Re: [Harp-L] Gettiing back to harmonica

[Mojo Red <harplicks@xxxxxxxxx>]

I just wanted to hitchhike on Jp Pagán's excellent advice about importance of and benefit to be gained from learning your blues scales, and how by using those scales you can make up your own music and develop your own style. 

Most blues is structured on the I the IV and the V chords. If you are playing in 2nd position in a blues song, the scale that goes with the I chord is the crossharp or 2nd position blues scale. If the song is in G, the I chord is G and you'd be using a C harp to cover in 2nd.
Here's the blues scale for 2nd position:
2   3'   4+   4'   4   5   6+ 
The next octave involves overbent notes, but there's much to mined here even without the OBs
6+   6+(OB)   7+  7(OD)   8  9  9+

When the song moves to the IV chord, the harp scale associated with the IV chord is the 1st position blues scale. 
If the song is in G, then the IV chord is C. You can solo very nicely over the IV chord by basing your licks on the blues scale that goes with 1st position. 
Here's the blues scale for 1st position:
1+   2+   2"   2'   3+   3'   4+
The middle octave is requires three overbends (most guys don't hang here much)
4+   4+(OB)  5  5+(OB)  6+ 6+(OB)  7+
There's a great blues scale available on the upper octave too where your blow-bends are ripe.
7+   8+'   9   9+'  9+  10+"  10+

And when the song moves to the V chord, the harp scale associated with the V chord is the 3rd position blues scale. 
If the song is in G, then the V chord is D. You can solo very nicely over the V chord by basing your licks on the blues scale that goes with 3rd position
Here's the blues scale for 3rd position:
1   2"   3+   3"   3'   4+   4 
and in the middle octave
4    5   6+   6'   6   7+   8

Once you've mastered these scales, your soloing potential for playing blues in 2nd position goes up exponentially. And the added bonus is that now you've got a very good start on actually playing blues in 1st and 3rd position. 

Good luck!!
Harpin' in Colorado,

--Ken M

P.S. Here's how my tab works: 
3+ = 3 blow, 3 = 3 draw,    3' = 3 draw w half-step bend,   3" = 3 draw w full-step bend, 3"' = 3 draw w step-and-a-half bend, 8+' = 8 blow w half-step bend, OB = overblow, OD = overdraw.


> From: Jp Pagán <jplpagan@xxxxxxx>
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2011 11:47 AM
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Gettiing back to harmonica
<SNIP>

> My single best piece of advice for learning to improvise is this: learn to play the blues scale all the way up and down the harp. At least for blues music (which it sounds like you are into), that scale is your vocabulary. Learn to play it really well, especially between holes 2 (draw) and 6 (blow) and you'll have a solid foundation for blues soloing. 

Once you can play it up and down, try making up your own riffs. Try listening to your favorite tunes again and see if you can hear how many riffs lay right on that scale.