Basics of Music Theory for the Blues Harmonica Player Harp

Our next position starts on the 5th Scale Degree of the Major Scale and is called 2nd Position... this is playing in the key G on the C Harmonica. The Mode created is called the Mixolydian Mode.

The notes are as follows:
G A B C D E F G (same notes as the C Major Scale, just starting from G)

Intervals:
Whole | Whole | Half | Whole | Whole | Half | Whole

Scale Degrees (Relative to its equivalent Major Scale):
1 2 3 4 5 6 Flat-7 8

Full Scale:
1+ 1 2+ 2" 2
2 3" 3 4+ 4 5+ 5 6+
6+ 6 7 7+ 8 8+ 9 9+
9+ 10 10'+ 10+ continue reading...

Join me for our sixth lesson on Music Theory for the Blues Harmonica Player, where we explore how to deal with non-12 Bar Blues Changes. In this lesson we cover Chord Voicings, 12 Bar Blues, 8 Bar Blues, 16 Bar Blues, 20 bar Blues, 24 Bar Blues and how to figure out and deal with songs that are outside the standard form. For your convenience I've pulled some of the audio from the video examples and saved them as MP3s for you to practice with on your own. I hope you enjoy and get as much out of this lesson as I did! continue reading...

Join me for our fifth lesson on Music Theory for the Blues Harmonica Player, where we explore Soloing Scales… scales specifically designed to be playable over all chords in the 12 Bar Blues, guaranty a specific feel when adhered to (Major for the Major Pentatonic Scale and Bluesy/Minor for the Blues Scale), and lay extremely well on the entire range of the harmonica. continue reading...

Join me for our third lesson on Music Theory for the Blues Harmonica Player, where we explore the intervallic relationship between notes of the scale, chords and our familiar 12 Bar Blues Progression. In this lesson you'll learn: interval names; the three triad chord qualities; about 7th and 9th Chords; the notes of the 12 Bar Blues Progression; about minor keys and chords; and how to play the notes of each chord within the 12 Bar Blues Progression. This lesson is for intermediate skill levels players. You'll need a C Harmonica for this study. continue reading...

For those wishing to dive even deeper into the understanding of music, check out this monumental dialogue on music by the great Leonard Bernstein. It takes a while for it to get rolling, but there are bits of genius in there.

YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3HLqCHO08s&feature=relmfu

You may find the “How Music Works” series (1: Melody, 2: Rhythm, 3: Harmony and 4: Bass) at http://www.youtube.com/user/timegrinder to be helpful. Though this series is not related to the harmonica, nor does it follow the same flow of the BluesHarmonica.com music theory lessons, watching the entire series… as well as any other series on the understanding of music… to be helpful in your understanding of common music theory elements. Thanks to jodanchudan for this recommendation.

Blues harmonica players are known for being illiterate when it comes to the understanding of their music, and that's generally a true statement. I sure was this way, and it has taken me may years of dedicated study to not only learn music theory, but parse out what was important to me as a player of a traditional music form. It makes sense that this is a common dilemma... we listen, copy, try to use... this is the tradition of the Blues harmonica player. We are not raised in an environment that fosters music theory from the ground up. continue reading...

Join me for the Basics of Music Theory for the Blues Harmonica Player. In this lesson you'll learn: how pitch is produced on the harmonica; music notation; sharps; flats; naturals; half steps; whole steps; key signatures; the construction of the major scale; how the harmonica received its note layout/tuning; how to move melodies up or down the harmonica's range; and how to take any sheet music, written for any instrument, and figure out how to play it on the harmonica. continue reading...