[Harp-L] Harmonica book list

[Philharpn@xxxxxxx]

 I recommended Harmonica for Dummies several weeks ago and that everyone on 
Harp-L purchase a copy -- mainly because it was a new book and it was a 
harmonica book as well as a worthwhile book.   

While that may sound like hyperbole (I got my copy from Amazon) there is a 
lot of truth to the statement. By Winslow's Harmonica for Dummies first, then 
buy the others. 

But no book is ever all inclusive. And for that reason any serious harp 
reader needs more than one book. Often they overlap; but more often than not they 
offer different takes on the same material and additional material that is not 
included in one of the books. Sometimes this difference makes it easier to 
understand.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Harmonica (Foreword by STEVE BAKER) is 
another quality harp book. It came out in 2002 and the second edition was released 
in 2006 with about 52 additional pages -- apparently adding 100 songs and the 
addition of a CD (Winslow's   book also has a CD).   

(I only discovered the expanded 2006 edition of Idiots Harmonica on a visit 
yesterday to a local Barnes & Noble store and I briefly flipped through the 
pages.) I own the 2002 edition.

Amazon sells each book (list about $22 and $20) for about $15 or $13.50 and 
since if you buy $25 worth of stuff you can get free shipping, that's $28.50 
both.

 While the two books offer complementary information, the tablature clashes.

In Winslow's book, slash marks on an arrow up stem (blow)   or down (draw) 
indicates degrees of bend (1= half-step, 2=full step or 3=step & half. But in 
the Idiot Harmonica book the slashes indicate time values: No slash = short 
note, single slash = medium note, usually 2 beats and double slash = long note, 
usually 4 beats. The Idiot book uses subscript arabic numbers to indicate bends: 
1.2 3. 2B2 = 2 blow bend down 2 half-steps (2 semitones).

So if you are not careful, depending on which book you look at first, that 
both books uses the same symbols in the tablature.

Winslow's book diagrams the harp layout with the blow notes on the bottom and 
draw notes on the top because the draw notes are higher in pitch.

The Idiot's book shows the draw notes in capital letters and draw notes in 
lower case: Cd Eg Gb etc.

Winslow's book has a cardboard "cheat sheet" Positions for all 12 Keys that 
can be torn out as the first page in his book. The Idiot's book has positions 
1-6 and 12 chart on page 183. (I have no idea how usable positions 7-11 are to 
people other than those who can play in 12 positions on one harp.)

Both Dummy and Idiot have several pages devoted to playing in the positions.

But if I want to play a tune in Bb, I prefer to look at the chart in either 
book and then grab the C Harp Book (Mel Bay) by Jim Major to see how the tune 
lays out in each position because I only know 1-3 & 12 from memory. And even 
then I don't know off the top of my head where the bends will fall in the tune. 
But Major's graphic charts will tell me.

Obviously, if you are a player who is up to speed on all your music theory 
and harp theory (and I don't have anybody in mind), you don't need any of these 
books. 

But for the rest of us, they could prove helpful. If for no other reason than 
it's easier to use a calculator (look it up) to do some simple percentage or 
mathematical exercise than scratch it out on paper.

And then when you get down with them, check out Steve Baker's The Harp 
Handbook and Jazz Harp by Richard Hunter (which I've owned since it came out with a 
floppy record). Both now come   with CDs.   

Finally, if you still have any time left, check out the historic 1965 Blues 
Harp by Tony Little Sun Glover which is apparently only available used from 
Amazon. Don't know about other sources.

I've been reading books for years and I've never found any single book -- 
harmonica or otherwise -- that had all the answers. Usually I had to read 2 or 3 
to come up with a reasonable sense of a complete picture. Still true. 

And if I didn't mention your favorite book, don't feel offended. Just add it 
to the list -- and why it proved helpful. (I probably own it anyway, just 
because I'm a collector, if for no other reason.)

The more you know the better you play.


Keep on harpin

Phil Lloyd























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