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Artist Study Songs - Learn from the Best

We can learn A LOT from the best of the best. These ARTIST STUDY SONGS are the result of years of studying the best players ever. While it would be true to say that Little Walter Jacobs probably had the greatest single influence of those represented in these songs, other important players include DeFord Bailey, Kyle Wooten, Palmer McAbee, Sonny Terry, John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, Rice Miller "Sonny Boy Williamson #2," "Big" Walter "Shakey" Horton, George "Harmonica" Smith, Jimmy Reed and various Cajun players. These are VERY detailed study songs that are complete instrumentals, often one-hundred percent in the styles of famous player, and to my knowledge, no such a collection existed before I stitched them together after countless hours of listening and analyzetheir playing. Some of the hardest were tunes are Chasin' Lost Sonny, Sonny's Shuffle, Jail W Blues, John Lee's Blues, DeFord's Dream, Rice Cool Blues, Shakey's Boogie, Skip To My Lou and Need More Walter.

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Bird Instrumental 3 Download

The goal with this LEVEL III instrumental is to continue to build upon the Level I & Level II versions of this song that you have memorized. It’s quite likely that you will need a minimum of a year of experience before attempting this. The new techniques you will use are vamping (v) and the rapid vamping (RV) chordal effect heard on tracks 4, 8, 10, 12, 16 & 18. . .

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Bird Instrumental 3-Plus Download

The goal with this LEVEL III plus instrumental is to continue to build upon the previous versions of this song. It’s quite likely that you will need about two years of experience before attempting this. The new things you will be introduced to are ghost chords used in between the vamping/slapping and other challenging places, more advanced breathing challenges, and use of the nose push (NP), more advanced bending and more advanced phrases. All the usual techniques are here

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Boogie Instrumental 2 Download

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Boogie Instrumental 2s Download

The goal with this LEVELII instrumental is to continue to build upon the Level I & Level II “mini” songs with an added harp solo. I suggest 4 months of experience before atempting this. Everything except the chords should be played using tongue blocking and tongue switch to play hole #1 without moving your jaw if you can.

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Boogie Instrumental 3 Download

The goal with this LEVEL III instrumental is to continue to build upon the Level I & Level II versions of this song that you have memorized. It’s quite likely that you will need a minimum of a year of experience before attempting this. The new techniques you will use are dirty notes, ornamental bending, vamping and the split-4 block. . .

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Boogie Instrumental 3-Plus Download

The goal with this LEVEL III plus instrumental is to continue to build upon the previous versions of this song. It’s quite likely that you will need about two years of experience before attempting this. The new things you will be introduced to are ghost chords used in between the vamping/slapping, more advanced breathing challenges, more advanced bending, and more advanced phrases

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Chasin' Lost Sonny Download

Please note that there are two things different about this song, “Chasin' Lost Sonny.”
First, it is twice the price. That is because it was at least twice as hard to prepare as anything else here in the Filisko Store.
The second is that there is not a single defined final arrangement for the song but instead, numerous building blocks that you will need to arrange into your own version of Sonny's stylistic. If you goal is to capture his special style, you will need to do a lot of listening to the numerous versions of this type of piece that he recorded. Some of those are listed in the song notes. You will hear these building blocks and countless variations of them. Please also go back and review the song notes often and continually listen to the sample tracks on the CD.

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Deford's Dream

This study song is much like the first known cross harp, 2nd position recordings, that were then referred to as “choking.” This will be another tool, along with “Skip To My Lou” and “Henry’s Lament,” to give insight into the amazing layers of technique hidden behind DeFord Bailey, Kyle Wooten, Palmer McAbee and others. . .

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E-Z Instrumental 2 Download

The goal with this LEVEL II instrumental is to continue to build upon the Level I & Level II “mini” songs. I suggest 4 months of experience before attempting this. Everything except the chords should be played using tongue blocking and tongue switch to play hole #1 without moving your jaw if you can. Memorize the key , tempo and groove of the song. There are four different types of practice tracks and each has 4 tempos. Even though the track has the counting already recorded, you MUST practice counting and signaling in unison with the voice on the recordings! It is always better to say the name of the soloist if you know it. Don’t say “guitar” if the soloist is another harp player or if the

guitar player doesn’t want to solo!

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E-Z Instrumental 2s Download

The "E-Z" Instrumental #2 (s version has a harmonica solo) is a very common and "must know" melody in blues. It was inspired by Big Walter's 1953 recording on SUN records and he seemed to get his inspiration from a hit song by Ivory Joe Hunter. This builds on the Level II mini Instrumental.

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E-Z Instrumental 3 Download

The goal with this LEVEL III instrumental is to continue to build upon the Level I & Level II versions of this song that you have memorized. It’s quite likely that you will need a minimum of a year of experience before attempting this. The new techniques you will use are dirty notes, ornamental bending, vamping, rapid vamping and the split-4 block . . .

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E-Z Instrumental 3-Plus Download

The goal with this LEVEL III plus instrumental is to continue to build upon the previous versions of this song that you have memorized. It’s quite likely that you will need about two years of experience before attempting this. The new things you will be introduced to are quarter note triplets, more advanced breathing challenges, more advanced bending and more advanced phrases.

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Henry's Lament Download

This is a study of the first known cross harp approach to playing the harmonica that was originally often referred to as “choking.” Henry Whitter recorded a few versions of this in 1923 called “Rain Crow Bill Blues” and “The Old Time Fox Chase” followed by “Weepin’ Blues” and “Rabbit Race” in 1924 and “Lost John” in 1925. . . .

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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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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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Jerry's Cajun Blues Download

his is a study of the Cajun approach to playing the harmonica which seems to have first been recorded by Arteleus Mistric on November 7, 1929 and later by players like Isom Fontenot and my dear brother Mr. Jerry Devillier, for whom this song is named. Key to the Cajun approach is playing lots of splits that outline the chord changes and keep the rhythm pumping accurately with the breath pulse. This is exactly what the single row Cajun accordion is doing. It is basically tuned just like the harmonica. Check out the Filisko Tongue Block Trainer if you need help developing accuracy with your splits.

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John Lee's Blues

This song is a study of the style of John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson #1 who recorded from 1937 to 1948. If you already have my study song “Jail W. Blues,” you may not need this as it is easier, but has an accompaniment part behind the guitar solo. His driving aggressive big sound & tone playing approach is the foundation of the Chicago Blues playing style. . .

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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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Mississippi Groovin' Download - New July 2024

This Mississippi groove study song is likely the very first of its kind. The structure is similar to the Filisko study song “DeFord’s Dream” and how it’s put together. You should start with DeFord’s Dream if you have not already. It’s much easier. . . .

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Need More Walter Download

This LEVEL III instrumental is another in the style of Big Walter “Shakey” Horton. It’s also a simplified and refined version of an earlier study song called “I Need My Baby Blues.” . . .