[Harp-L] tab & notes Dirt Simple Harmonica

philharpn@xxxxx philharpn@xxxxx
Mon Nov 5 12:55:24 EST 2018





Recently, I have been using Phil Duncan's "Dirt Simple Harmonica" as the text book for my Harmonica 101 group  lessons. 

The book came out in 2014. It has music notation and tablature. Plus you can download the backing tracks.

Before that -- since about 1993--I used Phil Duncan's "Deluxe Harmonica Method." Both books by Mel Bay.  Both have play along tracks downloadable from publisher's web site.T

he Deluxe Harmonica Method has about 100 songs/tunes and features harmonica tablature (arrows /numbers) and music notation. This is without a doubt the best bargain--the most tunes for the money--of any harp book on the market today.

I tell the students to play the songs by using the tablature--blow 4 or draw 4; if the arrow goes up it is an inhale note. If the arrow next to then number goes down, it is a draw note.

I tell them to use the notation like road signs. If the note is a black note-- a quarter note-- it gets one beat or one tap of the foot. If there is a rest sign--looks like a batwing-- they rest their sound (silence).I point out if the time signature is 4/4 they get four taps or beats per bar.

I switched to the new Phil Duncan book because it has lyrics-- just another clue to give the harmonica player some help in working though the song.

With both notation and tablature, the new harmonica player does not have to depend totally on notes or tab to make sense out of the song. 

The tab shows longer arrows to show longer notes--but I prefer notation to get a real grip on the note duration.Dirt Simple  is a good book if you are just starting out and want get a feel for the harmonica and music patterns. keep on harpin


And if somebody wants to pick up on the new universal harmonica tablature called music notation-- they can do that too without too much pain.  The songs are all written in the key of C or tab and notation. Which means that they will work for any key harmonica. Want to play a song in the key of A, pick up the A harp. 


Keep on harpin

Phil LLoyd








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