learn to play the harmonica

http://www.youtube.com/group/HarmonicaEnthusiasts

For awhile I’ve been stuck in a rut. I can single note play well. I can bend decently and even over-blow a touch but I sort of ran out of inspiration and my learning curve fell way flat. Besides just messing about playing by ear, playing with songs, and playing a couple blues riffs over and over and over I haven’t made much improvement to my playing in the past four or five months.

Tonight I just found a great podcast which is at a great level for me:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=125247985

I’ll let you know how it is going in a couple weeks or so.

I stubbed this out.

If you know this it is pretty fun and helps with those upper holes and stamina. Link to what it should sound similar to … here

Disney’s Robin Hood Ditty (credits)
8 -8 8 77 6 -6 6
8 -8 8 77 -7 -8
8 -8 8 77 7 9 -9 7
7 6 7 -8 8 7

I’ve started playing a bit more again … off and on here an’ there … for two weeks or so.

I just now played all up and down over “Put Your Records On” as I was clicking around on 43Things. Sounded pretty good. My single note playing is back in effect. I think I’ve worn out hole 6 a little on this ‘Special 20’. Probably mutilated it a little with some over blows about 3 months ago. ‘tis a bit rough but functional. :P

Maybe I should open her up and clean it. Wonder what horrors await inside!? (gulp, laugh)

I can play ok but have a ways to go before I consider myself a decent harmonica player. I have pretty decent one note playing ability but after picking up the harmonica this morning I’ve lost some of my playing muscle and know how. It’s been a little too long since last playing. Oh well, nothing a little daily play won’t cure.

I can bend some notes pretty well and can play a pretty fun little blues riff and throw in a head shake or two. I think the basics are where I still need to focus a bunch.

I used a couple fun web pages for beginning songs and when starting out mostly just focused on playing scale and a few songs that I knew. Here is the site that really got me going as a beginner. Harmonica Country.