TBird
99 posts
Jan 09, 2015
4:26 PM
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I've been putting off exploring positions other then 2nd for far to long. It's time to get serious. Any recommendations on where to look for good instruction on the topic? Noteworthy Youtube Videos? Good written material? Whatever... I just need something to get me going in the right direction and going about it in some sort of logical manner.
I suppose simply LISTENING to players doing it might be the best education, huh?
Thanks,
T.Bird
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Be humble for you are made of earth.
Be noble for you are made of stars.
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Harpaholic
579 posts
Jan 09, 2015
4:33 PM
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Bluesharmonica.com There's no better harmonica teacher/material on the planet!
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jbone
1853 posts
Jan 09, 2015
9:32 PM
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Jimmy Reed was the innovator in the 60's for 1st position. Later on Kim Wilson has been a shining example.
#rd position, William clarke, Carey Bell, James Cotton have all been inspirations of mine.
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http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000386839482
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbTwvU-EN1Q
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WinslowYerxa
758 posts
Jan 09, 2015
10:22 PM
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I go into all three positions (and also 12th, 4th, and fifth) in Harmonica For Dummies and Blues Harmonica For Dummies.
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Winslow
Harmonica For Dummies, Second Edition with tons of new stuff
Deepen your playing at the Harmonica Collective
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A440
294 posts
Jan 10, 2015
2:23 AM
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Start with 1 song: for example, St. James Infirmary Blues, in 3rd position (D on a C harp). Hakan has a good video on YouTube where he has tabbed it out in the comments. Once you can play it, then go to Cristelle's video and study how she does the improv on the same song. Then work on it and learn the song well, creating your own improv. Once you've done St James, other songs in 3rd will be easy to pick up.
Last Edited by A440 on Jan 10, 2015 2:25 AM
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Pistolcat
754 posts
Jan 10, 2015
6:00 AM
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David Barrett has excellent material. I haven't tried bluesharmonica.com but his books are very good. I can recommend "exploring first position" and "exploring second position" I haven't got a hold on "exploring third position" but I expect that it's a gem, too. I can also recommend "accompaniment playing" that is just filled with tips on how to play music with others.
I suspect that his site is has even more bang for the buck...
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Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
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TBird
100 posts
Jan 11, 2015
11:42 AM
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Thanks guys! I love Barrett's stuff. Good call Pistolcat. I actually own "Accompaniment Playing" and can attest that it has a lot of great stuff in it. I was actually thinking about getting this book of his. It looks like it might have some good 1st and 3rd stuff in it.
Winslow - I've always wanted to own one of your books. Any reason to choose one over the other?
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Be humble for you are made of earth.
Be noble for you are made of stars
Last Edited by TBird on Jan 11, 2015 11:43 AM
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TBird
101 posts
Jan 11, 2015
11:51 AM
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A440 - I also really like the idea of working on St. James Infirmary Blues. I just learned how to overblow (seriously like two days ago!) so it looks like it might also prove to be good way to ATTEMPT to work the 6OB into an actual musical context... *gulp* This could get ugly... :)
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Be humble for you are made of earth.
Be noble for you are made of stars.
Last Edited by TBird on Jan 11, 2015 11:51 AM
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WinslowYerxa
759 posts
Jan 11, 2015
4:31 PM
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Hi, TBird, and thanks for asking.
Harmonica For Dummies covers a lot of ground and doesn't make the assumption that you want to play blues. It has once chapter specifically about blues, while most of the rest of the book (aside from the chapters dedicated to folk and fiddle tunes) are more generalist, including the chapter that gives you a whole series of 12 licks in each of 6 different positions. The new edition also has video and animations (lips and tongue moving on the face of the harp, with breath arrows while the music plays). Here's one of the videos, showing different tongue blocking techniques:
Hammers, Hammered Splits, Rakes, and Shimmers (animated video demonstration)
Blues Harmonica For Dummies is specifically dedicated to blues and skips Mary Had a Little Lamb and isntead gives other, more blues oriented beginning stuff to the novice. I go a little more deeply into amplification, include a chapter on chromatic, gives whole chapters to first and third positions, and have a large appendix on essential recordings (some chosen by the artists themselves) sorted by period and style, with harp key and position. And I have Rusty Zinn, the harmonica player's guitarist, providing backing on all the CD tracks.
You can use the links below to check them out on Amazon, including reading some of the material online.
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Winslow
Harmonica For Dummies, Second Edition with tons of new stuff
Blues Harmonica For Dummies
Deepen your playing at the Harmonica Collective
Last Edited by WinslowYerxa on Jan 11, 2015 4:54 PM
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TBird
102 posts
Jan 13, 2015
8:10 AM
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So Winslow, what I'm hearing you say is that I need both... ;)
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Be humble for you are made of earth.
Be noble for you are made of stars.
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