More Blues and Rock
In the following verse, space has been conserved by placing the first repeat sign at the end of the top line, to indicate that the top line is played twice before continuing. Use a fast, fluttering hand vibrato on the long 45i and long 45e in the tenth and eleventh bars, and repeat the entire verse as indicated by the second repeat sign, at the end of the verse.
You may also wish to vary the tonal effects by using single 2i, 3i, and 4e notes to replace all or some of the 123i, 234i and 345e chords, then applying the "Yo" bending preparation to the 45i notes, and a hand vibrato to the 4e notes. Once you can use hand wah wah effects, apply them to different parts of the verse to create a somewhat original composition. In this "B" version, a 5e has been added to the end of the fifth and sixth bars, to mimic the upward motion of the last note of each of the first four bars.
This somewhat plaintive sounding twelve bar blues in third position is easy because it all takes place on just three holes, and hard because it requires single notes.
Progressive Blues Harmonica Licks: Volume One, Part Three
- You are now ready to play the additional licks and solos from Part Three of Progressive Blues Harmonica Licks Volume One.
The following rock and roll style verse is based on the Twelve Bar Chord Structure, as is much rock and roll, although as mentioned many rock songs drop the chord change from the ninth to tenth bar by holding one chord throughout both bars. On the recording, the first verse is played with more chords, and the second verse is played with more single notes.
It’s also based upon the rock and roll rhythm from Lesson Fourteen. As indicated by the exclamation point in that rhythm, rock songs usually place emphasis on the second and fourth beat of each bar. Attempt to play it as cleanly as you can, using single notes.
Rock style harmonica is often used to indicate and emphasize the chord changes of a rock song, rather than (as blues harmonica often does) continuing throughout a song. It can be said that the harmonica, in this case, functions as does a saxophone. This type of playing uses only a few beats of playing at a time, with long silences for vocalists or other instrumentalists to fill in.
Here is an example using the stop time rhythm from Lesson Fourteen. It features some extra silent beats separating the stop time rhythms, which you will notice come in three slightly different variations (to fit the three chords), and a very standard rock harmonica turnaround.
You may wish to practice each portion of this verse separately, including the turnaround 2i to 2e to 1i to 1i, before attempting to combine them. Notice that the part in parentheses indicates the beginning of the next verse. The unusual "bar break -up" helps to add tension to this verse, and notice the notes that precede the first bar, which are called "pick-up" or "lead-in" notes.
