flat-7th music theory bluesy playing blue harmonica harp

The last three days we focused exclusively on the flat-7th (F) relative to the I7 Chord (one-seven chord = G B D F, F being the flat-7th). There are two more chords used in the blues, the IV7 (four-seven = C E G B-flat, B-flat being the flat-7th) and V7 (five-seven = D F# A C, C being the flat-7th).

So, the flat-7th is relative to the chord you’re playing over.

Generally speaking, if your flat-7th worked in the opening of the song (the opening four bars of the I Chord), then your flat-7th should work fine on the other chords as well.

As you learned yesterday, context is everything… what you play relates... no, is dictated, by... what the band plays.

In the “Sounds Real Good” category, our flat-7th was matched by another instrument, still sounding bluesy (“bluesy” means slightly dissonant by the way), but since another instrument is playing it, it caries with it a message of uniformity. continue reading...

Referencing the C Harmonica played in 2nd Position (Key of G), the flat-7th of the G Major Scale (G A B C D E F# G) is F. This makes the common G7 blues chord of G B D F. Here are the three levels of how well that F (the 5 draw we spoke of yesterday… or 2” and 9 octave equivalents) match…

Sounds Real Good
Someone else in the band is also playing the flat-7th (F).

Sounds Okay, But Aggressive
No one else is playing the flat-7th (just you) AND no one else is playing a note that will clash with it.

Sounds Real Bad continue reading...

When students work on Accompaniment Study 5 they learn about the bluesy flat-7th (this is the seventh note from the root of the chord, lowered down by half step... what's called an interval of a minor 7th). This is your 5 draw in 2nd Position for example. When you first started to jam on the harp you soon found that the 5 draw was a great, bluesy note. In fact, it's the ONLY blues note on your harmonica (and its octave equivalent 9 draw) without using the technique of bending. continue reading...