Learning to play harmonica isn't easy.
What are the harmonica notes.
What are the chords.
How do you make it sound like those guys your heard on that album or at that concert.
When I first picked up the harmonica, I tried to play along with the musician on the one blues album I had but it just didn't sound the same.
It wasn't even close.
The stupid harmonica My father bought me was busted.
It didn't work.
It didn't have the same pitch as the one on the album.
I was 13.
It was 1983 and I had given up in an afternoon.
I wanted to just pick the thing up and play like the guy on the album and it didn't happen.
I never thought to look in the library for books.
My local music store didn't have anything.
I didn't know anyone who played.
I just gave up.
Harmonica was a mystery that a 13 year old kid from the Minnesota Suburbs would never be able to discover.
It wasn't surprising.
Harmonica, especially blues harmonica wasn't something that was taught in schools.
It wasn't even taught in music stores.
It was taught on the street in a different part of the world.
It was being taught on porches in the Delta or apartments in Chicago.
It was a secret art that was taught in person.
It rarely found its way into books.
But the books weren't widely published.
25 years later, I found on the internet a different world.
People were teaching harmonica.
They were teaching BLUES HARMONICA.
People were sitting in front of their home video Cameras and teaching harmonica.
They were explaining how to hold a harmonica, how to pucker, how to bend notes.
They were explaining the blue note.
They were explaining cross harp.
They were teaching anyone who could find them how to play harmonica.
I learned that the reason my harmonica, the one I owned at age 13, didn't sound like the one on the album was because it was a different key.
There are 12.
I resolved to learn harmonica.
I went to the store and bought a mid range harmonica in the key of Bb.
It was the same key of one of the guys on the online videos.
I wailed on that harmonica.
Playing every note.
Sure it sounded like cats in a meat grinder but that didn't matter.
It was a meat grinder in the same key as the guy on the video.
The harmonica is making a comeback.
There are a lot of people out there today with the blues and they want to express it.
Unlike 25 years ago, they have a place to go where they can learn.
They have the internet.
They are learning to play harmonica online.
The mystery isn't a mystery anymore.
Type in learn harmonica on Youtube.
You'll see what I mean.
What are the harmonica notes.
What are the chords.
How do you make it sound like those guys your heard on that album or at that concert.
When I first picked up the harmonica, I tried to play along with the musician on the one blues album I had but it just didn't sound the same.
It wasn't even close.
The stupid harmonica My father bought me was busted.
It didn't work.
It didn't have the same pitch as the one on the album.
I was 13.
It was 1983 and I had given up in an afternoon.
I wanted to just pick the thing up and play like the guy on the album and it didn't happen.
I never thought to look in the library for books.
My local music store didn't have anything.
I didn't know anyone who played.
I just gave up.
Harmonica was a mystery that a 13 year old kid from the Minnesota Suburbs would never be able to discover.
It wasn't surprising.
Harmonica, especially blues harmonica wasn't something that was taught in schools.
It wasn't even taught in music stores.
It was taught on the street in a different part of the world.
It was being taught on porches in the Delta or apartments in Chicago.
It was a secret art that was taught in person.
It rarely found its way into books.
But the books weren't widely published.
25 years later, I found on the internet a different world.
People were teaching harmonica.
They were teaching BLUES HARMONICA.
People were sitting in front of their home video Cameras and teaching harmonica.
They were explaining how to hold a harmonica, how to pucker, how to bend notes.
They were explaining the blue note.
They were explaining cross harp.
They were teaching anyone who could find them how to play harmonica.
I learned that the reason my harmonica, the one I owned at age 13, didn't sound like the one on the album was because it was a different key.
There are 12.
I resolved to learn harmonica.
I went to the store and bought a mid range harmonica in the key of Bb.
It was the same key of one of the guys on the online videos.
I wailed on that harmonica.
Playing every note.
Sure it sounded like cats in a meat grinder but that didn't matter.
It was a meat grinder in the same key as the guy on the video.
The harmonica is making a comeback.
There are a lot of people out there today with the blues and they want to express it.
Unlike 25 years ago, they have a place to go where they can learn.
They have the internet.
They are learning to play harmonica online.
The mystery isn't a mystery anymore.
Type in learn harmonica on Youtube.
You'll see what I mean.