Adam Gussow
is a heckuva harp
player. Me, I'm OK, too, but Adam is one of the very special ones.
So here's what the bugger does:
He lays out on YouTube
over 40 lessons
about how to play blues harp, from very very beginner to certified
screamin' funkmonkey, and he does it in a way that pretty much means
that if you can see and hear, you'll get it. Probably
quickly.
Free.
The whole shmoo: tone, technique, equipment, effects and tricks.
Whammo. Not all there is but so close to it y'can feel the breeze. Mr.
Gussow mentions he thinks a dedicated type could put it all together
enough for pro work in about two years. I think he's right.
The lessons are organized, easy to follow and thorough. I've played
for maybe 40 years as a pro and semi-pro and I'm quite decent. I
learned very useful new-to-me stuff in lesson two.
I'm certainly not going to support competition in my trade by
constantly reminding people about Adam's near-total destruction of the
market for blues harmonica teachers in the english speaking world.
There is no way I will constantly repeat that I've never encountered
better lessons, nor will I unfailingly be advising readers that so far
in the series a student requires 10-hole diatonic harmonicas in the
keys of Bb, C, D and I think F and G. It would be foolish if I
repeated further that the Bb will get a person through the first 10-15
lessons or so.
It would only be adding to the damage were I to even occasionally
reiterate that it'd be an idea to get a good harp to start, at least
the quality of the quite serviceable
Suzuki Harpmaster
or better. Adam uses
Hohner
Marine Bands/Model 1896 (not my first choice, but they're good pro
level harps).
Bottom line: I teach harmonica and if you want to play well, you don't
really need me anymore. I'll be happy to help, but almost everything
you'd want to know is in these lessons, and everything you need to
know is right out in the open.
There. I've told you.
The blues harp keys to the kingdom are laying out in plain view.
Don't let this news get out.
And don't expect me to remind you.
RON GOOD's HARP HOUSE - HARMONICA STUFF
