Swinging Harmonica
Blues & Boogie
GARY M Harmonica
Gary M Harmonica Player & Harmonica Teacher in Surrey ~ Hampshire ~ Berkshire ~ South East England ~ Chromatic Harmonica & Blues Harp
Telephone: +44 (0)1344 844342 E-mail: Gary M Harmonica
Tuition : LEARNING THE CHROMATIC 12 HOLE MODEL
Introductory Lesson
If approached in a simplistic way learning the Chromatic can be a lot easier than most people envisage. The method you are about to study, if followed carefully, will not only enable you to develop into a competent player, but you will also be able to understand the basic rudiments of music, and eventually be capable of playing the Chromatic from sheet music and even enjoy the thrill of taking part in live performances.
Requirements : To succeed all you need is:-
- Enthusiasm for the Chromatic Harmonica and a passion to succeed with an ambition
to 'Go Live'!
- The ability to count and read numbers 1 to 12.
- Knowledge of 7 English alphabet letters : A - B - C - D - E - F - G : and the ability to memorise re-arranged versions of them, along with musical signs and terms. These various re-arranged "mini alphabets" are in fact musical scales which if practised until easily playable will enable you to perform in different keys.
Don't Panic: The very mention of 'musical scales' puts fear into the heart of some musicians, especially Harmonica Players. This should not be the case if you adopt my simple to understand method because understanding a scale will help you along your musical journey in the shortest time possible - providing you follow the instructions and practise diligently every day. Live, eat and breath your Chromatic instrument, listen to as many recordings as possible of your preferred style then success will prevail.
Number of Musical Scales: There are numerous different musical scales, often made difficult to understand by musical academics who have an aggravating habit of intellectualising the art/science of music. Different instrumentalists prefer certain scales, for example : Guitarists lean towards A-E-D-G and C, whilst some Brass musicians like to play in B-flat, E-flat and so on. Pianists/keyboard players, even the most versatile, try to avoid Guitar keys for certain tunes. At the end of the day it is up to the individual how many of what musical keys he/she wants to play in.
To enjoy your music should be the most important consideration and if playing to an audience always remember do not attempt to educate people as to how clever you are. Your aim should be to entertain those who have turned up to see you perform.
The Simplistic Approach: To make life simple I treat all music playable from 1 scale. This scale I treat as being Chromatic in nature starting and ending on C-major. No matter what key a piece of music is performed in I see the chosen key as being a scale of selected notes taken from the above mentioned Chromatic scale. These selected notes are called scales and there are many which will become apparent to you as you progress.
Important: whilst learning the various scales is clearly useful, you will be able to play proficiently in only a few keys. However, once you have mastered these keys then your musical adventure will have just got started and you will then be able to progress to more exciting musical achievements!
Preparing for Your First Exercise
How to hold your instrument : This is a matter of personal choice, most players if right handed prefer the button on the right whilst playing (vice-versa for left handed players).
Fig 1. Fig 2.
Click on images to
view them full size
Lips: Again this is a matter of personal choice and dependent on the muscular construction of the mouth. To pucker the lips and blow single notes is by far the best method. Some players use a blocking method with the tongue which restricts fast clean playing. A third style of playing is to blow into 3/4 holes at once producing a nice chordal sound - this is useful for the conclusion of a tune and/or occasionally throughout the number.
Final preparation before playing :
- Warm the instrument in your hands
- Ensure your mouth is clean and clear of food particles etc
- Check the button is working ok
YOU ARE NOW READY TO PLAY
Gary M provides Chromatic Harmonica tuition
in the Surrey, Berkshire and North Hampshire area.
To arrange tuition please contact him ether by phone or email
For that special GIFT why not book a trial Harmonica Lesson with GARY M.
The cost of the lesson is £45, which includes a 90 minute lesson
(chromatic or blues harp) and a Gift Certificate to present to the recipient
TO BOOK : Telephone: 01344 844342 or E-mail: Gary M
Venue for lesson to be within a 20 mile radius of Egham, Surrey