All the following riffs can be used for improvising over music.
A simple improvisation would be a one (I) four (IV) five (V) chord progression which consists of holes:
123 draw = I 345 blow = IV 345 draw = V
Chords can also be turned into trills by shaking your tongue side to side rapidly over the three holes.
So for a twelve bar blues there would be 4 bars of I chord, 2 bars of IV chord, 2 bars of I chord, 1 bar of V, 1 bar of IV and 2 bars of I.
Many of the following riffs can be used as part of a complete 12 bar blues progression by changing the note which the riff ends on.
I chord = 2/3+, 6+, 9+
IV chord = 1+, 4+, 7+
V chord = 1, 4, 8
1 2+ 2
2 3' 4+ 4
4 4+ 3' 2
2 3'
note: this riff can be repeated on its own as in the song 'Spoonful' or the 2 and 3' can be repeated to fit the music.
2 2'' / 2'' 2
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2 4+ 3' 2
2 3' 4 5+ 6+ (6+) / 3 - 6+
note: 3 - 6+ denotes a blow octave where your mouth covers four holes but you rest your tongue on the piece of plastic or wood inbetween the middle holes so that the outside notes play only (do not push your tongue on the piece of wood as this will make it difficult to move from octave to octave)
6+ 5 4 4+ 3' 2
This riff can be turned into a fast triplet riff (three notes to a beat):
6+ 5 4 4+ 4 3' 2
6 6+ 5 4 3' 3' 2
tip: the riff above is useful for using up the final two bars of a solo, for example.
2 3' 4 5+ 5 5+ 4
1 2+ 1 2+ 1 2+ 1
1 2+ 2 3' 4 5+ 4 (5+)
2 3' 4+ 4^ 4+ 3' 4 > 2 2
These are most of the riffs a beginner harp player really needs. Remember, there is nothing wrong with using the same riffs in different songs so long as you use them in a different way to suit the music.
Beginners should practice these riffs regularly in order for them to be ingrained into your muscle memory, that way the riffs will come naturally without you even thinking about it, so don't give up if you are finding the harder riffs a bit tricky.
