I always liked Adam Gussows youtube stuff as not only is he a good player, he is also a very good teacher being able to communicate with people of different skill levels and 'remembering' what it was like to be a beginner.
I'm just starting my first attempts at blues chromatic harp. Is there someone who does really good chromatic youtube lessons like Adam's?
Nothing wrong with paying for one-on-one instruction; that's why Dennis is first on the list of harmonica teachers I provide on the page named "harmonica teachers." Still, free is free. And that's what the OP is asking about.
@MagicNick Find some chrom music that you really like. Then start asking questions about playing that style and the techniques involved. Before you travel to far down any one road (style, technique and overall approach). You owe it to yourself to check out Paul Delay and Norton Buffalo. They both played primarily in 2nd position. Most blues chrom players play 3rd again primarily. I play 3rd most of the time because I spent the first 5 years of learning the chromatic playing the Little Walter style. Then I heard about Paul Delay. It was to late! I was to far down the road. I tried, but just can't feel it. Paul Delay was one of the most impressive chrom players to ever live! He was beyond blues technically, but thats what he did. Really inspirational stuff! Edit: I don't know of anyone that has studied Paul Delay and got really good at it, but that would be something to also look into. As good as he was there has to be someone!
Last Edited by on May 26, 2011 7:04 AM
You'll get no feedback on your technique,ability,playing level or anything for that matter from YouTube-I'm just throwing it out there- There's no sustitute for live one-on-one instruction. By the way,Dennis will usually give you a FREE analysis of your playing ability/playing level.
Last Edited by on May 26, 2011 9:14 AM
Micheal Rubin is has been using Chromatics in his Meat & Potatoes series. I've been kind of busy and fallen behind on those. A lot of people have a couple videos here and there on chromatics.
Wow! You are fantastic! I was just wondering if you could answer some question? I am going to try to learn the harmonica, but I am torn between which kind to buy. I only have so much money, so I want to be able to spend it wisely...you know...the most bang for my buck. So, if you could be so kind:
1). If I had a chromatic harmonica, like the Hohner Super 64, would I be able to play blues in every key with just this one harmonica since it can be played in every key but only comes in the key of "C"? Or would I need to go down to a Hohner 12 hole harmonica and buy it in different keys since they do offer different keys in this harmonica?
2). I have heard that there are few people, like Otavio Castro and Howard Levy, who can play in any key (all the notes) on just a "C" diatonic? Are they totally exceptional or would it be possible for anybody to learn to play in all keys on just a "C" diatonic? And, if I could play in any key on a "C" diatonic harmonica, would it be possible to just have this one "C" diatonic harmonica and play the blues in every key?
3). If by your answers to the above 2 questions, I end up buying diatonics in different keys, but can only afford 3 harmonicas, which 3 keys of harmonica would be the best to buy so that I would be able to play in most keys? I do understand that there are different positions on the harmonica, and from what I understand players usually use 2nd position (Cross harp?) to do this. But I think a player can get a good blues sound out of the 3rd position too? So I figure that maybe 3 harmonicas would let me be able to play in at leasst 6 different keys (2nd and 3rd position) and maybe 9 different keys if the first position can be used for playing blues? Does this make any sense or am I very confused?
I want to play blues but I also like rock, pop, jazz and classical music. So I am torn between the chromatic and the diatonic. I love the way Stevie plays! But, I have seen some videos on YOUTUBE by a girl named Christelle, who plays all the types of music I have mentioned on diatonics, but using different keys of harmonica. She even plays Stevie Wonder music...she is good!
Any help you can give me will be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for considering answering.
You can play single-note-at-a-time blues on a chromatic harmonica, or on a diatonic once you've mastered the technique called "overbends". However that is single note at a time. A lot of blues is about CHORDS - multiple notes at a time. For that to work, you MUST have a harmonica in the right key (there is more than one key harp for a particular key of music depending on what "position" you play in - but the rule still holds.) Blues players who use chromatic harps likely have chromatics in their bag in several different keys for this reason.
You should decide what kind of sound you want - diatonic harps tend to sound a lot different than chromatics
Re: playing the blues in every key on one harmonica.
The answer depends on what you mean by "blues". To the best of my knowledge, Toots Thielemans doesn't play different keyed chromatics and he of course plays in every key. There's a live recording of Toots playing "C to G Jam Blues" where he solos on blues changes in several keys on his C chromatic. However, it doesn't sound like Little Walter.
On diatonic, those very few players who play everything on a single key harp don't play in the blues style. More blues-oriented players like Jason Ricci or Carlos Del Junco play harps in different keys even though they have the facility to play all the notes on any harp.
imo, if you really want to get the "blues" sound you need to play diatonics. keys of A, D and C are good ones to start with. many brands out there to choose from that are around $30. there are folks out there that can play ANY style of music using a diatonic. you may find that some of these people are using harps that are tuned differently or are customized to play easier.
the problem with playing harp is one needs several harps. you will never see anybody playing on stage with only one harp. i would think even levy performs with at least a back-up. the great thing about playing harp is that they are relatively inexpensive compared to other instruments.
nick- you may want to join david barret's masterclass site. it is about $15 a month; far cheaper than any instructor you can find! he has a section on chromatic. you can download backing tracks, tabs and vids. you can even send in a version of you playing the lesson and he promptly sends back a critique.
I'm also beginning to explore the depths of chromatic harp. I ordered Phil Duncan's "Complete Chromatic Harmonica" -book to have something to start with. I have few chroms that I have fixed, sealed and valved so the gear is already there to start with.
I would also be very interested to hear whether there would be somebody like Adam sharing his/her knowledge of the chromatic harp to the world for free.. :)
If you want chromatic studies contact Robert Bonfiglio. Phil Duncan book IMHO has major flaws.
You guys never ask me any Chromatic questions What am I freakin' chopped liver. I commuted to NY for three years to study with Robert then I went on to pursue my music degree. I just had to say something. I think music says it all.
---------- Emile "Diggs" D'Amico a Legend In His Own Mind How you doin'
okay, diggs. help me out. please remember to keep it simple as i am theory ignorant. i got a C chrome. if i mainly blow, i am playing in the key of C, first position. if i mainly draw, i am playing in the key of G, second position. mainly draw with slide in, i am playing in the key of ?, and ? position. mainly blow with slide in, i am playing in the key of ?, and ? position.
i think i am correct for the first 2, but feel free to enlighten me.
Diggs- You are a fine player. Chopped liver- indeed! LOL
So, just how do you go about playing in different keys on a C chrom? I've tried to play in 2nd position blues - key of G. I don't have a clue. I have a sneaking suspicion you need a solid music theory knowledge to do it, something that I woefully lack. 3rd pos. (D minor) seems to lend itself to relatively easy playing. You don't have to use the button to sound decent. Can you improvise in different keys or is a very structured thing? The possibilities on a chrom seem overwhelming to me.
Sorry Magic Nick I can't add to what has been said.
VT2 - you are right about 3 harps getting you 9 positions traditionally played in blues. 1, 2nd and 3rd. But that is not all, some great bluesy music can be played in those positions and more. As folks have said it depends on what you want to play within the blues.
The intent however of playing in different positions is not just to save on buying more harps, as you probably know.
Different positions allow you to get different sounds and feelings as you play. It puts the bends on different notes of the scale so you can do different things. So just listen to more music and decide what you would like to play, then commit to buying the harps to play that way.
As for many keys on a C harp....Howard's technique of playing in many keys on one harp actually frees him up to choose any key harp for any key song so he can express what he wants. Instead of the other way around and trying to fit every song onto a C harp.
Howard and others can play every key on a C harp but as folks have said, it isn't really possible to chug a bluesy chord vamp in any position. All keys on a c harp is a great goal to have but it is probably going to take you a while to get there as it sounds like you are just starting and may find it frustrating if you buy a C harp and start trying to figure out a blues riff in the key of A.
Even Howard though chooses different keys for different reasons with each song played. Sometimes 3 different keyed harps in one song. So it is not a complete solution to just buy C harps.
Although not free, the following suggestions are pretty close to free considering what you can get for around $20 a month.
If you really want to learn multiple keys on one harp then Howard has a great on line school. Sometimes they offer a free C Special 20 as a promotion when you sign up so you would be getting a great harp in a key you want as well.
If you are more into the traditional blues David Barret's site would be hard to beat.
If you decide you love Chromatic then Diggs seems to have it sorted out with Robert Bonfiglio.
As for saving cash on an instructor good ones I think are always worth it in time/inspiration/feedback and education but if you do find a good on line source like Adam's for Chromatic be sure to post back here and let us know.
I would possibly suggest you listen to some Chromatic blues and diatonic blues and go from there.
If you decide to go with Diatonic eharp has got you covered with A,D and C. I might humbly add to that, if you have a few or one absolutely favourite blues tune you want to learn find out what key it is in and maybe get a harp in that key (some great stuff in Bflat harp for blues for instance) and I find that nothing is more inspiring to practice than the stuff I love.
Finally just to say if you are trying to save money don't cheap out too much on your harps. Get something mid range by a reputable brand and look for online deals. Delta Frosts can be good for the money I think last i saw they went for $25 and I am pretty sure someone on this board is a Bushman dealer and may cut you a break. Some folks love them some hate them but they are pretty solid harps if you don't go the overblow route as they tend to squeak and Lee Oscars can be hard to control OBs.
Hope that helped in some way.
Hey, nice tunes there Diggs.
J
P.S. and Jason Ricci the guy in the videos above is planning on SKYPE lessons sometime soon and word around here is he is a great teacher.
Last Edited by on Jun 13, 2011 10:14 AM
The thing to keep in mind about chromatics is that almost all of them are solo-tuned. What that means is that your Richter harp note layout between holes 4 through 7 repeats all the way up the harp, so any lick that works in holes 4 to 7 on your diatonic will work on 1 to 4 or 5 to 8 or 9 to 12 (or 13 to 16, if your chrom is that big). However, your usual holes 1 to 3 stuff will need to be adjusted.
For example, on a C chrom draw 2 is F, not G so if you're playing in cross harp your root note is 3 blow not 2 draw.
Don't feel bad about the theory to improvise. I went to school with some great classical players and improvising just wasn't something they could do. My friend plays violin in the Delaware Symphony Orchestra she always amazed at what I do. She told me reading chord changes was a real labor for her.
Ok positions are something I don't really use on Chromatic. It seems to break down beyond third position and that is limited.
If you think C major on a C Chromatic yes first position.
Second position as relating to G Mixolydian mode yes it can be done. You will get the f being the b7 of the g blues scale.
Third position relates to the Dorian mode. This gives you the b3 and b7 of the d blues.
This can all be done without the button but has limitations.
i got a C chrome. if i mainly blow, i am playing in the key of C, first position. This will give you C major Chord but there are more notes. if i mainly draw, i am playing in the key of G, second position. No this would be more third position the draw chord is dmin6 or bmin7b5 this is why it has that eerie sound somtimes. mainly draw with slide in, i am playing in the key of ?, and ? position. mainly blow with slide in, i am playing in the key of ?, and ? position. The slide raises everything up a half step.
I can't tell you how many hours I put into playing scales and arpeggios. Practicing playing over chord changes. My work out is Jamie Aebersold Vol. 21.
I tried to keep it simple. Baby step are what's needed. People become frustrated because they want to play the way they do on the 10 hole right away. Maybe I should have a series. Called Tofu and Brown Rice lessons LOL
I'll try give a better explanation on 2nd position blues in my next post and expand on third position blues playing. ---------- Emile "Diggs" D'Amico a Legend In His Own Mind How you doin'
If you are trying to play have as few harps as possible to play as many keys with as few positions you need to know the circle of fifths. Since I don't know how much you know, I'll give a quick review.
You'll see the twelve major keys in a circle. You can recreate the circle by counting up fifths. Around the inside of the circle you'll see the relative minor. That's one of the easy ways to pick a harp for a minor keyed song.
You'll also see key signatures that show how many flats or sharps are in each key. You'll notice that as you move around the circle the keys next to each other have only one more or fewer flats or sharps than the key's on either side of them. That means when you are playing you don't have to do as many bends and/or skip as many notes to play the notes in keys that are close.
First position works best for folk type music. It's the key the harp is labeled in. You can still play blues songs, they just won't sound as grungy. Second position is the next key, counter clockwise, so for instance, C is second position for G. Third position would by another step, so it would be F. The thing is, the farther you get away from 1st position the more complicated it gets. For major songs I use 1st or 2nd and very occasionally 12th (the circle of course, wraps around.)
Now, the guys like Levy are primarily overblow players. On a harp you can bend the 1-6 draw notes down to get lower notes. Those are, in my opinion, the easiest bends on a harmonica. You can also bend the 7-10 blow notes. It's a little harder. Then there is overblowing. That's blowing notes on the 1-6 holes so they go higher than the normal notes.
You can see, if you picked harps this way and you could only afford 3 keys, you'd need to be able to play in 4 positions and need to learn several techniques. It's good to learn cool new techniques. They help improve your playing, but in sheer terms of time spent practicing if you just want to play blues in all keys you might get there faster by spending the time mowing your neighbors lawn for harp money! If you've read Adam's suggestions in the menu to the left, he tells you the most common keys you'll need. You can cross reference that with the circle of fifths to see what gets you the most keys. Make sure at least one harp is C, since most lessons are in C. If you are singing, and you know your vocal range, you can pick one that fits in second position with what you can sing.
The other option is to buy one or two nice harps and get a box of other harps. The problem with cheap harps is that they often have rough edges and aren't very airtight. They don't sound as loud. There are little tweaks you can do to improve them, but they are never going to be great harps. That said, if you are just going to be jamming with friends or you already have a good mic and amp, sometimes it's better to have 1 good harp and a bunch of cheap ones than just 2 good harps. Hohner Piedmont's come in a case (which is actually pretty handy) that hold (and includes) 7 harps. (Off the top of my head I thing they are G,Bb,A,C,D,E,F) They have plastic covers and they taste pretty nasty for the first day or so (the taste eventually goes away.) The plastic is more comfortable on the lips, in my opinion, than the sharp metal edges you might get on other cheap harps and if you mic them they can play loud enough to perform at an open mic. You can usually find a set for $20-$30 bucks. They make decent practice harps until you have something better.
I play a C chrome in blues in all 12 keys. I still love third position. My Meat and Potatoes are really diatonically focused, but I give private lessons for only $45 per hour. I will be happy to focus on chromatic.
The Tofu and Brown Rice method made me crack up and you are a great player Diggs.
WOW! You are right, I am pretty much totally brand new to this. All the answer you have all given were great! I will probably blow a gasket trying to understand everything told to me. I am sure that with the great help here I will be able to sort through and and start being a player. Thanks Again to all!!!
Has anybody ever heard of "Jim's True Chromatic" harmonica? I hear that Seydel makes thes harmonicas as special order with a different tuning. It sounds interesting and logical...but what do I know...nothing at the moment. I think they make it as a diatonic and a chromatic? Jim's site sends you to the Seydel site to buy it...but it is all in german and I can't make heads nor tails of it.
You said Phil Duncan's book has major flaws - I just received my order and thus would like to know little bit more. So can you tell me what are the flaws in the book?
