licks for the 4 chord
David,
First, I want to say how impressed I am with your course. I've been "picking through" lessons for a couple of weeks...sometimes 3-4 hours a day and have found so much good teaching...practical, challenging...and maybe most importantly, geared toward eventually getting out there and playing gigs, jam sessions, or recordings...For someone who has been playing and practicing obsessively for 8 months, you have a lot to offer and it's very well laid out.
My specific question is about licks over the 4 chord. I've done some searching in your "chorus forms", "jam sessions" and "soloing" lessons and just can't find this exactly. When I am playing over the 12 bars..any key....The 1 chord and even the 5 chord licks seem to come to me pretty easily. I can vary them depening on groove, tempo, etc.... But, I am finding it more challenging to "create" licks over the 4 cord. I am trying not to make it harder than it is, due to the fact that it is only 2 bars and then 1 bar later, but I can't get off the "4 blow" and I seem timid to try anything around it.
Thanks for any hints or maybe you can point me to one of the lessons that will give me some guidance.
Curry
You should also try to sequence your licks to the IV chord. Watch Music Theory Study 1 for tips on this. It's a really musical idea and sounds great.
Sometimes, you only need to change one note to indicate the chord change. Like changing from the 3 draw to the 3' (3 with a half step draw). Listen to songs like "Caledonia" (Muddy Waters) or "T-Bone Shuffle" (T-Bone Walker) for great examples.
Of course, everything Dave said is gold.
Thanks....ready to try all of these.
Thank you Curry, I'm glad you're enjoying your studies.
Use the notes of the IV7 Chord to come up with more unique licks. Referencing your C Harmonica in 2nd Position (Key of G), your IV7 Chord is C E G Bb. So, all blow notes and 3' are good. Simply put, use more blow notes. A more advanced idea is to play 1st Position licks on your IV7 Chord (you'll study this later in the improvising studies).