I am an harmonica instructor at OLLI Long Beach, California, and this is one of Tom Leckie's most timely lessons for our intermediate class, who are learning how to improvise!!
you are the most helpful person I've seen on UA-cam as far as harmonica lessons are concerned. I've been struggling for quite a long time. Now I am glad I found your channel! Thanks a ton Tomlin!
Tomlin Leckie sure thanks, I have subscribed to you by mails. And I've sent you request on Instagram. and please, it's a request kindly upload some of your videos playing harmonica on insta too. it would be so lovely to see you play! 😊😊😊😊😊
I just started out on the harmonica and I was having trouble getting single notes but when practicing this I was able to get better with each try and I used you lessons on the 5 most common mistakes a beginner does and that helped too. Thank you so much.
THANK YOU, Tom, for such explicit, easy-to-understand lessons. I have absolutely ZERO musical experience. But I'm starting to feel it. I practice an hour - 2 per day. May take a very long time, but I'm patient. I believe that everyone needs to command music in some way, whether vocal or instrumental. I can't say how grateful I am!
Thank you so much for the email, Tomlin. It was really sweet of you to take some time out of your day and write that to me. I sent you an email about my progress with my lessons from Todd Parrott so far. It's an absolute privilege to be a fan of yours.
Shaolin style exercises. Or poetry of practicing if you want. This morning I broke the 4 blow on my Puck by gapping and you know what I'm going to play it nevertheless. I'm acquainted with this kind of mind hacks from guitar: improvise on it while strings are missing for example - this is going to add technical and mental skills and most of all open-mindedness while open tunings and similar alterations might distract from the real thing. These very little magic tricks get the beginners rapidly into actually doing something and they push the masters into new dimensions. (To be honest I never liked playing pieces from scores or mimicking whole solos despite of having become a music teacher myself.) Is there any book on exactly this phenomenon - on the psychological level too? I haven't read "Mastery" by Robert Greene yet, but I would expect something like this from it. Then there is the good old line of zen-on-books of practicing, and in Germany we treat a little story by Heinrich von Kleist on the secrets of puppetry as an early precursor of this. And this subject goes even further and deeper. Take Robert Pirsig or Martin Heidegger on civilisation and it's decline for example. Stress-relieving exercises of this yoga type are meditations and might enable one to make contact or connect with the deep universe beyond duality and shit propaganda AND question yourself friendly at the same time without taking DMT or alike. Meanwhile one might start to appear like a freak with these practical mantras, but isn't it always a bit like this in art and true religion? I mean what is music else besides making money with gigs for kids who just want to hop around and mate or for elders who want to remember this (which is totally ok btw)?
brilliant idea and yet simple and obvious, but I didn't think that way, have to assume that hahaha, thank you, I'm gonna apply that on my cigarbox guitar which I just build it hahaha thanks
This was the least intimidating introduction to harmonica improvisation and first that really got me to give it a go. I'm still just beginning, but your lesson helped me start my path towards learning to improvise.
A little more clarity: I meant like doing riffs and counting at the same time. That's a struggle for me. But this made me look at my tapping foot - and try and count - at the same time my brain is more focused on the next lick. That's hard for me, but I think I'm already getting better. Thanks again!
Hi Tomlin, great lesson, would it be possible to do a short lesson on how to play different types of music? The theme from the film Arrival is begging to be played on the harp 😁
Hi Tomlin. I'm a big fan of your lessons. I'm hoping you can help me with a technical problemI'm having with my Hohner C-harp (That's only a month old!) My 4 blow won't work - unless I draw on it first. It's as if by drawing on it, it clears something inside, and then it allows me to blow the note - but it only clears it one time! Did I just get unlucky with this purchase, or is there something I can do to fix it? I don't like the idea of opening up the harmonica but if there's no alternative.
These lessons are great, big thanks! As a guitarist, getting the rhythm is pretty easy for me, but I struggle playing single notes on the harp, as lip pucking and tongue blocking both dont seem to work for me. Which exercises would help attain single notes?
I hope I'm not too late in asking, but I would love to know how to play that beautiful riff at 5:31. Are there any lessons available for that specific riff? :) If not, anything close to that will do. Thanks in advance brother
Hey Tomlin! You're awsome, thanks for the great lessons Could you suggest some harmonica players/bands (blues or not) one should definitely cheack out? Thank you! ✭
+César Silva hi Cesar, glad you like the lessons. Here are some people to check out - Paul Butterfield, Carey bell, Little Walter, Satan and Adam, Sonny Boy Williamson, Slim Harpo. Enjoy!
I think I'm not holding the harmonica properly because others hold it on their left hand while I feel comfortable holding it on my right hand. Is it okay if I hold it on my right hand please answer @Tomlin Leckie
Hi Tomlin. I love your videos. I have 2 newbie questions: 1) I've got a C harp so I'm confused why the G is a draw note on your harmonica? On mine it's a blow. I know you're playing in the key of G, but I thought C, E and G were all blow notes on a C harp? 2) Mine is a Tombo 21. Is it possible to bend notes on this? Thanks.
Also the g note makes sense as the reeds affect the sound it's just in the key/note of C which allows all notes to have a certain pitch to them compared to something in the key of E for example
@@theruski8265 Thanks for your answers Ruski. I'm still confused about the G being a 'draw' note on his harmonica that's in C major. On my C major harmonica it's a blow note. I must be misinterpreting something badly here.
Fast forward this video to two minutes and 40 seconds and watch a little while closely watching you can see that you suck air into your nose at the same time you're drawing the note! How does that help. It's the reason why you make a face when you do the hard bend on the 3rd draw. So many people draw are into their nose when they're drawing in, cutting the wind in half. The great Charlie musselwhite tathastu me in 70 his words were you're blowing through your nose. I don't mean this to be mean whatsoever but you could breathe so much better
✏ Get your FREE harmonica tab PDF and audio clips here 👉 foxly.link/f5gidD
I am an harmonica instructor at OLLI Long Beach, California, and this is one of Tom Leckie's most timely lessons for our intermediate class, who are learning how to improvise!!
That is awesome :-)
You just took away my 10 days of improvisation anxiety in less than 10 minutes by telling us to focus on holes 2 and 3.
you are the most helpful person I've seen on UA-cam as far as harmonica lessons are concerned. I've been struggling for quite a long time. Now I am glad I found your channel! Thanks a ton Tomlin!
+4v 4v my pleasure, please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions. Cheers, Tomlin
Tomlin Leckie sure thanks, I have subscribed to you by mails. And I've sent you request on Instagram. and please, it's a request kindly upload some of your videos playing harmonica on insta too. it would be so lovely to see you play! 😊😊😊😊😊
being a good harmonica player and a good teacher totally different things, and he have both of them
Beautiful!
I just started out on the harmonica and I was having trouble getting single notes but when practicing this I was able to get better with each try and I used you lessons on the 5 most common mistakes a beginner does and that helped too. Thank you so much.
+BRITTANY KING that is awesome Brittany! COngratulations :-)
OMG I'm a beginner and this is so much fun! I don't worry as much about mistakes!
THANK YOU, Tom, for such explicit, easy-to-understand lessons. I have absolutely ZERO musical experience. But I'm starting to feel it. I practice an hour - 2 per day. May take a very long time, but I'm patient. I believe that everyone needs to command music in some way, whether vocal or instrumental. I can't say how grateful I am!
keep it up. You will make strides!
Thank you for your patience !
Brought me into the world of improv. Thanks!
+Lamar McClain that is excellent to hear Lamar :-)
How come I was watching a sewing machine tutorial, ended up here and getting my harmonica out?! I love the way you play and teach..beautiful.
Excellent Viv, that’s quite a tangent! Thank you :-)
Great lesson Tomlin. May I ask you to do a lesson on Country tuning as well. Thank mate!!
Thank you so much for the email, Tomlin. It was really sweet of you to take some time out of your day and write that to me. I sent you an email about my progress with my lessons from Todd Parrott so far. It's an absolute privilege to be a fan of yours.
Great to revisit this one. Timeless wisdom on building an improv repertoire, with some sweet riffing phrases along the way.
Perfekt. Thank you very much
Ótima dica. Muito obrigado pela aula meu amigo. 🇧🇷
This is a VERY USEFUL lesson!!!!! Thanks very much sir! :)
+Gary Adams GMA my pleasure Gary!
Thank you so much for the lesson. I´m learning so much from you. It is so important to concentrate on one Riff an get it down properly.
Single best lesson I've found yet.
...but I love 'em all...
Thanks buddy! :-)
thanks
Nice one mate :)
+LearnTheHarmonica.com cheers bro!
Harmonica universe crossover
Excellent exercise ideas. They can be taken to other instruments too.
+flexibartr thank you and yes this definitely works for other instruments
Shaolin style exercises. Or poetry of practicing if you want. This morning I broke the 4 blow on my Puck by gapping and you know what I'm going to play it nevertheless. I'm acquainted with this kind of mind hacks from guitar: improvise on it while strings are missing for example - this is going to add technical and mental skills and most of all open-mindedness while open tunings and similar alterations might distract from the real thing. These very little magic tricks get the beginners rapidly into actually doing something and they push the masters into new dimensions. (To be honest I never liked playing pieces from scores or mimicking whole solos despite of having become a music teacher myself.) Is there any book on exactly this phenomenon - on the psychological level too? I haven't read "Mastery" by Robert Greene yet, but I would expect something like this from it. Then there is the good old line of zen-on-books of practicing, and in Germany we treat a little story by Heinrich von Kleist on the secrets of puppetry as an early precursor of this. And this subject goes even further and deeper. Take Robert Pirsig or Martin Heidegger on civilisation and it's decline for example. Stress-relieving exercises of this yoga type are meditations and might enable one to make contact or connect with the deep universe beyond duality and shit propaganda AND question yourself friendly at the same time without taking DMT or alike. Meanwhile one might start to appear like a freak with these practical mantras, but isn't it always a bit like this in art and true religion? I mean what is music else besides making money with gigs for kids who just want to hop around and mate or for elders who want to remember this (which is totally ok btw)?
brilliant idea and yet simple and obvious, but I didn't think that way, have to assume that hahaha, thank you, I'm gonna apply that on my cigarbox guitar which I just build it hahaha thanks
Love it! Thanks Tomlin, this is a groovy way of practicing if ever I encountered one!
+TheBluesman56 that's what we are going for - grooviness!
TheBluesman56 AS Am
Thanks Tomlin! This was very helpful, and definitely applicable to all levels!
YEEE thank you, love vids on how to improvise, somthing i struggle at. keep your vids coming
+Harmonica noobs I will do :-)
You're a good and patient teacher!
Simple et super efficace! Exactement ce qu'il me manquait, un petit exercice pour jouer avec l'improvisation. Merci beaucoup.
+Hughes Bigo de rien mon ami !
Thanks 🙏🌹
Love this lesson! Super helpful!! Thank you Tomlin! :)
Great stuff Tomlin from Robert 🍁
Thanks for all of the videos!!
Probably thee most played hooks ever in Blues Harmonica.
Thank you very very much!Outstanding!
Yeah sick man thanks
Thank you so much, Tomlin!!!!!!
Very, Very, very nice. Super cool. amazing.
Cheers :-)
This was the least intimidating introduction to harmonica improvisation and first that really got me to give it a go. I'm still just beginning, but your lesson helped me start my path towards learning to improvise.
I love this Tomlin. I love the simplicity which gives me confidence.
Amazing!!
You are simply the best.! Nice greetings from Germany
This is a very important lesson, i love it, thank your.
Thanks you very much.
+Tuan Minh Nguyen my pleasure :-)
Thanks for the tabs! Really helped at how simple it was!
Thanks, great lesson again.
My pleasure Marc!
As usual, a fantastic lesson!
Thank you very much, Tomlin. Your videos are really helpful, keep going ;d.
Warmest regards from Bulgaria.
+Diana Atanasova thank you Diana :-) warmest regards from Scotland ;-)
Thank you for the amazing lesson! Congrats!
+isa h my pleasure Isa :-)
Thank you for the explanation
greetings from Germany
+Wanderer x my pleasure :-)
hello Tomlin from Bordeaux ! thanks for your lessons, you're a good pedagogue, Merci !!!
Great lesson Tomlin. Thank you.
Great lesson! Greetings from Poland!
Thank you Tom! Greetings from Scotland :-)
Awesome! I'm just at the beginning, so I try the simpliest variation, thank you :-)
Awesome lesson Tomlin! Thanks!
Outstanding!
+Barry Kronhaus cheers!
thanks man... my favourite lesson from you (they are all very good, too... subscribed)
Cheers Pedro!
this is cool thanks
+Charlie Roche Sr cheers Charlie :-)
Thank you for this lesson Tomlin :)
totally awesome ..thanks...peace
Muito bom este exercício! Poderia nos ensinar outro semana que bem com uma base blues diferente.
great lesson by the way
+mike davis thanks Mike :-)
I discovered the secret to mastering the harmonica some time ago.......practice two hours a day.
This is awesome!
that's a great video, thank you
Big help, good challenge for me in the counting. Thanks!
A little more clarity: I meant like doing riffs and counting at the same time. That's a struggle for me. But this made me look at my tapping foot - and try and count - at the same time my brain is more focused on the next lick. That's hard for me, but I think I'm already getting better. Thanks again!
So much multi-tasking! It's really tough definitely but you will get there - keep thinking about it ;-)
I love your lessons! Thank you so much!!
Really good lesson!
muy bueno exelente
You are an inspiration and thank you. I play a Tremolo Harmonica if you have lessons at this?
i just love this
Cheers Luther! I'm so pleased :-)
Hi Tomlin, great lesson, would it be possible to do a short lesson on how to play different types of music? The theme from the film Arrival is begging to be played on the harp 😁
Hi Tomlin. I'm a big fan of your lessons. I'm hoping you can help me with a technical problemI'm having with my Hohner C-harp (That's only a month old!) My 4 blow won't work - unless I draw on it first. It's as if by drawing on it, it clears something inside, and then it allows me to blow the note - but it only clears it one time! Did I just get unlucky with this purchase, or is there something I can do to fix it? I don't like the idea of opening up the harmonica but if there's no alternative.
These lessons are great, big thanks! As a guitarist, getting the rhythm is pretty easy for me, but I struggle playing single notes on the harp, as lip pucking and tongue blocking both dont seem to work for me. Which exercises would help attain single notes?
What's the blowing name that are you using in? Looks like a tremolo drawing, love it.
I hope I'm not too late in asking, but I would love to know how to play that beautiful riff at 5:31. Are there any lessons available for that specific riff? :) If not, anything close to that will do. Thanks in advance brother
+Sami Haddad hi Sami, I'm afraid that it is just me improvising a little.
This is perfect. Just what I was looking for. Question what is the song on your outro ?
Hey Tomlin! You're awsome, thanks for the great lessons
Could you suggest some harmonica players/bands (blues or not) one should definitely cheack out?
Thank you! ✭
+César Silva hi Cesar, glad you like the lessons. Here are some people to check out - Paul Butterfield, Carey bell, Little Walter, Satan and Adam, Sonny Boy Williamson, Slim Harpo. Enjoy!
Sounds like Lonely town at the end there
Ohh, pretty great lesson!! :) Please, what harmonica model are you using there?
+Rafael Conrado glad you like the lesson. I'm using a Hohner Golden Melody for this one :-)
Hi Tomlin any way you can break down that sweet lick at 5min 10sec? There is a high note you hit
Hi Nicholas - I'm glad you like it. I'll add it to my lesson requests. Cheers, Tomlin
tabs/video for whatever happened at 5:30 :)
Anyone knows how to use a metronome ?
I just download an app, how do i set it up right for this rythm Tomlin is playing ?
How do you get rid of the air when all the notes are draw notes?
I think I'm not holding the harmonica properly because others hold it on their left hand while I feel comfortable holding it on my right hand.
Is it okay if I hold it on my right hand please answer @Tomlin Leckie
macauly culkin?
+Joe Walker yessir!
Hi Tomlin. I love your videos. I have 2 newbie questions:
1) I've got a C harp so I'm confused why the G is a draw note on your harmonica? On mine it's a blow. I know you're playing in the key of G, but I thought C, E and G were all blow notes on a C harp?
2) Mine is a Tombo 21. Is it possible to bend notes on this?
Thanks.
You can bend notes realistically on any harmonica and I think the tombo 21 is a tremollo by a quick look on google
Also the g note makes sense as the reeds affect the sound it's just in the key/note of C which allows all notes to have a certain pitch to them compared to something in the key of E for example
@@theruski8265 Thanks for your answers Ruski. I'm still confused about the G being a 'draw' note on his harmonica that's in C major. On my C major harmonica it's a blow note. I must be misinterpreting something badly here.
This is for the diatonic players ,not for chromatic harmonica players.not only that this is not
for all level as you mentioned.
It's a key of d?
This tutorial reminds me of "bad to the bone"
thank s parlez vous Français ?
Hello tomlin
I've already bought a C major harmonica.
What key should I buy next?
What do you recommend.
Hi Nilshan, I would recommend getting an A or a D next :-)
Tomlin Leckie thank you Tom
I shall buy an A next time I buy one
is moonshine the same in scotland as it is here the u s a ?
I guess Buckfast is the Scots equivalent lol
+Johnny Reid indeed :-)
God i hate the 2 drow... i watched your vid and i get it but i cant make it in licks.... just when im tryin it solo
Fast forward this video to two minutes and 40 seconds and watch a little while closely watching you can see that you suck air into your nose at the same time you're drawing the note! How does that help. It's the reason why you make a face when you do the hard bend on the 3rd draw. So many people draw are into their nose when they're drawing in, cutting the wind in half. The great Charlie musselwhite tathastu me in 70 his words were you're blowing through your nose. I don't mean this to be mean whatsoever but you could breathe so much better
yo, when the hell do you breath out? all these draws and no blows...
Did you just advice to drink moonshine to play well? :D
Your rhythm is off based on the sheet music. I've noticed this in a few of your videos
I wish i could bend :(
micheal vega oh dear...