The Slow Blues - Harmonica Tips

Hey you guys, all the blues fanatic's out there, here is the first of a number of Blues articles I'm going to write about so bare with me. I was just practicing a song I learnt earlier and its fairly easy to pick up, and mellow at the same time, but I also thought I would include a video of me playing the harp solo in the famous Jimmy Reed song 'Bright Lights, Big City'. You may already know it if your serious about your music or may have heard it on a recent Vauxhall advert where they used it to sell a car, anyway I learnt the solo by ear, I will try and find a tab for it as I write this.

I also included some photos of a funky Suzuki harp I have called 'BluesMaster' and its actually in Ab, there's not many songs out there on the Internet with tabs for A flat but I found a few Beck and YouTube videos where you can Improv and it sounds good. Also I like the fact that the back of it is transparent red, it looks modern and the inscribed logo looks quality. Price-wise it was fairly cheap, 18 Pounds Sterling, which is approximately $36 I think.

*Please excuse the fact that my tutorial video is no longer present, I started a new Youtube channel and accidently deleted my old one, I will get around to filming me playing in the future, for now I have left the tab for you to practice.

Ok peoples, on the time of finishing this article I've actually just woken up and due out with a friend in an hour to take some photographs for a new website Im about to make in the next few days, thats why my publications have slowed down the last few days. Don't panic though because I'll still be in the forums and got an idea for another music related hub this evening.

Without digressing, here is the tab for the above song, I actually went a little TOO slow towards the end it because I have just learnt the song myself:

Begin with a large -5 (bend it also)

-5 -5 5 4 -5 -5 5 -5 5 -4 4

-4 -4 4 -3(Bend) -3 -3 3 -23 (play both 2 &3 together)

-4 -4 4 -4 4 -4 4 -3 3

-12 -12 3 -4 -5 -5 5 -4 4

-12 -12 12 -12

Well thats that one typed out and it was played on a Key of 'C'.. Heres another blues song I learnt by ear in the video below

I just logged into my Youtube account and noticed my Hip Harmonica lesson has recieved 408 views in about a week and two voters have rated it 5 out of 5, its a Hip Hop song called 'I'll be OK' and I basically played the Harping in the sample, but I digress..

heres the notes for Jimmy Reed

-7  -7 (bends)  -7  6  5   6

-7  -7  6  5  4  6    -7  6  5

-7   6   5     -7   -7   6   5   4   6

This is the best I could write out at the moment because I think my Marine Band could do with being opened and cleaned, the Top holes don't seem to be drawing properly, however this video was made some time ago and I couldn't find tabs for it anywhere. I played it in a key of 'C' and I think it should be a valuable attempt at the solo for anyone looking to play it on the Diatonic.  Stay tuned for more lessons on Blues Improv and 12 Bar Blues!