Harmonica Lesson 1
Place the harmonica between your left index finger and thumb, against the web of your hand. The fingers of your left hand cup the harmonica. Position your right hand over the left hand to create an airtight seal. This is called cupping. Now practice blowing the harmonica into the cupped hand to get a good constricted sound. Open your hands and your sound should gain quite a bit of volume. You can blow one or several notes. The important thing is to hear the effect of a good cupped hand. Listen to the great virtuoso Big Walter Horton using cupping in one of his songs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vrm0vqWdho
The Wah-Wah effect (10 minutes)
The Wah-Wah effect is performed by moving the cupped right hand back and forth slowly while "speaking" the words "Wah-Wah" into the harmonica. This technique is essential to mastering vibrato and adding depth and emotion to songs.
Holes 2 and 3 (10 minutes)
Drawing on hole 2 and blowing on hole 3 produce the same note. It is easier to blow into hole 3 to get a good tone, which is the major reason why you should focus on drawing hole 2. Practice very slowly and evenly at first. Blow hole 3 as often as necessary to produce a good, clean tone. Then do the same for the draw note 2. Now practice alternating by blowing hole 3 and drawing hole 2. Again, practice slowly and often.
© Danilo Marrone 2010-2012
The Wah-Wah effect is performed by moving the cupped right hand back and forth slowly while "speaking" the words "Wah-Wah" into the harmonica. This technique is essential to mastering vibrato and adding depth and emotion to songs.
Holes 2 and 3 (10 minutes)
Drawing on hole 2 and blowing on hole 3 produce the same note. It is easier to blow into hole 3 to get a good tone, which is the major reason why you should focus on drawing hole 2. Practice very slowly and evenly at first. Blow hole 3 as often as necessary to produce a good, clean tone. Then do the same for the draw note 2. Now practice alternating by blowing hole 3 and drawing hole 2. Again, practice slowly and often.
© Danilo Marrone 2010-2012
No comments:
Post a Comment