Blues Harmonica Secrets Revealed (Gussow.016)

[@bjkaboom]

As always! The MAN...IS the man! His warm-up is my best shot and my best day! thanks for posting!

[@stewsblues1]

"(listen widely and steal from everybody........and acknowledge where you got and what you got)"......I love that! Keep passing it on, and you play very well good work,

[@michaelobrien5484]

See chromatics and prices twelve holelelee

[@michaelobrien5484]

No answer ? Why

[@mzthisuseristaken]

that improvisation was INSANE, IT WAS SOOOO COOL, seriously that was the best!

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

@warchild1976: Every blues player needs to master the A harp, which is what you'd use to play along with a blues in E. That's where I'd start.

[@rtrjmk5]

Thanks so much. My 7& 8 draw holes needed to be opened a bit and cleaned. They work great now. What a difference. Also, you made it clear the covers were fastened with nails, not screws.

[@donschmit]

Thanks for this speedy and helpful reply and all that you continue to do for the harmonica community. Don

[@SurferJoe46]

Smooth style and you impart confidence all in one package. Having played a few instruments in my 64+ years, I decided it was time to get a harp (and I got a few). Like my wife's shoes, the collection just grows. I've just ordered a few of the new Hohner Crossovers. This is great as I needed to mechanical aspects opened up for me. Thanks for that info.

[@AltoPretorius]

any Gussouw video is simply AWESOME! Thank you!

[@subrataraychaudhury6797]

Thanks M8. Your 'massaging' with the piece of paper is a real help. I use a copper tuning blade to 'Plink' the reeds (I do that for both blow and draw reeds usually on the turning of the seasons). Now I'll try your method. Expecting a set of Hohner blues through e-bay any day now, I'll treat tose your way to warm those up before I breath into them. I've an old Yamaha lying dead, I'll try to rejuvenate that too. I owe you one M8

[@PushbladeSymphony]

I don't even play the Harmonica but I came across this while I searching for Harmonica Music and listening to different styles and I have to say that I really liked the video and I learned a little something as well. Adam, keep up the good work mate. "Cheers"

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

Great question. Blues harps are made with slightly softer brass; they bend easier, but also go mushy faster. They're OK for players up through the first year of playing; after that, Marine Bands are definitely the way to go.

[@gregsbest]

Super Video. Thanks you're helping a lot by sharing. I'll look for your other videos. Looks like a lot of fun to play. Cheers !

[@raycer27]

Just got done watching the Satan and Adam movie...great stuff,there should be more people in the world like yourself,the world would be a much better place!

[@johndeggendorf7826]

Awesome…trade secrets of the masters. Thanks!

[@bveracka]

Thank You for Posting! This helped me understand metal-reed tuning much better. I have a Hohner Blues Bender harp that I just fixed a sticky 2nd-Hole Draw-Note on, thanks to your method which I'm quickly learning. My aspiration is to learn to tune both harmonicas and accordions (I play both), mainly because I'm really into fixing things myself and I love tuning and making instruments sound & look better. Thank you so much for the lesson. Regards from Cape Cod Massachusetts!

[@bveracka]

This is a great video, old as it is. If you're serious about playing, you've got to learn how to work on your harp. If you learn how to tune your harps, it will open-up a whole new world of playing for you (Paddy Richter tuning is awesome). The Lee Oskar tool kit is worth buying if you're not very handy. It gives you all the tools you need to tune your harmonicas and a nice booklet with some great tips. If you're handy in the shop, you can definitely make your own tool kit. Great Video Adam!!

[@lilbitmighty]

Thanks for the info, although I'll never make it, I still enjoy trying. You on the other hand have made it. Thanks for helping the rest of us. Not many people out there like you.

[@Roadghost88]

It's a fun instrument. My dad had a few he played when he was in the Navy (big double-deck ones, long ones, short ones) etc. He gave me a C-harp when I was a kid and I wandered around playing it all day. Played so much that my mom threw "that dirty noisy thing away" LOL. It broke my heart. Just ordered a new one for fun. I hope to make use of some of the tips here. Cheers.

[@irobot2258]

What a bitch

[@OmniphonProductions]

My first mentor, Michael Tracey, once told me, "NEVER throw away a harp!" Well, a few months ago, while chatting with Jason Ricci about how much money I've spent on replacement harps for all the 5-Draw reeds I've flattened over the years, he encouraged me to work on my own harps. At that moment, I remembered seeing this video back when I was just starting out, and since then, thanks to you, Jason, and Michael, I have successfully rescued several "dead" harps from the bone yard. THANK YOU!!!

[@svdoiron]

wow so glad to have found these lessons, i just started playing a few months ago and have alot too learn , but these help so much, thanks alot adam, hope you continue to post this kind of stuff

[@joejackson854]

Intelligent stuff. I wasn't sure what to expect.Thank you Straight lateral thinking, I'll check more Joe uk

[@jerrykellerman9725]

Boy you got that right about I didn't have access to what is now available. I remember my buddy who played got me a tape recorder with a pitch control lever to slow down the lick , great except now the key is off , I'm probably ten years older but having you play and teach is in my range . I told Ricci I was jamming with him and feeling good until you left me at the station and sizzled the line , lots of 7$ harps to clean thanks Gus

[@WUJIALEX]

Wow a great video, saved my 1896, thanks Gussow!

[@BongoPedro]

Thanks ever so much for this. I just got back into harmonica by buying 3 cheapo deals from Ebay. I'll bet I have to pay a bit of attention to this site for a while!

[@VivianAkacie]

This is AWESOME and thanx Jerry for sharing this great vid with me. ☆☆☆☆☆ Stars.

[@richarddeleon3558]

Beautifully presented, bravo.

[@DNAblues]

Great lesson on tuning and rescuing a harp. I'm going to do it today on a few harps, actually all of them. Now I'm gonna check out some more of your work. Thanks again for sharing.

[@Pspisripoff]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! I have my C suzuki harp, i have it for.... year now i think, when i play 3draw and try to bend it to the lower tone,, it just somehow .... got this silent part,no sound came out, so i tryd what you sugjested on multiply bars and now it works like a CHARM! THank you, this is a wonderful tip!

[@ebenross]

@KudzuRunner Thanks Adam....I enjoyed your talk about the difference in "E"'s on an 'A' harp and the importance of the 2 hole to french harp'n. Also the free admission about read replacement... i have not learned to replace them ether. Still good to recommend a long moist warm up to start the read freeing process.....

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

I like to hear these sorts of stories. Shared knowledge is good! Pass it on.

[@bsquared61]

These are great insights you're passing along! Thanks for sharing! -BB

[@torgo714]

Thanks for that bit of advice. I just bought a Horner MS and didn't know that.

[@sparrabag]

Gussow you are a legend. looking forward to seein you with mr satan in the UK soon.

[@MikeSuttonXerox]

Adam, thanks for all the tips and videos! Your rendition of Crossroads on your website is great and reminded me of the lower Delta areas I traveled very frequently between Memphis and Little Rock. Anyway, you are certainly entertaining and obviously a Master at the Harp. Overall, you are a very "harpful" person!

[@sculls77]

yep... fair enough, will get practising. cheers for all the help. (gonna bring the blues down under... could take me a while though)

[@Crashoverall]

man, you helped me so much to learn how to use my harp, that Im almost not a begginner. thank you!

[@MICKEYMIN2]

Thanks so much for what you may have considered insignificant but I appreciate you saying " I don't know where I'm going with that" I thought I was the only one that got totally lost from a spot I didn't know where I was to begin with.

[@zloop]

i've been looking for this,,,priceless!

[@therealkyleyates]

subscribed, that's pretty badass that you figured this out

[@pagmatic]

nice way of adjusting the harp. I'll try it out on an older one I have and see what happens.

[@JazzQuasar]

No one cares about the video, the audio is superb and the lesson was free. I'm satisfied! :)

[@rickwaddell6603]

I really love your advise and its free for the taking. Again thank you !

[@ACMDevils]

nice vid man :) just ordered my very first harmonica (sp.20) the first time i'll touch it it will be such a magical moment (even if i cant do anything with it) time will hel :D

[@vwthings]

Best explanation on KZbin of gapping! Thank you:)

[@olegruss]

I'm a beginner, so I've got a cheap harmonica for starters (Silver Star) and was wondering if it was normal that I hardly could draw a clear note from hole 2. All FAQs I read insisted that it was just because I didn't do it right. After a while the sound did improve, but it still was hard. It wasn't until I watched this video and adjusted the gaps a little bit, that I managed to get a clear sound on hole 2. Thanks a lot! This advice should be included in all harmonica manuals and learning books.

[@Nomovies]

Basically the most important video on youtube for me.

[@mielazul]

Hey - what a coincidence. Just came here for the harp info, and here's Adam. I bought the Living On The River CD years back and I still listen to it. Apart from the great music, I thought you captured a really nice sound on the CD. I just posted a video on my channel that you might like - "Underground" by Rosetta West. Really raw blues.

[@landztranz]

Tnx, Cathey! I appreciate your saying that a lot depends on the player. In 5 years I've gotten quite far, but I still have a long way to go. I want to be able to play a lot better and more interestingly, with overblows and everything else. I realize it all takes hours of practice, but that's OK -- I'm only 61... ;-)

[@JJstunes]

Adam, thx for this post. I've got several harps I need to make reed adjustments to and improve the draw notes - I was afraid I'd crew them up though. I now feel more confindent to follow through. I assume these adjustments are consistant with all makes. I don't play Marine Bands because I've always had more difficulty with the 2 and 3 hole draws on these harps. I may give them another try. Cheers

[@andretti1950]

suuuuper toll,sehr gut gespielt .i love blues

[@TheKingSahle]

Great video! This actually worked for me. My 2 and 3 draw would never work, It always came out as an ugly note after 1 second of drawing. Now it comes smoothly and sounds right

[@charlessnyder1839]

I don’t know where I am going with my harmonica either, but I LOVE it!

[@Frank332666]

this is really tricky all those things with the guitar :O. it's a little complicated but it must work. great trick

[@howabouthetruth2157]

COOL TIPS!!! I started playing harp at 6 yrs old in 1968, and graduated to blue's style bends as a teenager & eventually became an accomplished blues harp/guitarist/singer/stage performer for a number of years but "retired" from gigging in 2002. I never recorded originals, although I did write some. Mostly performed cover tunes. I was "a perfectionist" when it came to the music & stage performances, as I took it very seriously. I always knew harps could be adjusted or modified, but never learned "how". Because I haven't picked one up in quite some time now, I'm not sure about "quality & true playability" these days for new harps........( and good grief, they cost SO much more nowadays!!! ) but back around 1997 ( + or - ), I discovered the LEE OSCAR brand of harps, and MUCH preferred them over the factory Hohner's. Loved 'em so much, I bought every key. I do know many prefer the Hohner's AFTER they've been tweaked & modified, but I never got around to meeting anyone who could do that for mine.......so I relied heavily on my Lee Oscar's.

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

@CRAIGARRR: Marine Band harps cost about $29 at Musician's Friend. There's a link on the "harmonicas for sale" page of my website, Modern Blues Harmonica

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

I'm an associate professor of English and Southern Studies at the University of Mississippi, where I've been teaching since 2002. I was driving through Harlem, saw the guitarist/singer in question, asked who he was, and was told "That's Satan." I came back the next day with my harmonicas, amp, and mic, and sat in. I wrote a memoir about my five years as a Harlem street musician called MISTER SATAN'S APPRENTICE. It's still in print. I played with Mr. Satan--Sterling Magee--last night in Fla.

[@jzehrung8]

This is helpful, thank you for spreading the knowledge

[@Nick_Luongo]

fantastic work

[@Marc1414]

best harmonica i've eve heard awesme job!!!

[@starglue8199]

Wow I wish I had known this before. You've been such a big help for my harmonica playing with all those videos and tabs. Thank you Adam.

[@bveracka]

@pronk18 The reeds on MS harps are very tough so you will probably be okay once you bend them back. You want there to be a very slight gap between the reed and the plate; a larger gap is going to let more air flow through, and when the gap is made smaller, the reed will respond faster. It's all about finding the sweet-spot. I'm a big Hohner fan since I also play accordion and I really like the MS harps. I modified a Hohner MS Blues Harp which I love to play. Take it slow and happy playing!

[@corinkomp]

Kudzu, this is really great though I'm just a beginner. I'd like to lear to bend the notes.. I have a set consisting of six harmonicas from A to F. I noticed that the E fits really great together with C#, A and E on my guitar.

[@bugandflea]

Excellent! Thank you for posting this.

[@Superfangelo]

Love you, Adam. You're great! Brother Tuck

[@giusepperesponte8077]

I forget which video I saw this on but I use a handheld engraving tool to file the reeds, they’re about the size of a sharpie, they’re basically just really small handheld dremels, you just press a button and the tip spins fast and you use it to file stuff, very accurate and quick

[@AugieButtinelli]

good stuff - thx - I have all Hohners - only 7 but enjoyed them since I was young. I have alot to learn everyday and always enjoy learning - I want suzukis, I think. They play better right outta the box, so I hear..

[@ConnorRunsFree]

"You really do gotta use every hole" - Glen Quagmire

[@thumper1385]

Giggity

[@andymooney]

My girl disagrees with this.

[@CashMiester]

I have the hohner special 20 marine band harmonica, it's a really great harmonica, I was in a wheelchair for three months from breaking my leg, it gave me something to do.

[@Sudakaful]

Hola! sos muy bueno!! te cuento que me encontre una armonica y me dieron ganas de aprender... tu videos me sirven mucho saludos

[@PattiReichenbach]

Thank you for some really great info!

[@tayyip]

MANNN ROCKN ROLL !!! Play with a blues band hre in NYC we need some!

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

I can pretty much pop the 4, 5, and 6 overblows in out of the box MB harps. But I often tweak those blow reeds a bit closer to the coverplate.

[@detroitbluesguy]

You're A-MAZE -ZING..great stuff.JC

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

Thanks. I cringe a little when I watch this and realize how unschooled DIY I really was about such things back then. I can still crack open a Marine Band harp and semi-optimize it in about two minutes, but I don't begin to consider myself a pro at such things, now that I've seen videos by guys who really know what they're doing. Actually, I think that some guys like that--including the late Chris Michalek and Richard Sleigh--were provoked to upload videos after watching me fumble.

[@alexlintern9779]

Adam's light comes thru!

[@nighttrainjames]

I use a toothpick and a jewelers loupe, myself. If I overly gap one, I mash down at the base of the reed with my thumb until it works. Never tried filing to tune, I will now. Thanks Adam NTJ

[@fendermytc90]

Thanks for an excellent video, I am a beginner and have a cheap harmonica that now sounds much much better and play easier to.

[@bensonan01]

dam is always an excellent voice in harmonica education . thanks

[@drummahaerogirl]

you're amazing!!! I hope to be as good as you one day soon!

[@kevingodding9316]

That was 7 year ago, how good are you now

[@robertbrunston5406]

Very good! Thank you.

[@ethanjs672]

Wow thank you so mich, it was probably the scariest thing I've done in my life 😂

[@bigbaddays]

GREAT TIPS ADAM

[@Gourdane]

AMEN TO YOU BROTHER! Im a blues guitarist and i actually learn and *steal* from your harmonica videos! Keep posting bro

[@PayoFyah]

greaaat,this guy is the harmonica master,thanks a lot

[@lass-inangeles7564]

What is: 1. Perfect armature? Am I spelling this correctly? Does it mean hand position on instrument, method of holding and playing? 2. I do not understand why you use right hand to cup the harmonica? Is it for amplifying or modifying the sound, or for ease of holding the harp? 3. I do not understand the reason for loosening the nails on each end. Is it for making the Marine Band 1856 Harmonica sound like a Blues Band Harmonica - more blue-sy? Thanks for some excellent tips!

[@iaaoe]

hell of a warm up bro

[@emilyarick9361]

I went to an antique shop, and found a 1937 hohner marine band in the key of c. It's fourteen holes. And it totally works, just tastes like an attic. Hard as hell to play. I'm a bassist, guitarist, mandolinist, pianist, all that jazz, but I can't seem to get this harmonica thing down. I've also got a fender blues deluxe in c, which is what I'm trying to master before I move on to the fourteen holes. I don't want to set up the 1937, cause that's a crime, and it plays just fine. I play strings, and I can't seem to get this thing down. Any tips?

[@ronaldripley1942]

Kevin Neuwirth we

[@cherrycircelli3937]

live foxnews

[@tonypmcmahon]

Emily Arick .... tastes like an attic hahaha pure genius !

[@morehumorehu4861]

Emily Arick, Blow💨 harder babe! 😁 lol😁, how's your stamina? May need a bit more wind. Well,,,, you're not a smoker, with all those instruments you wouldn't have the time, lol. All the best!! Hope to see you play (and sing) and show-case your talents on Utube. 😊

[@doceigen]

Few observations: 1) Even though the company didn't accommodate users by using removable screws to assemble this, that doesn't mean you can't re-assemble with tiny screws. 2) Rather than use a ATM slip of paper, I'd use a thickness gauge like this one: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thickness_gauge.jpg Then you can start to reliably calibrate the reed clearances even as you tweak them. 3) Another suggestion is to use an aquarium pump with a soft 1/8 or 3/16 hose and shove the hose in each hole as you go… if you don't have an aquarium pump, just get a length of the soft hosing and blow through it, that way you can tune each reed, even as you adjust it. With a T-connector and two hoses, you could energize two reeds at the same time to adjust the harmonics between proximal reeds.

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

Yes, I close down the gaps on 4, 5, and 6 blow, as needed, in order to facilitate overblow. I open the reeds on 3 and occasionally 2 to make bends easier.

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

Yes. If you file too much off the tip of the reed and sharpen the pitch too much, you can lower the pitch by scoring the reed in the MIDDLE of the reed. This weakens the reed slightly, and makes it vibrate a little slower--thus lowering the pitch.

[@RustyNail5856]

great video.

[@TomiLynch]

I need to warm up to do that warm up

[@RamenRecon]

Great stuff!

[@ouygo]

I found this video not only very interesting i found it very useful. I'm going to d othe same with my Weltmeister harmonica.

[@andytempalski]

Files can be obtained from places like Gaber and Company in Pittsburgh, or Jules Borel in Kansas City. They are watch and jewelry supply houses. Get them in "two cut". The term describes the aggressiveness of the file teeth.

[@MrNotesofmusic]

hey thanks for posting this vid - see i play with a guitar, i don't know anything for playing with guitar, any tips? anywhere you can point me, your playing is incredible, i never knew that there were people who used this instrument to its full compacity - eye opening

[@detroitbluesguy]

Damm you're getting better..must be all those harp classes rubbed off on you..good guy. JC

[@moh1t]

amazing, and if anything is scary, its your talent

[@ranatherapper]

OMG !! freaking awesome :D

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

Hard to diagnose harp problems at long distance. Usually a lot of air before the note means that you need to close down the reed a little--and possibly the OTHER reed in the hole (i.e., both draw and blow on a given hole)