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The Study Songs

The Study Songs · Study Songs by Level · Study Songs in Special Categories · Archives (Oldies)

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•	The Study Songs

Archives

These are Joe's oldest, first generation study songs. They all have been updated with newer versions that include an accompaniment chorus behind a guitar solo and much clearer notes on the correct breathing that is necessary. Some folks still use them when teaching so we keep them here.

All can be purchased through the store shopping cart but the method is different than the regular downloads. As soon as your complete your purchase, choose "return" to the store and look for a download link at the bottom of the page, with the link as the title you ordered. Click the link to receive the download sheet with the hyperlink to download the files from Dropbox.

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B1 Blues Download (Archived)

This study song uses a common riff based off the notes on the Major 6 chord of the chord change. Many other common blues licks are used in the body of the piece. . .

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Bhumba Rhumba Download (Archived)

This song is a study in the straight eigth rumba groove which is NOT a shuffle or swing type of groove. The rumba groove is most commonly characterized by the riff played on page 1 and 8. This is a groove that should be in every blues harp players repertoire.

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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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Boot Camp Tramp (Archive)

This song is a study of the straight eigth (NOT a shuffle) groove most commonly known as the "Tramp" groove from the song "Tramp," popularized by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas.

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Buffalo Shuffle-O Download (Archive)

This song is a Chicago style song that uses a very common blues type of melodic head on the 1st & 6th chorus. You will hear influences by Big Walter and Little Walter. . .

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Bye Bye Byrd Download (Archive)

This is a beginning-intermediate, 6 chorus instrumental that focuses on the style of harp legend Rice Miller and designed to help develop techniques and abilities that can put the player on a path to better understand the blues harmonica sound.
Lesson includes the song played acoustically and played amplified in it's complete form. . .

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E-Z BlueZ Download (not to be confused with L II E-Z BlueS with an s) (Archive)

Level III Beginning-Intermediate 5-chorus melodic blues instrumental to help develop techniques and abilities that can put the player on a path to better understand the blues harmonica sound. Also a light study in the style of Walter Horton.
Lesson includes the song played acoustically and played amplified in it's complete form......

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East Aurora Shuffle Download (Archive)

New 12-18-2013 Level III - Medium Tempo 12 Bar Blues Shuffle - This song is intended to be one of the easier Level III songs. It is actually a revised version of "Buffalo Shuffle-O" which is named after Rick Nicotra and numerous other friends in the Buffalo, New York areas. After using it for a few years, I decided to make some upgrades to it. This song very much has a Big Walter type of sound to it. The head hints of T.D.'s Boogie Woogie and is very recognizable as classic Chicago Blues that I think every blues harp player should know.

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I Need My Baby Blues (Archive)

This ston is a study of the stlle of Walter Horton and how he would likely play a melodic type of blues. . .

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Key to the High Weigh Download (Archive)

This song is a detailed study in playing over the popular 8-bar blues associated with the song "Key to the Highway." Goals are learning to improvise over the 8-bar form and to imrpovise around the melody.

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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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MB-16 Blues Download (Archived)

This song is a study of the melody for Little Walter's song "My Baby" played over 16 bar form similar to "This Train," "When the Saint's go Marching In," "Momma Don't Allow," and "Crawdad Hole." Since the V chord comes in early in the form and is played for two bars, these chord changes can be quite difficult to solo over for harp players who are only used to playing over the 12 bar form.

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N-P Blues Download (Archive)

LEVEL III - This song is a study of the technique that I call the Nose Push (NP). The simple explanation is
releasing air through your nose simultaneously to playing an exhale note, split or chord. Failing to use the (NP) will make this tune nearly impossible to play. Playing an exhale note in place of the notated inhale ones will make the song less bluesy sounding. . .

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Out of the Box Download (Archive)

This song is a study in the "box Shuffle." It is an instantly recognizable classic blues riff that is the same groove as the "Jimmy Reed" but tends to sound a little more modern. It should be an essential part of all harp players repertoire.

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Pick-Up Boogie Download (Archive)

This song is a study in playing the very common "pick-up" lick starting on hole three. The piece certainly has strong similarities to both of the Walters. The phrase played over the last 4 bars are almost always the same allowing you to become more skilled at playing quarter note triplets. It is also a little unusual that while the band goes to the V at the turnaround, the harmonica does not. This is a trademark of Jerry McCain. 8 pages of instruction sheets and 28 tracks.

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The Ham-Bo Download (Archive)This song will help you gain command and understanding of the famous 2-bar straight eigth groove known either as the "Hombone" or "Bo Diddley groove." Most often this groove is played as a one-chord blues.