I've been playing the harmonica longer than I care to admit, so I won't. I had no previous musical background. I play strictly by ear. When I first started, making headway came around often. Learning to hit clear single notes, Chords, bending and such. But advancing became harder and harder, until it seemed I hit a wall. For years!
Until........I was off work sick for 3 days. I stumbled across a web site I had saved years ago. I had scanned through it before, not really absorbing any of it. Made little sense to my non-musical theory mind. But this time I read it all, up and down, back and forth and it started making sense. The Pentatonic scale. The major chord and how to go from the low end to the high end. It's relative minor. How to combine the two. WOW this stuff is awesome!!! wildflowerharmonica.com./pentatonic-scales
I took pen and paper and copied the corresponding note to the holes for both the major and relative minor from the low end to the high end in second position. And played up and down, mixing and matching. On the third day I played it using some backing tracks. I was Blown Away! I pretty much have the pattern memorized, just need to get it more ingrained so I don't have to think about it as much and be able to play it naturally. This has been the biggest break through for me since I started playing. So simple yet so........I could kick my own ass for not doing this long ago. If you don't know Pentatonic Scales, you should really check this out!

Must feel great!! I'm still waiting for my effipany ephipany epifinny breakthrough.
Congratulations!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/2014 07:54AM by gene.

Still rolling on the Pentatonic Scale. Learning 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions. Works great in so many ways. Opens up a lot of options. Soon as I determine the key of a song, I can jump right in and play along. Even if I'm not familiar with the song. It makes it far easier to take a lead or do solos.

I can make 'Down to Seeds and Stems Blues', 'Wagon Wheel' and even 'House of the Rising Sun' sound much better than I could before learning this scale. And without learning tabs, just playing by ear. I definitely get more playing time now!

It seems it would be a "must learn" for beginners.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2014 07:29AM by railjumper.

Well I have 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions down good. I've got 12th pretty good. I am now working on 4th and 6th positions. I have to sometimes refer to my cheat sheet, but for the most part I can play them both.

I recently looked up tabs for 'My Girl' and found the ones posted to be played on the high end of the harmonica. So I started playing around with it using the 6 scales I'd learned and found it worked really good in 12th position. It's a little lower on the harp, starting on the 5 draw instead of the 8 that was used on the other tab. I posted my version a few weeks ago.

I have found that some songs sound and play better in one position than they do in the others. So that makes knowing how to play different position helpful. Also, the fact that I can play 6 different keys on one harmonica is kinda cool.

I have posted a tab with the Pentatonic Scale in the 6 positions that I know how to play.

Now I'm moving on to 5th position. This one seems pretty useful. I now relize a lot of tabs on this site are tabbed in 5th position, including Walt's most recent, 'The Band Played Waltzing Matilda'.

I've added 5th position to my Pentatonic Scales tab I have posted. Wow, 7 keys on one harmonica, or one key on 7 different harps. Very useful.

I did?! And I thought all this time it was first position. That shows how little I know about music theory, so thanks for the heads-up.

I believe it's 5th position. Starting on the 2 or 5 blow, which is a D on a Bb harmonica. And starting the final phrase on 3 or 6 blow, which is it's relative minor, F.

Now I could very well be wrong. My knowledge of music theory is very limited too. After learning the pentatonic scale in different positions that's how I look at it. But I wouldn't bet a weeks pay on it.