Chords for Harmonica Lessons - #4 Holding - Blues Harmonica Blueprint - Annie Raines
Tempo:
93.45 bpm
Chords used:
G
C
D
Bb
Fm
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[Bb] [G] [C] [D]
[C]
[G] [N]
Harmonica has its own sign language.
Using your hands helps to enhance your sound and ensures that you'll be seen as well as heard.
To hold the harmonica, start out by placing it in your left hand between your thumb and
your index finger and move them back towards the back of the harmonica so it won't interfere
with your lips.
Then you're going to keep your fingers together and raise them up at a 45 degree angle to
the cover plate of the harmonica, creating a lean-to.
Now you're going to curve your knuckles and make it more of an arched roof.
And this will help you to carry the sound up and out of the harmonica.
It's important that you keep your fingers up and not blocking the harmonica.
A lot of people think that just any sort of holding position will work, but in fact
you're blocking the [G] sound.
So it makes a real difference to keep your fingers where you can see them, particularly
your ring finger and your pinky.
So you've got this arched roof, and make sure to stagger your knuckles a little bit, close
up any gaps between your fingers.
Now we're going to bring your right hand into it.
Place the outside bone of your right wrist into the crook of your left palm, like so,
and then fold your right hand over your left hand so the sides of your palms form a seal.
Let your right hand fingers rest on your left hand fingers, still on that arched roof.
And now you have a reinforced arched roof and two perpendicular walls.
So before I have to say perpendicular again, let's abandon the architectural metaphor and
close it up like a clamshell.
That's right, just bring your thumb in.
You can take your thumb and really put it anywhere, around the back, around the front.
It doesn't really matter, as long as you're closing up the major gaps.
You don't have to close up everything or wrap the entire instrument in your hands.
You can just cover up the back of the harmonica for the first six holes or so, and that's
going to be the part that you're influencing most with your hand effects anyway.
A lot of people think that you need to get a tight cup around the harmonica in order
to get a good sound, but that's just not true.
In fact, what you want is a rounded, relaxed shape out back of the harmonica.
Just generally closed up, but the more relaxed you are, the better cup you'll get.
If you're tight, you'll open up spaces between your fingers.
So what you get is an elastic resonating chamber that affects the sound.
Now everything you do from this point will change the way you sound.
If you open up just one finger of your right hand or two fingers, that'll give you a little different tone.
You can fan out all the fingers of your right hand, keeping your left hand stable.
[N] Or you can fan your entire hand like that [D] and get that
[C]
[G] Or both your hands can go out for that classic wah sound.
Another variation I like is opening up the front and then opening up the side.
It's like opening up a front and a side door, and you get another tonal variation from doing [Fm] that.
[B] [D] [G]
[Ab] But my all-time favorite is when you keep your fingers together and your palms together
and just open up your wrists on the bottom.
Now keeping the front closed up in front of your mouth.
And when you do that, you get a sound kind of like a [G] trombone mute.
[N] Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah.
The most important thing is confidence.
You have to make a sound to change the sound.
So project it out.
Make sure it gets as far out as it can so that your hands can actually influence it.
Using your hands will help you to connect with your audience on a visual level.
Most of what you do on the harp, of course, is buried behind your hands.
You can't see what's going on.
So it really helps on stage to communicate with people and let them see you, see you
doing something and respond to it.
But more importantly, it helps
[C]
[G] [N]
Harmonica has its own sign language.
Using your hands helps to enhance your sound and ensures that you'll be seen as well as heard.
To hold the harmonica, start out by placing it in your left hand between your thumb and
your index finger and move them back towards the back of the harmonica so it won't interfere
with your lips.
Then you're going to keep your fingers together and raise them up at a 45 degree angle to
the cover plate of the harmonica, creating a lean-to.
Now you're going to curve your knuckles and make it more of an arched roof.
And this will help you to carry the sound up and out of the harmonica.
It's important that you keep your fingers up and not blocking the harmonica.
A lot of people think that just any sort of holding position will work, but in fact
you're blocking the [G] sound.
So it makes a real difference to keep your fingers where you can see them, particularly
your ring finger and your pinky.
So you've got this arched roof, and make sure to stagger your knuckles a little bit, close
up any gaps between your fingers.
Now we're going to bring your right hand into it.
Place the outside bone of your right wrist into the crook of your left palm, like so,
and then fold your right hand over your left hand so the sides of your palms form a seal.
Let your right hand fingers rest on your left hand fingers, still on that arched roof.
And now you have a reinforced arched roof and two perpendicular walls.
So before I have to say perpendicular again, let's abandon the architectural metaphor and
close it up like a clamshell.
That's right, just bring your thumb in.
You can take your thumb and really put it anywhere, around the back, around the front.
It doesn't really matter, as long as you're closing up the major gaps.
You don't have to close up everything or wrap the entire instrument in your hands.
You can just cover up the back of the harmonica for the first six holes or so, and that's
going to be the part that you're influencing most with your hand effects anyway.
A lot of people think that you need to get a tight cup around the harmonica in order
to get a good sound, but that's just not true.
In fact, what you want is a rounded, relaxed shape out back of the harmonica.
Just generally closed up, but the more relaxed you are, the better cup you'll get.
If you're tight, you'll open up spaces between your fingers.
So what you get is an elastic resonating chamber that affects the sound.
Now everything you do from this point will change the way you sound.
If you open up just one finger of your right hand or two fingers, that'll give you a little different tone.
You can fan out all the fingers of your right hand, keeping your left hand stable.
[N] Or you can fan your entire hand like that [D] and get that
[C]
[G] Or both your hands can go out for that classic wah sound.
Another variation I like is opening up the front and then opening up the side.
It's like opening up a front and a side door, and you get another tonal variation from doing [Fm] that.
[B] [D] [G]
[Ab] But my all-time favorite is when you keep your fingers together and your palms together
and just open up your wrists on the bottom.
Now keeping the front closed up in front of your mouth.
And when you do that, you get a sound kind of like a [G] trombone mute.
[N] Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah.
The most important thing is confidence.
You have to make a sound to change the sound.
So project it out.
Make sure it gets as far out as it can so that your hands can actually influence it.
Using your hands will help you to connect with your audience on a visual level.
Most of what you do on the harp, of course, is buried behind your hands.
You can't see what's going on.
So it really helps on stage to communicate with people and let them see you, see you
doing something and respond to it.
But more importantly, it helps
Key:
G
C
D
Bb
Fm
G
C
D
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Bb] _ _ _ [G] _ [C] _ _ [D] _
_ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [G] _ [N] _ _
_ _ _ Harmonica has its own sign language.
Using your hands helps to enhance your sound and ensures that you'll be seen as well as heard. _
To hold the harmonica, start out by placing it in your left hand between your thumb and
your index finger and move them back towards the back of the harmonica so it won't interfere
with your lips.
_ Then you're going to keep your fingers together and raise them up at a 45 degree angle to
the cover plate of the harmonica, creating a lean-to. _
Now you're going to curve your knuckles and make it more of an arched roof.
And this will help you to carry the sound up and out of the harmonica.
It's important that you keep your fingers up and not blocking the harmonica.
A lot of people think that just any sort of holding position will work, but in fact
you're blocking the [G] sound. _ _
So it makes a real difference to keep your fingers where you can see them, particularly
your ring finger and your pinky.
So you've got this arched roof, and make sure to stagger your knuckles a little bit, close
up any gaps between your fingers.
Now we're going to bring your right hand into it.
Place the outside bone of your right wrist into the crook of your left palm, like so,
and then fold your right hand over your left hand so the sides of your palms form a seal. _
Let your right hand fingers rest on your left hand fingers, still on that arched roof.
And now you have a reinforced arched roof and two perpendicular walls.
So before I have to say perpendicular again, let's abandon the architectural metaphor and
close it up like a clamshell.
_ That's right, just bring your thumb in.
You can take your thumb and really put it anywhere, around the back, around the front.
It doesn't really matter, as long as you're closing up the major gaps.
You don't have to close up everything or wrap the entire instrument in your hands.
You can just cover up the back of the harmonica for the first six holes or so, and that's
going to be the part that you're influencing most with your hand effects anyway.
A lot of people think that you need to get a tight cup around the harmonica in order
to get a good sound, but that's just not true.
In fact, what you want is a rounded, _ relaxed shape out back of the harmonica.
Just generally closed up, but the more relaxed you are, the better cup you'll get.
If you're tight, you'll open up spaces between your fingers.
_ So what you get is an elastic resonating chamber that affects the sound.
Now everything you do from this point will change the way you sound.
If you open up just one finger of your right hand or two fingers, _ _ that'll give you a little different tone.
You can fan out all the fingers of your right hand, keeping your left hand stable. _ _ _
[N] Or you can fan your entire hand like that [D] and get that_
_ [C] _
[G] _ Or both your hands can go out for that classic wah sound.
_ _ _ Another variation I like is opening up the front and then opening up the side.
It's like opening up a front and a side door, and you get another tonal variation from doing [Fm] that.
[B] _ _ [D] _ [G] _ _
[Ab] But my all-time favorite is when you keep your fingers together and your palms together
and just open up your wrists on the bottom.
Now keeping the front closed up in front of your mouth.
And when you do that, you get a sound kind of like a [G] trombone mute.
_ [N] Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah.
_ _ The most important thing is confidence.
You have to make a sound to change the sound.
So project it out.
Make sure it gets as far out as it can so that your hands can actually influence it.
_ Using your hands will help you to connect with your audience on a visual level.
Most of what you do on the harp, of course, is buried behind your hands.
You can't see what's going on.
So it really helps on stage to communicate with people and let them see you, see you
doing something and respond to it.
But more importantly, it helps
_ [Bb] _ _ _ [G] _ [C] _ _ [D] _
_ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [G] _ [N] _ _
_ _ _ Harmonica has its own sign language.
Using your hands helps to enhance your sound and ensures that you'll be seen as well as heard. _
To hold the harmonica, start out by placing it in your left hand between your thumb and
your index finger and move them back towards the back of the harmonica so it won't interfere
with your lips.
_ Then you're going to keep your fingers together and raise them up at a 45 degree angle to
the cover plate of the harmonica, creating a lean-to. _
Now you're going to curve your knuckles and make it more of an arched roof.
And this will help you to carry the sound up and out of the harmonica.
It's important that you keep your fingers up and not blocking the harmonica.
A lot of people think that just any sort of holding position will work, but in fact
you're blocking the [G] sound. _ _
So it makes a real difference to keep your fingers where you can see them, particularly
your ring finger and your pinky.
So you've got this arched roof, and make sure to stagger your knuckles a little bit, close
up any gaps between your fingers.
Now we're going to bring your right hand into it.
Place the outside bone of your right wrist into the crook of your left palm, like so,
and then fold your right hand over your left hand so the sides of your palms form a seal. _
Let your right hand fingers rest on your left hand fingers, still on that arched roof.
And now you have a reinforced arched roof and two perpendicular walls.
So before I have to say perpendicular again, let's abandon the architectural metaphor and
close it up like a clamshell.
_ That's right, just bring your thumb in.
You can take your thumb and really put it anywhere, around the back, around the front.
It doesn't really matter, as long as you're closing up the major gaps.
You don't have to close up everything or wrap the entire instrument in your hands.
You can just cover up the back of the harmonica for the first six holes or so, and that's
going to be the part that you're influencing most with your hand effects anyway.
A lot of people think that you need to get a tight cup around the harmonica in order
to get a good sound, but that's just not true.
In fact, what you want is a rounded, _ relaxed shape out back of the harmonica.
Just generally closed up, but the more relaxed you are, the better cup you'll get.
If you're tight, you'll open up spaces between your fingers.
_ So what you get is an elastic resonating chamber that affects the sound.
Now everything you do from this point will change the way you sound.
If you open up just one finger of your right hand or two fingers, _ _ that'll give you a little different tone.
You can fan out all the fingers of your right hand, keeping your left hand stable. _ _ _
[N] Or you can fan your entire hand like that [D] and get that_
_ [C] _
[G] _ Or both your hands can go out for that classic wah sound.
_ _ _ Another variation I like is opening up the front and then opening up the side.
It's like opening up a front and a side door, and you get another tonal variation from doing [Fm] that.
[B] _ _ [D] _ [G] _ _
[Ab] But my all-time favorite is when you keep your fingers together and your palms together
and just open up your wrists on the bottom.
Now keeping the front closed up in front of your mouth.
And when you do that, you get a sound kind of like a [G] trombone mute.
_ [N] Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah.
_ _ The most important thing is confidence.
You have to make a sound to change the sound.
So project it out.
Make sure it gets as far out as it can so that your hands can actually influence it.
_ Using your hands will help you to connect with your audience on a visual level.
Most of what you do on the harp, of course, is buried behind your hands.
You can't see what's going on.
So it really helps on stage to communicate with people and let them see you, see you
doing something and respond to it.
But more importantly, it helps