6 Easy Blues Harmonica Riffs (No Bending)
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- čas přidán 2. 08. 2024
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Thanks so much for watching my free harmonica lesson on how to play six easy blues harmonica riffs that require no bending. You CAN play Blues harmonica without knowing how to bend!
1.) Riff #1 works great as an opener, but can truly be played anywhere in the form and will sound great. Playing the 1st note twice and the last note twice are great variations on this one:
-4 4 -4 -3 -2
Variation 1: -4 -4 4 -4 -3 -2
Variation 2: -4 4 -4 -3 -2 -2
2.) Riff #2 fits really well over the IV chord, but also can be played anywhere:
4 4 -3 4 -3
3.) Riff #3 is a great one used by many Blues harp masters to lead into the 1st bar of the 3rd 4-Bar phrase where we go to the V chord. It’s important to slide from -1 to the -4.
-1 2 -2 -1 -4
► Haven’t memorized the 12-Bar Blues? www.harmonica.com/blues-harmo...
4.) Riff #4 is a great illustration of the draw-more-than-blow principle, and is a kind of sound you can hear in the playing of Big Walter Horton and James Cotton, among others, and it’s a really fun one.
-5 5 -4 -3 -2
5.) Riff #5 is a Turnaround riff. The word turnaround refers to the last 2 bars of the 12-bar form, and it’s named such because those last 2 bars “turn us around” back to the top of the form.
This riff is a legit turnaround riff that requires no bending and is a variation on one played commonly by Chicago Blues master Big Walter Horton. It’s a little tricky to learn, but it’s worth taking the time to work it out because it’s super-fun to play, and once you get it you’ll be able to play it (and simplified versions of it) for years to come!
-2 -2 2 3 2 -2 -1 -1
6.) Riff #6 is also a great riff that sounds like what many blues masters will use to end a song. You’ll probably recognize it. Having something in your back pocket that you can play for intros, turnarounds, and endings is a fast way to get from sounding like a hack to sounding like a pro, so I wanted to include a killer ending riff for you here, and this is one of the best that requires no bending:
6 5 -4 4 -3 -4 5 6
Congratulations! My advice is to put on backing tracks and use these riffs to make up your own solos. Take just one of these riffs and try playing it throughout a whole chorus. That can be a really great exercise because you’re naturally going to want to vary the phrasing to add interest.
You can just Google “Backing track blues in G” to find some different grooves to jam over, besides using the one here:
If you’re looking for a fast track to learning the harmonica, you may wanna consider my course Beginner to Boss. Other than that, thanks for checking out this lesson 6 Easy Blues Harmonica Riffs for Beginners. I hope you liked it. Keep on rocking the harmonica and making the world a better place.
Aloha,
Luke - Jak na to + styl
Really really good for me. Thank you .
Good humor, easy to learn! I am 71 now and started playing harp last year, and it works!!!! Cheers from Russia!
That's great! Rock on! 😎
Thank you so much Luke for posting these lessons,I find your method suits me well.
Glad you like them! You're very welcome!
Will try it ⭐⭐⭐
Love these licks, thanks Luke, looking forward to the next set of licks
Glad you like them, Rob! Next video we're gonna look at turning riffs into solos. 😎
Thank you Luke. I enjoy your teaching technique. Your humour and professionalism. You have a great speaking voice. This also comes at a good time in my life when I needed something fun to do. I am going to keep practicing till i get it thanks to you !
I love your teaching! I think your an outstanding harmonica player!!! Love your videos!!! Thank you!!!
Wow, thank you MARK! 🙏🏼
Thanks for the awesome content!
You are most welcome. Glad you enjoy it! 🤘🏼
Great lesson. Thanks Luke.
You're welcome, Oliver. Glad you liked!
These riffs are amazing easy, great video man!
Woo hoo! Right on, Matheus. Glad you like them! 🙏🏼
Riff number 4 is the beginning of ‘Love me Do’
I like when you put the notes on screen too. I'm an old trumpet player so notes are useful for the way I think vs hole numbers. Thanks
Oh, cool. I was worried it might confuse some people, but thought I'd try it out. Glad you like them!
Great stuff, learned so much from your vids 👊
Awesome, thank you! Rock on! 😎
Thanks you 🙏🎉
Welcome 😊
This is fun !
Right on!
Thanks , wonderful !!!🤗👌👍
Welcome, Fraim. Glad you liked it! 😊
わかりやすいです。
役に立ってよかった
Thank you very much!!!
You're welcome. It's my pleasure. Rock on! 😎
I'll try, seems easy, thanks!!
You got this! 👊🏼
Great easy riffs and really hilarious! New blue - Ha
Glad you like them, Keith! That's actually "Noob Luke" cos he's a newbie harmonica player (he's a bit grumpy, but aren't we all from time to time?😉)
Gotta tell you that this course of yours is the cat's meow Luke. As a very senior who has messed with the harmonica off and on I have found your love of the harmonica scintillating. You have opened the door for me and I will do my utmost to make it work for me. Single notes are not a problem, just can't bend them yet.
Woohoo!! CONGRATS Frederic! Thanks for sharing this. ROCK ON! No rush on the bends. Those can come later. 🤙🏼
Awesome…thank you my friend..take care peace
Right on Bill. You are very welcome. ✌🏼
Amazing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks! Glad you liked it.
Thank you Luke, funny and can't wait to practice!
Right on Patricia! YES! MEMORIZE THESE RIFFS. More to come on working with them....Rock on!
I sure will, haven't mastered the bend yet,still trying to get a clean
single note, this will give me
practice, thanks
Once again, a FABULOUS lesson my friend. 😜
Robert
London, Canada
Hey Robert - good to see ya. Thanks man. 👊🏼
Damn, I've been having trouble finding some easy beginner blues stuff that doesn't go from 0 to 100 in .3 seconds, and this is where it's at. You've got a way of teaching that makes it easy to understand and remember. I'm subscribing to your classes because this is how I've been trying to learn.
Right on my friend. Keep it up!! 😎
Your videos and your website is amazing your the best luke. Would like to play harmonica with you one day!
Thanks for the kind words. I look forward to the day! 😎🎶
Tienes el don de los maestros, explicas muy bien la lección y estimulas al principiante. Genio!
Ah muchas gracias mi amigo. Rock on! 😎
Cheers
Cheers @Bigears!
Thank you so much. Great lesson, perfect to combine these riffs. No I can act like a pro (for non-musicians).
You got this! 👊🏼 Rock on! 😎
Great video!!!! My favorite riff was number 3.
You got a very funny student Lol😅😂
LOL. Noob Luke is a bit grumpy, but he's got a good heart. 😉
Your Videos are soooo cool and brilliant ! Greetings from Germany 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you for your kind words. I really appreciate it! Glad you like them! Aloha from Hawaii!
I just now subscribed because you are "THE" perfect teacher for me. What I need to learn most at the moment is how to accompany our classic Christian music band on harmonica. (I currently play only the guitar.) I can easily play harmonica melodies by ear but I'm not experienced as what to do at the end of a song's sentence to fill that gap before the next on begins .... or at the end of a song. Maybe you have already covered this in one of your videos?
Hey Joyce - right on! I play harmonica at my church. Definitely recommend subscribing to my newsletter here: www.harmonica.com
I'm gonna be doing a piece on endings in the coming weeks. If you're wondering about a good ending for a specific song, please just post a question about it on the forum:
forum.harmonica.com
We are always happy to help!
Aloha,
Luke
Love noob Luke!!!
LOL. thanks Bob!
Great
Thanks for watching! 😎🙌🏼🎶
Top!
Glad you like Vandre!
Cool 👍
Glad you dig it Oliver. 🙏🏼
Luke, the coolest cat out there!
Aw, thanks! 🙏🏼
Love to see vids like this but what I really want to see is a video on some of your own licks. Or at least more advanced stuff. Either way, thanks for the awesome content.
Right on, glad you're digging the vids. Did you see Blues for Beginners? There's some more challenging stuff In there: czcams.com/video/JNSfYblG1oY/video.html
@@Harmonicacom I'll check it out for sure. Thanks brother.
Noob luke add so much comic relief. I love it! LOL
LOL. Noob luke's a lil grumpy, but he's got a good heart. ;-)
So awesome! I love noob Luke xD
🤣
Please do a tutorial for follow you down by the gin blossoms!!! I want to learn it so badly but there are no tutorials on CZcams!!🙏🙏
Awsome
Thanks Jose! 👊🏼
Ty Sir. Always the easiest on the web..
Aw, right on Philippine. Thanks for your kind words. You are most welcome! 😎
Very cool easy stuff to learn just a little practice I can do this my friend Brian AKA sick man got me harmonica the key of c the harmonica is one of the coolest instruments ever created things thanks to Mr honer I subscribe to your channel you're very excellent teacher thank you so much looking forward to learning more stuff as I go progress I always love the blues and jazz music growing up the First Time I Ever Saw The Blues Brothers with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd been hooked ever since on the harmonica when they take it out of that big suitcase with the handcuffed to the hand fun movie awesome movie thank you so much Philip
Awesome Phillip - thanks for the note! Rock on! 😎
Wow dude! I can play it! How do I fit some bending in these riffs?
Thanks again! You are my favorite online harmonica teacher! 😎👍🏻
In the first riff I play, instead of the first -4 twice, the first -4 as a bend. It sounds awesome!
Yep. All the -4's and -3's can be bent into and will sound great!
Rock on! So glad you're liking the vids. Thanks!
Shocked I went today one day not knowing how to play to freestyles some cool blues. 😎
WOW! CONGRATS!!! 😎
@Harmonica com Hey thanks honestly ivd never been musically inclined my whole life. I can play a snare drum but that takes no real notice of notes etc. Was a very fun experience to just pick up something you thought was useless and make music.
@@Harmonicacom Sláinte
I still suck at doing single notes. I started 2 weeks ago on a frikkin Hohner Bluesband I bought for $6.99 forever ago. The comb protrudes quite a bit from the metal reed plates. Then I bought a East Too 008K....the comb is flush with the reed plates so now I'm struggling with single notes and I'm getting honked off. Gotta practice more I guess.
Hey be patient with it. We all sucked at it at the beginning. The 008k is a much better harp than the Bluesband - best budget harp in my opinion - good choice! Have you checked out this vid? czcams.com/video/v4mDMJzsnoU/video.html
Buddy go get a special 20 it will change your playing like right now. Its easy to bend notes.. the lee Oskar is the best for single notes though. Thats what luke plays
Love em, real bluesy
Now can you make a video on how to play the 2 lower notes without my harmonica sounding like it's dying?😂
Don't you worry, this is normal problem that most beginners experience! 👌🏼 These are the tips for a getting good -2:
1.) Let gravity lower your jaw so that it's totally relaxed and in a nice "aw" vowel shape, your teeth should be far apart from each other
2.) Keep the back of your tongue down, like it is when you yawn. Make sure it's not in the "Kk" zone (how your tongue is when you say a "Kk" consonant.)
3.) Nice steady, GENTLE, airflow. Most beginners (and many intermediate and advanced players) use WAY to much pressure.
Hope that helps! 😎
Aloha,
Luke
Noob Luke is hilarious "Why do you have to turn around when you play it" haha
🤣
Bro, can please teach how to play single notes well..... please I love blues ....love resolve on it everyday.....done with guitar, key , Ukulele....now it's time for harmonica
..
I play hipes of music....but I love blues all the time
Righteous! Yessah. Here ya go: czcams.com/video/v4mDMJzsnoU/video.html
Rock on. 🤘🏼
Question:
What is the difference between -2 and 3 note?
And if there isn’t, why can’t we just play the “turn around” like this: 3 3 2 3 2 3 -1 -1
Yes, you are correct, Tomaz, it's the same note! So you can always substitute 3 for -2.
The -2 Has advantages later of being able to add rich vibrato, and to bend into it and out of it so it provides more opportunities for expressiveness.
Beginners tend to struggle with -2, so good to practice it both ways so you get experience working on it - These are the tips for a getting good -2:
1.) Let gravity lower your jaw so that it's totally relaxed and in a nice "aw" vowel shape, your teeth should be far apart from each other
2.) Keep the back of your tongue down, like it is when you yawn. Make sure it's not in the "Kk" zone (how your tongue is when you say a "Kk" consonant.)
3.) Nice steady, GENTLE, airflow. Most beginners (and many intermediate and advanced players) use WAY to much pressure.
Hope that helps!
Heres a question, Is it a normal thing to experience hic-cups a lot after or even while playing the harmonica ?
Never happened to me, but I could see how it might since hiccups are involuntary diaphragm spasm.
👌😎👍👍👍
👊🏼
Changing my Blues handle to noobLuke!
🤣
Yo quiero aprender a tocar ..cual harmonica me recomienda
www.harmonica.com/which-harmonica-to-buy/
The Walter Horton riff starts with "Love Me Do." :-)
:-) Yeah, that's probably where the Beatles got it from, at least subconsciously!
Are riff single notes of blues scale position? or riff are only single notes without blues scale?brother 🙏
"Riff" just means a short little musical phrase, but in this video I'm doing everything in 2nd position (using a C harmonica to play in the key of G - which is the same position you used to play the blues scale.)
@@Harmonicacom I used to play 2 position blues riff solo melody with c key harmonica. I was played shuffle riff solo melody using rhythm chord and single notes of 2 position blues scale with c key diatonic harmonica.brother🙏
What is the title of the book on the right of the view at 9:40? The spine is too blurry to make out.
LOL. IDK! I didn't take that photo. 🤣
Noobie question: Why not use 3 blow rather than 2 draw? At least sometimes?
Yes, Ooygin. You always can do that. 👍🏼 Later on when bending comes into play, we can get a lot more expressiveness on the -2 so it becomes the go-to most of the time. But I always say it's best to play it both ways! The -2 is challenging for beginners to play in tune, so it's good for you - like eating your spinach. 😉
@@Harmonicacom: Gocha! Thanks.
@@Harmonicacom: Thanks man, I'm in a long running plateau. I call it punctuated equilibrium. Soon enough I'll get through it.
☺️ p͎r͎o͎m͎o͎s͎m͎
Hey David, not sure what that means, lol...
So what key is this one
C Harmonica. Always. 👊🏼
@@Harmonicacomthanks , mine is G
I have tried playing but it hurts my lips
What kind of harmonica do you have? Some are more comfy than others. Lee Oskars and Hohner Special 20's are super comfy. Also do you have it nice and deep in your lips like this? czcams.com/video/3a_aXi1q8oY/video.html
I can't even draw the 2 that frustrates me
HEY NATE! - yes this is perfectly normal problem that beginners experience. These are the tips for a getting good -2:
1.) Let gravity lower your jaw so that it's totally relaxed and in a nice "aw" vowel shape, your teeth should be far apart from each other
2.) Keep the back of your tongue down, like it is when you yawn. Make sure it's not in the "Kk" zone (how your tongue is when you say a "Kk" consonant.)
3.) Nice steady, GENTLE, airflow. Most beginners (and many intermediate and advanced players) use WAY to much pressure.
Hope that helps! 😎
Aloha,
Luke
@@Harmonicacom thank you mate I'll try this out! Thank you for your time!