lessons

For those interested in teaching harmonica, and have completed Levels of Achievement Level 6 at BluesHarmonica.com, a series of instructor training videos is now on the site for you to work through. This material consists of topics such as choosing a teaching location, teaching days and times, fees, how to assess where a student starts in their training, and training for you on how to help students with technique at advancing levels. I also provide templates for you to use in your teaching and discounts for your students to access BluesHarmonica.com. continue reading...

Lee is a classic blues harmonica player, most commonly compared to the stylings of Kim Wilson in his approach. He has released two albums on his own record label and toured internationally until 2004, playing at venues such as Ronnie Scotts and festivals such as the North Sea Jazz Festival. He’s taught at the Harmonica Masters Workshops in Trossingen, Germany and the SPAH Convention in San Antonio, Texas. His popular YouTube channel has had over 1 million views and continues to grow a large subscriber base. continue reading...

Ring ring... ring ring...

"Hello, school of generic music in generic town."

Hi, this is David Barrett. I'm interested in speaking to one of your jazz guitar or piano instructors about private lessons. I play harmonica, but am interested in working with an instructor that can help me with my musicality. I prefer someone who has formal music training so they can help me with some basic music reading for rhythm training and music theory when it's needed. Any experience in blues is a plus. continue reading...

You of course have me to help you on your path to becoming a great blues harmonica player, especially those who submit recorded material regularly, but there are instructors local to you that can help too. Harmonica instructors are hard to come by, but guitar and piano instructors are not. They can help you with your timing (this is what I spend most of my time helping students with), rhythm training, music theory, improvising, accompaniment playing... all of the elements in music that are common among instruments and not specific to the harmonica. continue reading...

In Intermediate Student Ryan Walker’s latest lesson (Lesson 33) we presents his final Solo Harmonica Study composition, we start Accompaniment Study 8 on Hooks, and start Music Theory Study 4 on Melodic Development http://www.bluesharmonica.com/contributor/ryan_walker

Study along with beginning student Hob Bosold as he takes private lessons with head instructor David Barrett following the Levels of Achievement Program at BluesHarmonica.com. Each lesson is video recorded in its entirety, giving you valuable insight into the same material you're studying on the site.

Joe Tartaglia was the featured beginning student on the website since its release in 2009. Hob's lessons are more up to date with the material on the site (especially in regards to the Levels of Achievement Program) and will therefore replace Joe's lessons in time.

Enjoy!

I started sparring in martial arts tournaments as soon as I was allowed to (gold belt). I would often win my division, moving on to compete for grand champion, but always losing to the blackbelt division winner... no surprise there.

My story for you today starts with me just receiving my red belt, the second belt in the advanced ranking of belts. Though I was studying advanced material, my skill set was essentially still that of an intermediate student. My form and application were ugly, but of course I didn't know it... I was an advanced student! continue reading...

Before machines and software existed to slow music down we had no choice but to learn/transcribe music at its full tempo. You could change the speed on your record player or use your thumb to slow down the record’s rotation, but the result was a change of key (and not dead-on… it wasn’t like you could grab another key of harp and you were good to go). When Marantz came out with their tape recorder with half speed playback we teachers picked it up (it was expensive… around $600 if I remember correctly). continue reading...

Andy Santana is a long-respected tradition blues harmonica player, guitarist and vocalist from the California Bay Area. In this interview he brings the perspective of a longtime performer, songwriter, recording artist, bandleader and producer. continue reading...

There was a desire from some of the students to re-post this dialogue from the public forum in a more prominent place... they, and I, feel it strikes a common chord with many...

Student
"I am 53 years old and have wanted to play the harmonica since I was 15 but never knew how to approach it. I took it up two years ago, starting with lessons from Portnoy, Gindick and Gussow. I found your site last fall and found exactly what I was looking for; the rich full sound of tongue blocking in a well-structured progressing in learning. continue reading...