Level III Advanced

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These are the songs that you should look at after you have learned most of the Level 3 core songs. These are all longer, have more challenging solos, and begin to explore the fringe areas of blues harp. Some of these are old enough that they do not have an accompaniment chorus behind a guitar solo, and some of them don't have clear indications on how to best skillfully breathe.

Level III Advanced Study Songs

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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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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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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 1930's, 40's and 50's. 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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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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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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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" and "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 . . .

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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, but also has strong melodic resemblances to Bill Haley’s Rock Around The Clock . . .

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Twisted Tongue Swing Download

This is a study of working the vamping/slapping into the low range of the harp as much as possible, and gets some inspiration from earlier study song, “Lock Jaw Blues,” and the John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson song, “Mellow Chick Swing.”

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USB Blues

his is a study of the horn riff used in the Gary US Bonds song, Down In New Orleans. This groove is not a shuffle or swing. It is a straight eighth note Rock type of groove. The overall tonality is very blues “lite,” actually using the major scale. The solo is very accordion like . . .

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Westside Box Shuffle

This is a study of the riff often called the “Box Shuffle” by guitar and bass players. It can be played ascending, or like this version, descending. The advantage of this is that it is highly recognizable to any band that is familiar with blues . . .