Harmonica

with Howard Levy

This is a public version of the members-only Harmonica with Howard Levy, at ArtistWorks. Functionality is limited, but CLICK HERE for full access if you’re ready to take your playing to the next level.

The Main Navigation menu for members of this Course includes links to Lessons, Submitting a Video, and Forums.

HOME

LESSONS

VIDEO EXCHANGES

STUDY MATERIALS

SUBMIT A VIDEO

FORUMS

These lessons are available only to members of Harmonica with Howard Levy.
Join Now

by level

≡

by style

≡

30 Day Challenge

≡

+Music

≡

«Prev of Next»

Harmonica Lessons: "Summertime" in 4th Position

Lesson Video Exchanges ()

Submit a Video Lesson Study Materials () This lesson calls for a video submission

Study Materials

Lesson Specific Downloads

Play Along Tracks

Backing Tracks +

Written Materials +

Additional Materials +

Collaborations for

Submit a video for

This video lesson is available only to members of
Harmonica with Howard Levy.

Join Now

30
SEC

Information

≡

Course Description

≡

This page contains a transcription of a video lesson from Harmonica with Howard Levy. This is only a preview of what you get when you take Harmonica Lessons at ArtistWorks. The transcription is only one of the valuable tools we provide our online members. Sign up today for unlimited access to all lessons, plus submit videos to your teacher for personal feedback on your playing.

CLICK HERE for full access.

[MUSIC]
Another song I'd like to show you in

fourth position now is
one I played in third,

it's called Summertime.

And this time, it's gonna be in A minor,

because that's what fourth
position is on a C harmonica.

[MUSIC]
So Summertime starts

on the fifth hole blow.

[MUSIC]
Because now

we can hit the A.

[MUSIC]
Now,

I'm using that bend and

unbend vibrato on the third hole.

[SOUND] See, take advantage of all
the expression the harmonica offers you.

Every time you play a song in a different
position, you can get different kind of

bends on different notes
relative to the key you're in.

[MUSIC]
And I'm doing the bend and

unbend on the blow, five blow.

[MUSIC]

Now, I

finished

that

with the

kinda an

exotic

sounding

harmony.

It's called the minor major seventh chord,

[SOUND] which you hear in just about
ever Noir movie and detective show.

And it goes along with what's called
the melodic minor scale, which I didn't

play the entire scale, because it involves
over blows in which we're not doing yet.

But the arpeggio.

[MUSIC]
The scale that goes with it

actually has a raised sixth.

[MUSIC]
I left it out here.

[SOUND] It's the stepping stones thing,
which I will also talk about later.

Leaving out notes that you can't get,

instead of playing the wrong
note that you can play.

If I'm trying to play
the melodic minor scale,

[SOUND] which is the Dorian mode and

the raised seventh in a minor key
[SOUND] and I try to play it here.

[MUSIC]
I can only get the harmonic minor.

[MUSIC]
I'm trying to get.

[MUSIC]
That note is an overblow, but

we don't know how to do that yet.

[MUSIC]
I can get it here.

[MUSIC]
So I leave it out in a place where I can't

get it and I leap over it.

I call this the stepping stone
[LAUGH] method of playing music,

because you're trying to avoid falling in
to the river that you're trying to cross,

which is the music and
the little places of safety,

which are the notes you can
get are your stepping stones.

This is something I thought
of a long time ago.

And sometimes, I find it helpful
just to tell people, remember,

what key you're in, remember what notes
that are naturally on the harmonica

that you can get that
you don't want to hear,

[LAUGH] if you're playing a specific
scale, a specific chord, and avoid them.

Because maybe when you get
to be a better player,

if you ever really get comfortable
with the overblow techniques,

then you'll be able to hit those notes
that you're hearing in your head.

But until you can hit them,
avoid hitting the wrong notes.

[MUSIC]

Playing:		Looping:		Adjust:
space	play/pause	I	set loop start point	[	move start back 1 sec
←	back 10 secs	O	set loop end point	]	move start forward 1 sec
→	forward 10 secs	L	start/stop looping	SHIFT-[ or ]	move end
↑	rewind to beginning	C	clear loop	CTRL-[ or ]	move both
H	this help	F	full screen toggle	ALT-[ or ]	next/prev section

?

Video Exchange Archive for this school

Video Exchanges for

Harmonica

Harmonica Lessons: "Summertime" in 4th Position

Harmonica with Howard Levy

KW- Footer Links

Receive special offers and updates:

Guitar Campus

Bass Campus

Academy Of Bluegrass

Classical Campus

Jazz Campus

More Schools