A Mel Bay Publications, Inc. Webzine
August 2008 · Bimonthly
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In this issue: The Diatonic Harmonica's Greatest Strength | The Chromatic Harmonica's Greatest Strength | Microphone Choices: WIRING FOR A HAPPY ENDING! At The Harmonica Microphone Bench | The Comb Over, Part 3: Monster Harmonica Workbench |
Print this Article (PDF) Email Article to a Friend The diatonic harmonica's greatest strength is in its ability to present one note in many ways. This month we'll start with a commonly played harmonica lick and I'll show you how it can be transformed with the great techniques the harmonica has to offer. Audio for the examples: Aug_2008_Dia_pg1.MP3 Ex. 1-4 Aug_2008_Dia_pg2.MP3 Ex. 5-9 Aug_2008_Dia_pg3.MP3 Ex. 10-13 Example 1 demonstrates our basic lick. Add tremolo or vibrate on all held notes. 
In Example 2 we'll add the dip (start the note with a slight bend and let it release to its natural pitch quickly) to the 4 draw and 3 draw. 
In Example 3 let's bend the 3 draw down slightly, specifically a quartertone to achieve a bluesier quality. 
In Example 4 let's leak in a bit of the 5 draw (two-hole combination) for a bluesier sound. The more of the 5 draw you add to your 4 draw, the more aggressive it will sound. 
You can play two-hole combinations all the way down to the 2 draw in this lick. Example 5 demonstrates this. 
Another great technique for the harmonica is the head shake. Shakes are commonly started with a dip, so keep your eyes open for the dip marking (small caret above the note head). Example 6 demonstrates this. 
Let's now tongue block the notes and use the slap to present this lick. Place your lips over four holes and slap your tongue on the left three holes. Using the word "Hall" can be helpful. "Ha" is the tongue off the harmonica—creating the chord, and "ll" is the tongue on the face of the harmonica—giving you the tongue block single note. Example 7 demonstrates this. 
Octaves are great for making a lick more powerful. Octaves are achieved by placing your lips over four holes and blocking the middle two (using more of the tip of your tongue). Example 8 demonstrates this. 
Example 9 gives us the cool flutter-tongue technique for the first note, followed by some octaves and a two-note combination on the 3 draw. The flutter is the same as the slap, but many times over (tongue lifts on and off the face of the harmonica quickly, with a light touch). 
Example 10 gives us the rhythmic pull technique, achieved by using a slap on the downbeat and a pull (where the tongue covers all of the holes for split second and then lifts off of the face of the harmonica to sound an articulate chord) on the upbeat. 
Let's not forget the good ol' "Wa Wa" technique, where each note starts with the hands closed and then opens quickly. This is demonstrated in Example 11. 
For Example 12 let's use the similar hand technique, the hand tremolo (your cupped hand opens and closes rhythmically). 
Example 13 uses a melodic variation. Notice how the main notes of the original melody are still in their relative rhythmic location, with other notes filled in to give it more activity. 
I hope these examples have helped you appreciate how cool the techniques you've been studying can sound when they are placed in context. About the Author David Barrett President, Harmonica Masterclass Co. "Leader in Blues Harmonica Education" www.harmonicamasterclass.com Founder/Director, School of the Blues www.schooloftheblues.com Author, Mel Bay Publications & Blues Revue Magazine www.harmonicamasterclass.com/books.htm & www.bluesrevue.com http://www.harmonicamasterclass.com/david.htm [ top ]
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