Tone Development
One of the most important aspects of learning to play any instrument is the development of a strong, consistent tone. You can often tell the difference between a good player and an average player by hearing them play a slow simple melody and listening to their tone. A good player can really make their instrument sing and make a simple melody sound very moving.
As you play the examples in the book, imagine you are singing the melody through your instrument and pay particular attention to your tone. Try playing at various dynamic levels (volumes). If you have trouble maintaining a strong, even tone at all volumes, practice playing long notes (at least 4 beats) on each of the holes of the harmonica at a slow tempo.
Also learn the following example and play it regularly until you are confident of your tone. Work on tone building for short periods at a time with plenty of rest between exercises. In time you will notice a marked improvement in the consistency of your tone.
As mentioned previously, this example is a good exercise for building a strong, consistent tone. It contains a quick IV in the second bar.
Here is another example which makes use of the quick IV. This one uses other notes apart from the roots of the chords, but the root note is still played on at least the first beat of each bar.
By now you should be starting to become familiar with the sound of the 12 Bar Blues chord progression. Try to imagine the sound of the chords as you practice any 12 bar melody by yourself. This will make it easier to play with other musicians, even if you have never played with them before.
