pattern

The most apparent change on the high end for someone studying the note layout of the harmonica or playing scales is that at hole 7 the blow notes are higher than the draw notes. This is easily seen in the C Major Scale below. Note the change in breathing between holes 6 and 7.

4+ 4 5+ 5 6+ 6 7 7+

If you play two octaves of scale you get...

4+ 4 5+ 5 6+ 6 7 7+ 8 8+ 9 9+ 10 10+ (10'+ B is also available if you want to throw it in there, but it's rarely used)

Now the entire range...

1+ 1 2+ 2" 2 3" 3 4+ 4 5+ 5 6+ 6 7 7+ 8 8+ 9 9+ 10 10+ continue reading...

It's not guaranteed that a fast lick will have a movement pattern, breath pattern or both, but it's worth looking for... the discover of them can help make a fast lick much easier to play.

Your Tongue Block Study 3 song ("Gary's Blues") contains a great example in Bar 6 of Chorus 5. Note that each beat has you moving up one hole and coming back, all with the same breath. For the next beat you move down the scale and blow, then using the same movement. Rinse and repeat and you have the entire lick. This discovery will help you to play this lick much more easily. continue reading...