Tongue Blocking and Juke

Harmonica great Little Walter’s song “Juke” is one of the best and easiest to perform examples of the tongue blocking technique. If you haven’t heard the song, Go and get it right now! Juke is a song every harmonica player should know.

I will be creating releasing a lesson on how to play “Juke” including Little Walter’s solos but here is a taste in the meantime.

Juke by Little Walter Jacobs opening harmonica lick:
(- =draw, + = blow)

                     6   6
2   3   4   5   3   3
–   –    –   +   +   +

That’s it! easy huh?
The tongue blocking part is the last 2 notes the 3/6 split.
Simply cover holes 4 and 5 with the tip of your tongue and use the sides of your mouth to blow through holes 3 and 6.
This will take some practice so go slowly and work up to speed gradually.
Note that there are no bent notes in the Juke melody. Simply use blow and draw techniques to play it.

Enjoy!

Unleash The Musician Within You In 3 Minutes Or Less!

Take a look around your house.

Can you see your guitar or harmonica?

Or, is it stashed in some dark corner never to see the light of day until you mercifully

unlock it from it’s confines and let it breathe sweet music into your life.

One of the most important keys to playing a musical instrument is simply to play the thing every day.

That’s it.

Simple as that.

Now, I can hear the excuses coming in.

My house is too small, my kids or pet iguana might knock it over, etc.

Believe me, I understand. I have five dogs bouncing off the walls in my tiny shoebox of a house!

Are you going to let some lame excuse like that rule your life and drain all the joy out of your music?

Look, it’s a proven fact that when you’re musical instrument is hidden away you are less and less likely to find the time to play it.

Don’t kid yourself, you know what I am talking about. It happens to everybody at some point, even me.

Instead of being disappointed that you can’t remember how to play a song or phrase that you spent so much time on a few weeks ago, or that the strings on your guitar have turned into blackened, rusty and toneless lengths of wire, keep your instrument in a prominent, well trafficked area of the house so that you can pick it up at a moment’s notice and strum a few chords while waiting for the spaghetti to boil.

I remember seeing Chuck Mangione on the Johnny Carson show many years ago and he said he had a horn in every room of his house so that he could play any time there was a free couple of minutes.

hmmm, sounds like a good idea wouldn’t you say?

I realize not all of us can do that so instead have one instrument in the room you use most. Keep it in the case if you have to but just make it easy and convenient to access.

These quick 3 minute practice sessions really pay off huge dividends in the long run.

While you are at it, try to focus on one simple thing at a time such as a particular barre chord or simple phrase.

In no time at all you will be sounding like the musician you want to be!

Energize your music and your life!

 

 

 

 

copyright 2013 Joe Stoebenau Music

Use my Handy Crossharp Harmonica Chart

The question I get asked the most is how to figure out what blues harp or harmonica to use when playing with a band.  I have made a chart that takes all the guessing out of this.  Don’t be the guy on the bandstand frantically testing out harmonicas trying to figure which is the correct harp to use. Simply follow my handy chart and print it out if you like and put it in your harp case so you always have a reference.  Click the button “Cross harp Chart” at the top of this page or simply follow this link to the easiest to follow chart to help you figure out what harmonica to use when playing with a band or other musician such as a guitar player.

http://harmonicajoe.com/cross-harp-chart/ 

Also, be sure to visit my harmonica store for loads of harmonicas featuring the ever popular Hohner Special 20 and also blues harp instruction.   http://www.harmonicasongs.net/Harmonica_Store.htm

Jam On!