1 P Blues Download This song is a study of 1st position, or straight harp blues, in the straight eighth note rumba groove. The very first known recording of blues harp was actually played in 1st position on January 31, 1924, and until John Lee Williamson and Sonny Terry started recording in 1937, the percentage of 1st and 2nd position recordings was almost the same. Players generally have avoided the middle range of the harp in 1st and play either on the low or high range. This 1-P Blues arrangement actually utilizes the full range of the harp . . .
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24 Bar Blues Download This is a study of the up-tempo, twenty-four bar blues, or two-beat songs like “Sloppy Drunk,” “Got My Mojo Working,” “It Ain’t Right,” and “Don’t Need No Horse,” by Little Walter, from which the head riff of this song comes. The tonality of this song is the blues scale.
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251 Blues Download - New July 2024 This song is a study in using a form that has a ii chord on bar 9 and then goes to the V chord on bar 10 in stead of the usual V, IV, I change . . .
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3 P Blues Download This song is a study of what harp players call "third position." It is playing with holes 1, 4 & 8 inhale, becoming your new "home" or "root note." Third position was first recorded by Little Walter in December 1951 and has become a part of nearly every professional’s sound and style, being used somewhere from 10% to 25% of the time. It can become very helpful when navigating through minor key songs, but as this piece shows, does not necessarily have to be used exclusively as minor. It works with most all blues.
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3pm Rumba Download This is a study of the blues rumba played in a minor key, similar to Howlin’ Wolf’s song, “Who’s Been Talking,” and executed in third position, Bm on an “A” harp. . . .
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4-H Blues Download This song is a melodic blues with four variations and one solo tht is a detailed study in playing all the available notes on hole 4 of your "C" and "F" harps. While many people would agree that hole 4 is the easiest to bend, my experiences is that not enough players can bend it consistently with skill and confidence. When you can play this on "C," try it on the notorious "F" harp. Please note that the individual pages are only played on the "C" harp. Instruction set includes 30 tracks and 7 instruction sheets.
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Big Jim's Blues Download (Archived) Intermediate Instruction - This lesson is a five-chorus instrumental designed for an intermediate player to help develop techniques and abilities that can put the player on a path to better understand the traditional blues harmonica sound. This piece is a slow, low-down, Delta type of blues that exclusively uses the 6 note blues scale and heavily focuses on full bends on holes number 2 and number 4.
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Cha Cha Slim Download This is a study of the Cha-cha-cha groove that originated in Cuba and was used by Junior Wells’s in his 1957 song “Cha Cha Cha in Blue” and also Slim Harpo’s song “Buzzin'” . . .
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I Need My Baby Blues (Archive) This tune is a study of the style of Walter Horton and how he would likely play a melodic type of blues. . .
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Jail W Blues Download Level III - This is a study of the style and techniques of John Lee Williamson (JLW) a.k.a. Sonny Boy Williamson #1. His largely acoustic playing style may be the most imitated acoustic blues style in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Play all clean single notes using tongue blocking and switch for hole #1. John Lee was the master at playing dirty with great precision. He even applied it to the splits not shown in this study. You should first learn this piece clean and then slowly try to incorporate in the "dirt."
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Little Boogie Download (Archived) This song is a study of one of the blues harmonica essentials, playing a boogie riff. In the late 1940’s and early 50’s, this style of piece was recorded by Walter Horton, who appears to have called himself “Little Walter,” Forrest City Joe and Jimmy Rogers with more to follow. If you are able to play the first few bars with confidence and good rhythm, you will be able to start the song without a count-off and signal the band in at the IV chord. This song is also a warm-up for the study song “Shakey’s Boogie,” which is a warm up for the classic instrumental“Walter’s Boogie.”
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Lock Jaw Blues Download (Archive) This song will help you to develop stronger tongue switching and percussive vamping skills at the low end of the harp. The song's name comes from the ability to focus the needed movement on the tongue NOT THE JAW! It will be necessary to spend time monitoring yourself playing this while looking into a mirror. The temptation will indeed be great to add in the "ghost chords" in between the vamping on the downbeats. You need to resist this in order to develop the vamping as explosively as possible. Make it sound comparable on both holes 1 & 2.
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Mannish Blues Download This is a study of the riff played in the Muddy Waters song, "Mannish Boy,' first recorded May 24, 1955 as a "I" chord tune. Certainly one of the most recognizable blues harmonica riffs of all time.
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Minor Third Shuffle Download This is a study of minor-key blues and third position. Minor keys are more challenging on the harp than standard blues keys. Third position is one option worthy of study for minor keys. It was first recorded by Little Walter on the Muddy Waters song Lonesome Day in 1951. . .
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Nine Bar Blues Download This is a study of the extremely common blues melody most often known as "Sitting On Top of The World," "Come On In My Kitchen," "You Got go Move" or "Worst Enemy." The song is sometimes played as an 8-bar blues by leaving off bar 8 after the hook and going straight to the turnaround.
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Q Boogie Download This song is a study in playing FAST and using musical quotes. Playing the quotes will also sharpen your bending skills . . .
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Rice Cool Blues Download This song is a study of the style and techniques of Rice Miller, a.k.a. Sonny Boy Williamson #2, that is bending friendly . . .
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Shakey's Boogie Download This song is a study of Walter Horton and how he would play a boogie type of blues. . .
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Shuffle Chording Blues Download This is a study of a rhythmic chording approach heard by Walter Horton, Junior Parker, Rice Miller and Sylvester Hayes. The specific inspiration comes from the faded solo at the end of Junior Parker's song "Sweet Home Chicago." An extended version of this song can be heard on the Ace CD 710, "Harp Blues." This chordal approach is what I call the "hard shuffle." . . .
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Skyliner's 2nd Line This is a study of a “head” riff, very similar to the one used in a Bill Sinigal and the Skyliners song "Second Line," but also has strong melodic resemblances to Bill Haley’s "Rock Around the Clock" . . .
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