Harmonica Thinking

12 Bar Blues for Tongue Blocking Techniques

I've recently added 5 more videos to  my tongue blocking series on YouTube. Subscribe here if you want to be notified when I post a new video. 

In this set of videos I explain 4 blues phrases in detail which I then combine to make a 12 bar sequence. The idea of these phrases and resulting 12 bars is to pull in all the tongue blocking techniques we've been running through over the last 16 videos. There's bending, octaves, playing chords and leaping intervals. Something to get your teeth into if you've been playing along so far. 

I've tried to make these videos shorter based on feedback I have received. 

I begin with explaining 2 blues phrases that introduce the idea of using the blow 3 instead of the draw 2. Many of you will be familar with this idea but it's particularly useful if you are tongue blocking the low end.

 

 

Next I develop this into a groove for the I chord, using a move that can only be done effectively using tongue blocking. It's very remeniscent of Kim Wilson's approach to backing on a shuffle. If you like his playing on Jimmy Roger's album 'Ludella' you dig this tutorial. 

 

 

 Now something for the IV chord. There's two key techniques here. First, using tongue blocking to transition from the blow 1 to the blow 4 instantly without catching any of the reeds inbetween. Second, timing details that break up being square to the beat. In other words, make your playing more interesting. 

 

Arriving at the V, we pull out some more complex moves. This video is over 12 minutes as I wanted to explain the importance of entry phrases and timing variations. 95% of intermediate players miss these. In my view they are part of what made Little Walter so amazing. You can't cover these points in 5 minutes! 

 

Finally we can take all these phrases and make a cool sounding 12 bar blues. Remember the idea here is to use tongue blocking to play it. However, depending on where you're level is you might find you're lip pursing certain parts. That's fine. I played holes 1,2 and 3 for many years ony lip pursed, using tongue blocking on 4 and above. In reality I wasn't albe to switch to tongue blocking in a wholsale way. It was a gradual transtion.  Steve Weston at the London Harps workshop a couple of weeks ago said he played for over 8 years before he started using tongue blocking. Prior to that, he didn't know what it was. 

 

So there you have it, I hope you agree, a nice 12 bar passage for tongue blocking techniques. 

Steve Weston and Paul Garner at London Harps

London Harps was treated to a fantastic live performance and Q&A session by Steve Weston and Paul Garner on Wednesday in the little upstairs bar at The Blue Posts. I love the idea of people wandering around China Town looking for noodles and peking duck clueless that some serious blues is being laid down a few metres away. That's London right? 

I shot these photos and video.

 

David Barrett's 2012 Rhumba King Competition

No doubt most of you out there will know the fine work of David Barrett and his site www.bluesharmonica.com. Safe to say Dave has lifted the bar for learning the harmonica online and with lots of other content such as interviews with modern day masters, his site is more than just an education platform. Another example are the online songwriting competitions David runs where you can win prizes such as equipment, good old cash or performing at a local club. The idea of music competitions can divide opinion, but read on before writing this one off. 

Enteries for 2012 Rhumba King now open

The current competition is to find the "2012 Rhumba King" and yours truly is one of the judges along with David of course, and German based Steve Baker.  There's a very decent prize up for grabs for 3 lucky winners so pay attention....

....a free pass for this years Harmonica Masters Workshops in which runs between 31/10/2012 and 04/11/2012 Trossingden Germany.

With workshops from Joe Filisko, Eric Noden, David Barrett and Steve Baker, anyone who plays the harmonica seriously will know that's a vey cool prize indeed. But the winners will also get to perform in the Friday night concert backed by BB and The Blues Shacks. Oh, and I'll be there and on Saturday I'm giving a seminar on my book research; but more on that in another post. 

Music competitions, they're pointless right? 

So look, I totally understand reservations about entering a music competition. After all, music is not a competition. Moreover, it can seem especially pointless if you don't feel you have a genuine chance of winning. The thing is though, I think this is where the adage "it's not about the winning, it's about taking part" couldn't be more true.

If you have reservations about entering, perhaps think about it this way. Even if you have no chance of winning this is an opportunity to have your playing critiqued by Steve Baker, David Barrett and myself. You'll also have the learning journey of trying to write a tune and capture a decent take. Ultimately, we talking about a personally rewarding experience for an intermediate or advanced harmonica player. And if you are one of the winners, well happy days, and I look forward to shaking your hand at the Friday night concert! 

If this has wetted your appetite you can see the competition details and enter at http://www.bluesharmonica.com/rhumba-king. There's plenty of time to put something together as closing date for online submissions is the 15th of July. 

Good luck!