[Harp-L] Beginner harmonica lessons

[RUSSEGR9@xxxxxx]

Hi Rich,
Re your post on teaching beginners

I work with total beginners almost exclusively.  I work in a residential 
treatment facility for boys with behavioral problems ages 12 to 17 years old, and 
my "thing" is getting them to play.  They start totally from scratch and i 
have been putting together tabs from the stuff that i teach them.

I have been working on this "book" for about 3 or 4 years now and have quite 
a lot of songs.  I agree with Winslow,

The first thing i do with the boys is teach them rhythm on the low notes - i 
have a page that lays out some whole note, half note and quarter note rhythms 
- ex: draw blow draw blow etc.,  draw draw draw draw blow blow blow blow draw 
draw draw draw etc., draw draw draw blow draw draw draw blow etc.

I also start them out on some simple songs my favorite being twinkle twinkle 
little star i use the simplest songs, nursery rhymes, that they grew up with 
and have deeply ingrained in their head.  taps is great because depending on 
the position (1st or 2nd) it is all blow or draw).  We end up playing stuff like 
red river valley, the irish washer woman, the flintstones, and my favorite - 
somewhere over the rainbow.  Yesterday one of the boys asked me for the tab to 
the Adams Family - i will have to figure that out for him but i think the 
bends might be a little too much for him - we'll see.

Also at this time of year, October 1, i start the boys (total beginners) to 
focus on teaching them through chrismas carols, and myself and a group of boys 
usually 4 to 6 will play for the local nursing home and the Kiwanis Club.

There are so many skills you can teach using these melodies - first and most 
important is learning to make a single note - when they start playing i let 
them play hitting more than one note just so they can have fun and play the 
songs but they know they are working towards hitting a single note.  Also using 
the "t" sound to articulate single notes . . . 

I teach them to bend on 1 draw because it is easy for them to play this as a 
single note and when they can play the melodies with a single note then i have 
them really start to work on bending 1thru 4 and 6.

The other song that is a must teach at this beginning time is the Hootchie 
Cootchie Man riff: draw blow draw draw (rest rest) draw blow draw draw) rest 
rest.  They will wander around the halls playing this one.  Once they have the 
rhythm down I teach them to solo during the rest parts and how to trade back and 
forth with me and the other harp players - simple 1 and 2 note solos and 
warbles.

I love teaching these kids.

Anyway, my question is, is there a program out there that really puts out a 
good note writning (musical staff) program that also has a good diatonic harp 
tab (including all the bends and overblows)?  I have tried melody maker and the 
harp tab is very incomplete and lacks the range - i have also tried finale 
notepad but have trouble entering harp tab.  Winslow or Glenn or anyone who has 
written a book that has harp tab under a line of musical notation please let 
me know the best way to do this as i really want to put together a book for my 
boys.

I also want to publicly thank Hohner for the support they have given me in 
this alowing me to buy blues bands at cost for the boys. These are really great 
harmonicas for the price

russ