Yerxa, W: Blues Harmonica For Dummies

Description

The fun and easy way to play blues on the harmonica
Blues harmonica is the most popular and influential style of harmonica playing, and it forms the basis for playing harmonica in other styles such as rock and country. Blues Harmonica for Dummies gives you a wealth of content devoted to the blues approach--specific techniques and applications, including bending and making your notes sound richer and fuller with tongue-blocked enhancements; use of amplification to develop a blues sound; blues licks and riffs; constructing a blues harmonica solo; accompanying singers; historical development of blues styles; and important blues players and recordings.
The accompanying audio CD features all the musical examples from the book, plus play-along exercises and songs that let you hear the sound you're striving for.
In-depth coverage of major blues harmonica techniques
Blues song forms, improvisation, and accompanying singers
Information on blues history and personalities
If you're intrigued by the idea of understanding and mastering the compelling (yet mysterious) art of playing blues on the harmonica, Blues Harmonica For Dummies has you covered.
CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of the e-book file, but are available for download after purchase The fun and easy way(r) to play blues harmonica
Blues Harmonica For Dummies gives you a wealth of content devoted to the blues approach - specific techniques and applications, including bending and making your notes sound richer and fuller with tongue-blocked enhancements; use of amplification to develop a blues sound; blues licks and riffs; constructing a blues harmonica solo; accompanying singers; and much more.
Dig into the blues - get the 411 on the blues as a musical style, understand how the harmonica fits into the music, and survey the types of harmonicas available
Do the crawl - grasp how to play melodies along with licks and riffs - those nuggets of bluesy melody that make up the building blocks of blues harmonica playing
Delve deep - discover how to use your hands, lips, tongue, throat, and lungs to shape your sound and create sonic texture
Find your style - from prewar rural blues through amplified Chicago blues through modern blues-rock, discover classic recordings and playing techniques to help define your personal approach
Be loud and proud - put together a repertoire of tunes to play for an audience and amplify your playing with electronic equipment
Open the book and find:
The lowdown on what it takes to get started
A blues guide to music symbols
How to go from playing easy chords to strong single notes, and then to 12-bar blues
Ways to shape, color, and punctuate your blues sound
Detailed, step-by-step guidance on bending notes
Tips for developing your personal style
Important players and recordings in different blues harmonica styles
Learn to:
Play blues on harmonica
Master techniques like bending, tongue blocking, and chordal rhythm
Connect with blues history and the major players

Content

Introduction 1
Part I: So You Wanna Play Blues Harmonica? 7
Chapter 1: Connecting with the Blues 9
Chapter 2: Getting Your Harmonicas Together 17
Chapter 3: Deciphering the Code: A Blues Guide to Music Symbols 31
Part II: Doin' the Crawl: Your First Harmonica Moves 55
Chapter 4: Breathing Life into the Harmonica 57
Chapter 5: Moving Around with Single Notes 73
Chapter 6: Creating Blues Harmonica Licks and Riffs 87
Chapter 7: Progressing Through the 12-Bar Blues 99
Part III: Beyond the Basics: Getting Bluesy 121
Chapter 8: Working with the Low and High Registers of the Harmonica 123
Chapter 9: Modulating and Punctuating Your Sound 137
Chapter 10: Enriching Your Sound with Textures 149
Chapter 11: Bending Notes: A Classic Part of the Blues Sound 169
Part IV: Developing Your Style 207
Chapter 12: Playing in Different Keys on a Single Harmonica 209
Chapter 13: Working Your Blues Chops in First Position 217
Chapter 14: Accelerating the Blues with Third Position 229
Chapter 15: Playing Blues Chromatic Harmonica in Third and First Positions 241
Chapter 16: Playing Blues in Minor Keys 259
Chapter 17: Groovin' with Non-12-Bar Blues 271
Part V: Taking It to the Streets: Sharing Your Music 281
Chapter 18: Developing Your Blues Repertoire 283
Chapter 19: Blues Harmonica Amplification: Making a Big Noise with a Tiny Little Thang 297
Part VI: The Part of Tens 313
Chapter 20: Ten Things to Know about Sharing Your Music with Others 315
Chapter 21: Ten Important Periods and Styles in Blues Harmonica History 325
Part VII: Appendixes 333
Appendix A: Tuning Layouts for All Keys 335
Appendix B: About the CD 341
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. End-User License Agreement 349
Index 351

Blurb

The fun and easy way to play blues on the harmonica Blues harmonica is the most popular and influential style of harmonica playing, and it forms the basis for playing harmonica in other styles such as rock and country. Blues Harmonica for Dummies gives you a wealth of content devoted to the blues approach--specific techniques and applications, including bending and making your notes sound richer and fuller with tongue-blocked enhancements; use of amplification to develop a blues sound; blues licks and riffs; constructing a blues harmonica solo; accompanying singers; historical development of blues styles; and important blues players and recordings. The accompanying audio CD features all the musical examples from the book, plus play-along exercises and songs that let you hear the sound you're striving for. * In-depth coverage of major blues harmonica techniques * Blues song forms, improvisation, and accompanying singers * Information on blues history and personalities If you're intrigued by the idea of understanding and mastering the compelling (yet mysterious) art of playing blues on the harmonica, Blues Harmonica For Dummies has you covered. CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of the e-book file, but are available for download after purchase