Hello list,
Here in Holland, I am working with a local music school on an initiative, and I am a request to all experienced teachers on this list for feedback, especially suggestions for songs. Thanks in advance!
Background: for the past year-and-half I have been teaching short courses (10 weekly 1-hour sessions) for harmonica students. This developed into 3 levels of courses (for absolute beginners, an introduction to bluesharmonica, and an "intermediate" bluesharmonica-course). Some students keep repeating the third course as a weekly practice session.
After doing all three courses, most students need a little extra push and some support in playing with other musicians. They want to, but they do not know how to take the initiative. For some of them, going to jamsessions is a big step.
To support them in this, and to create a mixed learning/playing-arena, I am working together with other teachers at this music school. We're starting with harmonica/guitar/vocal teachers, but I expect and aim to also get the bass&drums-guyus involved. The overall concept is to have a year-course with bi-weekly sessions of 2 hours. Session 1 would be separate (guitar/harmonica/vocal) classes, analyzing a specific song, and Session 2 would be one big classroom with bandcoaching by the teachers.
Session 2 (on a monthly basis) starts out as a bandcoaching-session with all instruments, and it is open for audience. In a few months it becomes a masterclass and we'll probably do this in a venue where there is also room for a jam session afterwards. It might develop into something big that will boost the blues-awareness in Holland!
I am looking for suggestions for songs to work on.
In the first year we'll have to have about 10 songs that are fun and challenging but do-able for intermediate students. Those songs have to have a certain own identity (I don't want to do 10 standard shuffles). These songs have to be interesting for harmonica, guitar and vocals! And the song has to have some backbone to it, so that without a rhythm section it keeps standing out (bass&drum-teachers will participate later)
Some examples of famous bluesharp-classics that will probably NOT work: Whammer Jammer (too complex for these harmonica-students, not interesting for guitar, and instrumental) Easy (how will we tell the guitar-students not to mess this one up...) Mellow Down Easy (I do not see that working without bass&drums) Etcetera I am thinking of songs like: (Little Walter) Blues With A Feeling (nice lick for harmonica and guitar, nice vocals) (Slim Harpo) Shake Your Hips (great training for rhythmic guitar to compensate for the missing bass&drums) (BB Arnold/Red Devils) Wish You Would (nice lick for harmonica and guitar, nice vocals) Strong melody in both guitar and harmonica, that's what I'm looking for. And I know that advanced players could make ANY song interesting, but these are students with "limited" skills.
Your suggestions and feedback are more than welcome. Thanks once again!
Jervis Groeneveld www.business-harmonics.nl www.harmonicainstituut.nl tel 0031 20 774 8657 _______________________________________________ Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l