A stupid question?
Hello David,
Please tell me what would be the most important songs for every beginner to learn? I've just finished TB1 and BS2, I'm now doing solo Harmonica2 and learning TB2 i'm at chorus 5... and I am looking for great songs that I can learn with my level of skill. Can you please suggest a short list of songs to learn alongside with my regular lessons?
Thanks......
No, Absolutely Not!! It would be my Pleasure!!... I cant wait for your list :) and your next article at HarmonicaSessions.com, I hope that you include a transcription for one of the songs you suggest.... to get a jump start !!!!
I suppose the rest will have to be up to the student to transcribe..... :(
Thanks! I'll get to the point to answer your question now. Such a list does not exist because beginning blues harmonica songs do not exist. When a blues harmonica plays a song they're using all of the technique in their arsenal to say what they want to say in a given solo. This is the reason why I write you study songs. I write these with your skill level in mind and what will challenge you... what will bring you to the next step in your skill set... so that some day soon you can approach blues harmonica music, which is in the most part an advanced form of harmonica playing. There are some songs that happen... by pure melodic chance... to use very little "technique," but you will still find there to parts in each one of these songs that will be above your skill level. So, if you're okay with this, then try "Easy" by Big Walter Horton (B-flat harp), "Sharp Harp" by George "Harmonica" Smith (again, B-flat harp) and "Scratch My Back" by Slim Harpo (again, B-flat harp!). These are not beginning skill level songs, but they are as obtainable as any soloing can for blues harmonica playing. Have fun!
Thanks David...
I have your transcriptions from Harmonicasessions.com for "Easy" by Big Walter Horton and "Scratch My Back" by Slim Harpo , "Sharp Harp" by George "Harmonica" Smith that's the first time I heard of it...
To start I'll try Slim Harpo's Baby Scratch My Back... I look forward to seeing your article and Transcription next month!!
Hello David, I just read your answer again and realized that I have three options...
1. I can try to learn (Prematurely) new technic and struggle with trying to get the correct sound etc...
and fail and get discouraged which is what I think you are warning me off i.e "don't try to bite of more that you can chew!!"
2. The other option is to learn in the simplest way without any frills the note movement atleast the ones I can get by listening and only play what technic I know and enjoy the song and increase my knowledge of how different note movements sound...while I continue with your lessons and learn new stuff that I can then incorporate into what I learnt....
3. Just stick with your lessons and have patience... I know with your teaching method...... if I follow it closely, I will eventually learn all that I need to learn.
:)
Making mistakes is part of the learning process, so I'm not saying to stay away from non-study songs, but just be aware that there will be some areas you'll not be able to approach yet. Yes, one could learn something incorrectly, encode improper movement, etc., but it gets down to the fact that all of us accomplished players have done just that... learned what we can grasp at each stage of learning and go back and relearn everything every couple of years what we didn't do quite get the first time (because we couldn't hear it). So, work hard on your study material, but feel free to have fun with anything and everything that crosses your path with the extra time you have.
Thanks Dave for your advice, you are right i'll take option 3 first and option 2 only when I want to have some fun time....... but I can hardly wait to learn all the cool songs out there which I like!!!! :(
Article will release on HarmonicaSessions.com in December. Thanks for the topic!
I use the study songs and lessons as motivation to be able to play the non study songs I want to play. It pushes me forward to have those on the horizon.
-Taylor
This is a GREAT question... you just gave me my subject for the next HarmonicaSessions.com article. Do you mind if I quote you?