Progressive Complete Learn to Play Harmonica is the ultimate harmonica manual. It assumes you have no prior knowledge of music, and will take you from beginner to professional level. In the course of the book you will learn all the essential techniques of diatonic and chromatic harmonica playing along with how to read music, how to improvise and how to analyze music and musical forms. By the end of the book you will be ready to play in a band, understand improvisation and be competent in a variety of musical styles.
The book is divided into sections, the first covering basic rhythms, techniques, and reading, and an introduction to forms such as the 12 bar Blues. The later sections cover expressive techniques, improvisation and explanations of chords, scales and keys. Each new technique is introduced separately and all examples sound great and are fun to play. The examples and solos demonstrate a variety of styles including Blues, Jazz, Rock, Country, Folk and Classical. The accompanying CD’s contain all the examples in the book so you can play along with them. The book also features a chart listing all fingerings for the saxophone. All harmonica players should know all of the information contained in this book.
The best and fastest way to learn is to use this book in conjunction with:
- Buying sheet music and song books of your favourite recording artists and learning to play their songs. By learning songs, you will begin to build a repertoire and always have something to play in jam sessions.
- Practicing and playing with other musicians. You will be surprised how good a basic drums/bass/guitar/harmonica or simply harmonica and guitar combination can sound even when playing easy music.
- Learning by listening to your favourite CD’s. Start building a collection of albums of players you admire or wish to emulate. Try playing along with one of them for a short time each day. Most of the great harmonica players have learned a lot of their music this way.
Also in the early stages it is helpful to have the guidance of an experienced teacher. This will also help you keep to a schedule and obtain weekly goals. To help you develop a good sense of time it is recommended that you always practice with a metronome or drum machine.
