart that lays out pentatonic scales in six positions click on the image to download the fullsized chart pdf.
What learning how to harmonize a scale can do for you. It is so fundamental that many professional players continue to practice it daily. To play the blues is a fascinating undertaking because it can be both simplistic and yet intangibly tricky to. A simple blues lesson in an on going beginner harmonica series.
So, when i play this scale, im visualizing the scale step that im on. Blues harmonica beginner blues harp riffs and licks, jamming, and bluesharp instruction. Oct 16, 2010 learn to play blues scale practice on your harmonica, the tab is below. The previous issue outlined ideas for practice, and introduced an exercise based on the major scale. On a c major chromatic harmonica it sounds like this. Once again, the most challenging part of the scale is switching the order of blowing and drawing between holes 7 and 6. Figure 5 chromatic scale musicians tend to like to use the visual reference of the piano for this same information. This harmonica is based on the diatonic scale an eight note scale. Apr 12, 2012 a simple blues lesson in an on going beginner harmonica series. Thank for the beginners licks you sent, will enjoy working on them.
If you blow out exhale on any three holes of the harmonica. I have also included the 5 box patterns you need to learn in order to memorize the blues scales in all keys. I have never played the blues, i would like to acquire some of the. The blues scale is a foundational element of blues harmonica playing. Basically it is the process of binding small pieces of knowledge into a new automatic movement or piece of knowledge. You can start playing at anytime or wait until the fifth bar to begin the full 12 bar blues pattern. This tab is perfect for advanced beginners, since it requires the 2, 3 and 4 draw bends, but beginners and intermediates will also have something to gain from it.
Hold the harmonica with one hand at each end, with the numbers facing you. Harmonicas come in a variety of keys click here for more about harmonica keys and note names. Simple blues riffs are perhaps the most common way for one to begin improvising on the diatonic harmonica. The key of the harmonica is usually stamped on the metal or painted on the wood someplace. It sets the rules that are held to almost unbreakable standards. Use repetition of a single riff, and pauses between these riffs, to create a more melodic feeling to your playing. Each scale is explained in details this dvd is the ideal companion to the encyclopedia of scales for harmonica book. Blues riffs a riff is a slang term for a short musical phrase that is usually repeated or repeatable. The most basic harmonica scale comprises the notes from the 4 hole blow to the 7 hole blow. This note is the 3d from the scale on the c harmonica.
Below are some of my very own harmonica licks in tabulature form. Many beginning players are confused about harmonica notes, particularly since some of them appear to be missing. A scale is an ascending sequence of musical tones or pitches a diatonic scale is a. Provides essential info for creating memorable chord progressions. After world war ii, a large relocation of blacks from the rural south to the urban north took place. Often new players are drawn to the instrument because of a desire to play the blues. With the technique of bending, a very bluesysounding scale, called the blues. An example of a chromatic blues harmonica piece is blues in the dark played by the legendary georg harmonica smith. The chromatic scale lists every note available in our western european diatonic music system. For now, if you have a chromatic harmonica try the five hole splits on both types of harp. Free sheet music for harmonica diatonic download pdf, mp3. You can also access our site through your mobile phone.
The solution below shows the ab blues scale, on the piano, treble clef and bass clef since the key of ab appears on the circle of fifths diagram as both a major and minor key, the lesson steps explain both ways of constructing this blues scale for this key the 1st construction, using the major scale, starts at lesson 3 the 2nd construction, using the minor pentatonic. Chromatic harmonicas are also tuned to a major scale, but the slide mechanism enables. For the first time in blues harmonica history there is an abundance of lesson material available to study. This page shows how the blues scale can be played in three different keys on a single harmonica.
Apr 27, 2016 apart from playing blues, is it also possible to play along to some degree, with folkcountrey music. That is,until i caught a video of yourself playing. If you are wishing to order the pdfmp3 files please go to the correct page as this product is for the pdf file only. Harmonica articles, harmonica videos, learn about the harmonica. Gordon is he feels, one of his most important books because of the nature of the blues scale and how it is used to improvise in many. How to play pentatonic and blues scales on the harmonica. If you are just starting out, take a look at the beginning blues.
Free ebooks harmonica beginners your easy how to play guide. Pentatonic scales are fivenote scales that sound good over just about any kind of music. Notice the second note requires a whole step bend on draw 3. This is because it is a major third, whereas the blues scale has a flat third. Harmonica lesson harmonica beginners your easy how to play guide book hal leonard 703707 play harmonica today complete kit with bookcddvdhohner bluesband harmonica chicago blues harmonica playalong volume 9 bookcd diatonic harmonica alfreds teach. This pdf contains the scale charts for the blues scale in all keys for guitar in standard tuning. Some years back i spent much of a summer holiday playing this exercise with a metronome.
I had always wanted to learn the harmonica but couldnt really get into it. Richterdiatonic harmonicas, often called blues harps, are tuned to individual major scales, making it easy to play harmonious melodies. Jp allen gives a harmonica lesson on the basic blues scale. Most chord progressions in songs you hear in your favorite songs have their foundation rooted in the harmonized major scale. Harmonica world a harmonica magazine published by the national harmonica league.
This articles shows the notes on a harmonica, and the reasoning behind their layout. Blues harmonica almost blues scale harmonica lessons. The description below is for the pdf and audio files. To play the blues is a fascinating undertaking because it can be both simplistic and yet intangibly tricky to master. Rock, country, blues, folk, and world music all make extensive use of pentatonic sounds. Most chord progressions in songs you hear in your favorite songs have their foundation rooted in. This is just a series of seven notes which help the harmonica sound bluesy, so playing this scale over and over is excellent training. How to play the diatonic harmonica in the key of c. Harmonica scales for beginners while learning to play. Jamto blues midi file if you would like a quick, easy background song to. Special playing techniques known as bending and overblowing permit expansion of the tonal range to include notes not found in the scale as well as exciting slides and. It is still used today by many blues, folk and country music players. Achieve greater fluency on the blues harmonica, with awardwinning mat walklate using the c diatonic harmonica, mat covers topics like note bending, solo development, vibrato and playing in alternative positions to create great sounding solos over the 12 bar form.
The most common harmonica key is c, the notes on a c harmonica are shown below. Try improving your single notes and bends first with these easy video lessons click here. Begin on the 5th bar on many of the midi files, the first four bars of the song is an intro, the first full 12 bar blues pattern begins on the 5th bar. Harmonica publications blues harp, diatonic, chromatic. The scale on the g harmonica is an octave lower than the one on the c harmonica. This harmonica is based on the diatonic scale an eightnote scale. Bobs blues harmonica the harmonica is a very powerful instrument. Are there links to any other of your teachings be it free or paying. Understand, however, that you can perform any song in any key by simply using a differentkeyed harmonica. Free ebooks harmonica beginners your easy how to play. Use the chart to find out whether the note is played by blowing or drawingdair. 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.
Using an eb harmonica a brief overview of how to play and use the pentatonic scale in three positionskeys over a typical blues progression. Low notes are on the left and high notes are on the right 2. Reference material for the first time in blues harmonica history there is an abundance of lesson material available to study. Blues harmonica for dummies gives you a wealth of content devoted to the blues approach. These licks are to be played with a harmonica in the key of c. Pentatonic scales wildflower harmonica instruction. Blues harmonica riffs beginner bluesharp instruction and. David discuss various ways to use scales, modes but most of all plays 30 examples. There are 20 reeds on the harmonica10 on the blow exhale reed plate and. Adam gussow of satan and adam explains the blues scale and offers practice tips and inspiration to the harp player in search of selftransformation. You can get more charts in with custom tunings using my interactive scale generator here. Notation key blues harmonica lessons blues harmonica. Almost blues scale intermediate level riffs techniques improv 12bar blues target notes 65 jamto midi files. Blues harmonica riffs beginner bluesharp instruction and licks.
Student guide for solotuned harmonica part i diatonic. A c harmonica can be played in the key of c in what is called first position and in the key of g in what is called 2d position. This time we look at the blues scale, and how it can enrich you. Bread and butter, salt and pepper, fish and chips, harmonica and blues. Use repetition of a single riff, and pauses between these riffs.
Try improving your single notes and bends first with these easy video lessons click here blues scale practice for diatonic harmonica warm up by trying the following with bends if possible. This lesson is perfect for advanced beginners, since it requires the 2, 3 and 4 draw bends, but beginners and intermediates will also have something to gain from it. Im expecting an email that links to the page where i can download the pdf. For more information on lessons or a copy of this lessons worksheet, contact us at. Blues scales blues is an irresistible tonality for a guitar player.
Specifically, using a c harp i will provide harmonica tablature to play the blues scale in c first position, g second position, and d third position. They are arranged in such a way that only the middle octave contains a complete eightnote scale. Those examples give you an instant access to the scale sound in a real musical context. Figure 6 piano keyboard 1 draw is the note d and the 1 blow is the note c on the harmonica. Free sheet music for harmonica diatonic download pdf. I played for years with a great harmonica player in a duo but he emigrated a long time ago. If you are wishing to order the pdf mp3 files please go to the correct page as this product is for the pdf file only. And because they use fewer notes than the standard 7note scales, pentatonics make it easier to. Sep 06, 2017 the blues scale is a foundational element of blues harmonica playing. Harmonica player this magazine has been around since 1996. Although solotuned instruments are not well suited for blues playing, they are ideal for playing melodies and are simpler to learn.