Hello and welcome to this week’s harmonica lesson, where I will be showing you how to play some easy chugging call and response licks. This is a great way to get comfortable alternating between chords and single notes.
You will need a harmonica in the key of C, and we will be playing in 2nd position in the key of G.
Click here to download lesson resources
Call and response
This is an excellent way to start improvising. It involves taking a phrase (call) and repeating it with a slight variation (response).
In today’s lesson I have given you some ideas of simple licks you can use. Once you are comfortable with them you can start trying to create your own.
Audio Clips for Easy Chugging Call and Response Licks
Lick 1
Lick 2
Lick 3
Lick 4
Lick 5
Lick 6
Click here to download lesson resources
Thank you
Thank you so much for taking part in this lesson. I hope it was useful for you. If you enjoyed it please feel free to share it with your friends on Facebook and/or Twitter.
If you have any questions just send me a wee email.
See you next Wednesday for the next harmonica lesson!
Thanks nice lesson
Tomlin:
That is a great series of exercises and I will have a lot of fun improvising with them. I finally got it together and went through 41 songs I had learned either 3 or 5 times each song and then took a break. It took me about three days. I am taking it easy and am ready to get into the new variations.
Richard
I really enjoy your format for lessons: the overall intro, the breakdown (bar-by-bar, lick-by-lick) presentation, the tab and audio tracks and the conclusion with a review. Also like the tips you offer to warn of pitfalls to avoid bad sounds.
Tomlin – I’m not a tweeter, and I’m having difficulty signing-up for WordPress. I have “like” you on YouTube. BTW – How many “steps” do you get on your Fitbit while playing? ;>)
Hi Tomlin,
many thanks for all this great stuff.
Very well explanations, first class support by tabs and audiofiles.
I really enjoy your lessons and my friends start to ask me “hey Uwe, play the harp”!
Greatings from a little place near Berlin, Uwe
Very helpful lesson, keep it going, Tomlin!
Thanks very much for the lessons. You are great teacher and good.
Pascal
VERY WELL PLANNED AND PRESENTED
Hey Tomlin, I really enjoy this lesson. It’s pretty doable but still sounding cool.
The only thing I miss is an advise on breathing techniques for this blues.
I start with empty lungs but due to the inhaling-patterns I end up with full lungs and when I come to the last pattern I am forced to exhale.
I already replaced the inhaling 2’s with exhaling 3’s (it’s the same note, isn’t it?) but I still end up with to much air in my lungs when I get to the last part.
What am I doing wrong? I don’t have any time to exhale between the beats…
Dominik
Thanks Dave – much appreciated. I get a lot of steps when I am on stage for a couple of hours. I never stop moving 🙂
Hi Dominik – you need to make sure that you are not starting unnecessary breaths. For example, if you have multiple draw notes in a row, you only need to use one breath. This will help you breathe more easily. Also, make sure that you are not using too much air. Here is a lesson that will help you – http://www.tomlinharmonicalessons.com/how-to-breathe-properly-on-harmonica/
New to this. Is hole 2 a ‘difficult’ hole to sound?
Yes it is indeed. Here is a lesson which might help you – http://www.tomlinharmonicalessons.com/play-clean-2-hole-draw-harmonica/
Big up, Tomlin! Thanks, I’ll take a look. When I blow or draw on hole 2 it sounds awful flat and ‘breathy’. No brightness or definition like I’m hearing from you and others.
Hi Peter, check out this lesson – http://www.tomlinharmonicalessons.com/play-clean-2-hole-draw-harmonica/
Thanks, Tomlin. I went through this 2 hole lesson yesterday when you first mentioned it. It definitely helped. Can’t say the 2 hole sounds as clear and strong as the others (is that because of the frequency of the 2 hole reeds maybe?) but getting better. I’m determined to learn to play the damn thing.
I particularly like that you are sharing the notation as well as the tab and I think that shows a certain maturity and a wish to stay with the musicality of the process.
Is there a set sequence to access the lessons in? I seem to just get broad Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced categories and then pot luck on what comes up. Cheers.
Hi Tomlin,
thanks for the great lesson. I’m not sure about the rhythm. When you play eight notes, the first one is always a bit longer. Since this is not noted in the tab, is it a general thing specific for blues? Can you enlighten this to me?
Hi Peter, the 2 hole will get stronger but it requires some perseverance and a few months at least. It will eventually be one of the strongest notes.
Glad you like the notation – I find it helpful especially for the rhythm.
There isn’t a set sequence – if you select which level you are at here – http://www.tomlinharmonicalessons.com/what-level-are-you/ I will just send you appropriate lessons. If you want more guidance on your journey, I am launching an online school very soon which will provide exactly that. Watch this space 🙂
Hi Honza, The first note of a bar is generally accented (louder) to mark the start of a new bar. Hope that helps. Tomlin
Oh I see. I’d thought of first notes of pairs, not bars. I can hear that every odd eight is a bit longer. Or am I just imagining it?
You are correct the notes that land on the beat are a little longer because I am playing with a shuffle rhythm. Basically this means that the 1/8th note landing on the beat lasts 2/3 of a beat while the 1/8th note landing on the off-beat lasts for a 1/3 of a beat. 🙂
I see. Thank you 🙂
Love the harmonica love ur lessons. But tomlin I can’t read music not one note. I have dysgraphia so i play by ear . I have a C and an A what should be my next key
Thanks Dave
Hi Tomlin, great lesson but am unable to download the tab!!! Would it be at all possible to also download the music to the tabs instead of only having them online.
Cheers Rob
Hi Dave – glad you like the lessons 🙂 I would get a D harmonica next – very useful!
Hi Rob – I’m working on a way for my student’s to be able to download the audio. Should be rolling out in the next few months 🙂
I don’t know if I will be able to play harmonica in the next months, but I am sure that I will improve my English, with is not my mother tongue. The way you speak is really clear and I understand easily.
You are a talented musician, and have a great gift of being an excellent teacher, which is very special. Thank you for sharing this. I am learning so much by watching.
Hi Tomlin, great lesson.Thank you very much.