Play Harmonica Today!
The Hal Leonard Play Today® Harmonica series is a great way to quickly learn how to play Harmonica, covering instrument details every player needs to know.
Videos
• Intro (01:40) - Lil' Rev starts off by showing us a great performance, shares some information about the Harmonica, and a bit about what we'll learn today!
• Care for Your Harmonica (01:00) - Lil' Rev shares some tips about keeping your Harmonica clean and functional.
• Holding and Playing Your Harmonica (01:08) - In this video, we'll quickly learn how to hold the Harmonica, and how to position your mouth to the instrument.
• Reading Harmonica Music and First Exercises (03:44) - Lil' Rev shows us the easiest way to read music for the Harmonica, this will help us quickly start playing along with the lessons. We'll begin making some sounds and start finding notes.
• The C Major Scale (02:13) - In this video we begin going up and down the Scale, getting familiar with the Harmonica and all it's notes.
• Our First Songs (04:39) - Lil Rev' shows us a few folk songs that we'll learn. You'll get some great quick tips on playing your melodies clearly. These songs start off very simple and move on up a little bit, but remain easy to follow along as a beginner.
• Upper Register (04:24) - Lil' Rev shows us the Upper Register and plays through some classic melodies we can play along with. After going through some simple exercises, we'll learn a few more advanced tunes as we follow along.
• The Train Sound (04:04) - In this video, Lil' Rev shows us the classic Train Sound, and a few songs with this technique that we'll learn today. He'll be showing us some Chords with this exercise and how to really control that Train Sound.
• Playing in 3/4 Time (02:52) - We now learn a new signature (3/4), and a few tunes within this timing.
• Playing Rhythm (03:57) - Lil Rev' performs some Rhythm styles and shows us some interesting sounds the Harmonica can make. You'll learn how to play more Chords and how to accompany other musicians. You'll also be learning some new Chords and exercises to get you more comfortable with playing different types of patterns.
• Playing Tremolo (05:01) - In this video, Lil' Rev focuses on the Tremolo Sound. He explains a bit about the sound before showing us how to do it ourselves. After hand placement and some tips on techniques, he'll show us some melodies to exercise and follow along with. He also shows some classic tunes at the end of this video that we'll be able to remember to keep in your collection.
• Understanding Position Playing (03:03) - Lil' Rev explains what different positions are, and how to play between the different keys. He'll show us how to navigate between different positions and keys so you can really play anything you want.
• Cross Harp and Bending (03:28) - Lil Rev' shows us some scales that involves Bending Notes. You'll be practicing some new techniques, including the Cheater Technique and more.
• More Bending (08:04) - This video focuses on Bending, and how to master different bends up and down the Harmonica. We learn mouth placement and techniques that will give us the classic Bend sound we're using. Lil' Rev then goes through a few songs at the end we can follow along with.
• The Classic Blues Riff (01:53) - Lil' Rev shows us a classic phrase that will be familiar to most players, note by note we'll learn the different parts and put it all together so you can play your own blues.
• Fun Techniques (06:04) - Lil Rev' shows us some fun techniques and tricks that we can add to our collection. We'll get some really interesting sounds that will add depth and flavor to your songs and performances.
• Playing Octaves (03:18) - In this video, Lil Rev' shows us what Octaves are and how to play them together. He'll go through several different Octaves and how to add them into our exercises.
• Putting It All Together (04:26) - In this video we'll start putting all the techniques we've learned together and start following along to some faster and more in-depth tunes.
• Playing in Minor Keys (02:41) - Lil' Rev performs a song in Minor, and then breaks down what a Minor chord consists of. We'll learn to feel the difference in Minor chords and follow along with some exercises.
• Outro (03:02) - Lil' Rev gives a few final words before signing out and giving us one last performance 'A Blues Jam in G'.