Dylan wrote:
> On 23 Apr, 15:30, Joey Goldstein <nos...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> Dylan wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>> As part of my structured training for diatonic harmonica, I need to
>>> jam over backing tracks. Are there any rules I need to know when
>>> leading from one chord to the next? For example, playing 12 bar blues
>>> - how do I lead up to the IV chord in bar 5, when I'm playing in bar
>>> 4 ?
>>> Regards
>>> Dylan
>> Buy some records with great blues harmonica players and figure out what
>> they did.
>>
>> From a theoretical standpoint your question is too vague. There's lots
>> of things you could do at the point of that chord change. I don't know
>> how skilled you are on harmonica or how aware you are of the notes that
>> you're playing, but two of the strongest guide-tone lines you can play
>> off of as C7 moves to F7 is the former chord's Bb and E falling to the
>> latter chord's A and Eb.
>>
>> C7 F7
>> E(3)---Eb(b7)
>> Bb(b7)-A(3)
>>
>> As a matter of fact, closely following the 3rds and the 7ths movement
>> between most chords in most progressions is usually a good thing to do.
>>
>> With my beginner guitar students one of the first things I get them to
>> do on a blues is to learn the blues scale built on the tonic of the key
>> and to use it through the entire form.
>> That's one single scale used over several different chords. Sometimes
we
>> call that a "horizontal" approach to note choice.
>> Then I teach them to arpeggiate each individual chord and then to
>> improvise melodies that use only chord-tones on the
chord-of-the-moment.
>> This is called a "vertical" approach.
>>
>> Then I get them to practice mixing up the two.
>> 2 bars of chord-tones alternating with 2 bars of the blues scale, etc.
>> 2 bars blues, 2 bars CTs.
>> Etc. Etc. Etc.
>>
>> That gives them a pretty start, as far as note choice on a blues is
>> concerned.
>>
>> --
>> Joey Goldstein
>> <http://www.joeygoldstein.com>
>> <http://homepage.mac.com/josephgoldstein/AudioClips/audio.htm>
>> joegold AT sympatico DOT ca
>
>
>
> I'm a complete novice when it comes to being aware of the notes. I
> don't think this is something that can be learned simply by
> memorising, but will come through practice and experience. But, I
> notice that you put some im****tance to the 3rd and 7th notes and maybe
> you could advise me how this relates to flattened notes? I gather,
> from what you say, that staying near the 3rd and 7th notes of both
> chords is a good method of transition?
>
> I understand the difference between playing chord tones and the blues
> scale. Thank you for advising me on the exercises you recommend to
> your guitar students. I'm pretty sure that these exercises will
> transfer to harmonica as well - how much do I owe you? : )
>
> I plan to start listening, with harmonica in mouth, to the great
> harmonica players, in order to build up a repertoire of licks and
> riffs. The problem is that I don't know where or how to start.
You start by listening to the record over and over and over and over
again, until you can sing the harmonica part that you're trying to lift.
Then all you have to do is find those notes on your harmonica, 1 by 1.
--
Joey Goldstein
<http://www.joeygoldstein.com>
<http://homepage.mac.com/josephgoldstein/AudioClips/audio.htm>
joegold AT sympatico DOT ca
|
