Welcome to today’s harmonica lesson. We are taking the beginner rhythm chugging idea from this lesson (Starting to chug) and we are going to turn it into a full 12 bar example. This a suitable for beginners and you will need a harmonica in the key of C.
We are maintaining exactly the same structure and rhythm for the chugging phrase but then changing which note we start on depending on which chord is being played in the 12 bar structure (Click here if you want to learn more about the 12 bar structure).
These notes will be;
2 draw – I chord
1 blow – IV chord
1 draw – V chord
Breathing is definitely a big issue with this tune and part of the reason why it is a very good exercise for you to practice. Please persevere as it will pay dividends to you in the fullness of time.
Another difficulty you will find is making that change between single notes and chords quite quickly. Really slow the whole phrase down until you are comfortable with this and then speed up slowly. Don’t rush this!
