Blues Scale Study

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Blues Scale Study

These are songs that predominantly use notes and sounds from the blues scale. My approach for teaching the blues scale is novel and I don't believe that it is taught this way anywhere else. Knowing how to stick to the notes of the blues scale increases your ability to get getting a deep, dark, lowdown blues sound.

Blues Scale Study

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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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4-P Blues Download

This is a study of 4th position and how it relates to the minor key sequenced riff used in “Green Onions” and “Help Me.” Minor keys are more challenging on the harp than standard blues keys. 4th position is a good option, especially if you have some skills bending the high exhale notes . . .

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5-P Blues Download

This song will help you to play in what is know to most harp players as 5th position. Instead of having the 2 hole inhale as your root, it is now your 2 hole exhale. This "position" is great for minor keys as the flat 3rd, flat 6th and flat 7th are readily available. . .

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5-P Blues JR Download

This song is a study in both minor blues and fifth position. This 5-P Blues Jr is a little shorter and easier version of another study song called “5-P Blues.” It’s similar to playing the major pentatonic scale in cross harp, but instead of the home root note resolving on the 2-inhale, this position resolves on the 2-exhale. . . .

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6-P Blues Download

This song is a study of 6th position with a nod to Rice Miller’s “Help Me” and Booker T’s “Green Onions.” Please note that “Help Me” was NOT played in 6th position nor am I implying that it should be. . . .

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B. S. Blues Part 1 Download

This song is a study in the six note blues scale. This is one of my more difficult songs due to the exacting bends needed on hole three. If your bends here are weak or sloppy, the minor key blues will not likely work as well for you as the standard blues, which is more forgiving of sloppy bends. Being able to confidently and accurately play the blues scale will add many possiblilites to your playing, including playing over minor keys. . . .

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B. S. Blues Part 2 Download

This song is a study in the six not blues scale. This is one of my more difficult songs due to the exacting bends needed on hole three. If your bends here are weak or sloppy, the minor key blues will not likely work as well for you as the standard blues, which is more forgiving of sloppy bends. Being able to confidently and accurately play the blues scale will add many possiblilites to your playing, including playing over minor keys. . . .

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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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Chicago Box Shuffle Download

This is a study of the riff often called the “Box Shuffle” by guitar and bass players. It can be played descending, or like this version, ascending. The advanta

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Cubano Cha Cha Download

This is a study of the Cha-cha-cha groove originated in Cuba and used by Muddy Waters in the head of later versions of his song, “Walking Thru the Park,” Slim Harpo’s “Buzzin,” and Junior Wells’s “Cha Cha Cha in Blue” are other recorded songs using this type of riff driven groove. . .

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Down Low Blues Download

This song is a study in how you can make your playing more bluesy sounding. It is the result of a talk I give about how you can increase your Blues Horse Power (BHP).

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Greazy Bluez

This is a study of two iconic riffs seen in the previous study songs, “Big Jim’s Blues” and “N P Blues.” I believe that both of these blues scale riffs radiate intense, dark, ornery blues. Folks know it within a few seconds of hearing. If you don’t like blues, this is not for you.

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Inhale Blues Download

This is a study of how inhaling is one of the secrets to where the deepest and darkest blues is to be found on the harp. The inspiration came from the slow blues recordings of Little Walter and how, after carefully transcribing many of his recordings, I came to realize that frequently more than 90% of all the notes he played were only inhaling notes . . .

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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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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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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 . . .

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Wishing Blues

This is a study of the jungle-groove blues scale, and the riff, used in the Billy Boy Arnold song “I Wish You Would,” but sequenced into a 12-bar form similar to the Ray Charles song, “What’d I Say?” This groove is not a shuffle or swing. It is a straight 8th-note groove with a heavy use of the tom drums. The overall tonality is very dark blues and is also a study in tongue block switching . . .

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Zulu Boogaloo

This is a study of the Boogaloo groove, which got its name from the 1960s dance of the same name. Remember that this groove is not a shuffle or swing. It is a straight-eighth note groove, very similar to the “Tramp” groove. Check out the George Harmonica Smith song, “Avalon Boogaloo.” This is also a study in how to use the blues scale. This song requires solid tongue blocking and breathing skills and moderate bending skills. Everything except the chords should be played using tongue blocking . . .