Blues Harmonica Secrets Revealed (Gussow.016)

After a little "free blowing" warm-up, Gussow (of Satan and Adam and Modern Blues Harmonica) puts his harmonica under the spotlights and explains how to adjust and tune reeds for better playing.
Here are two beginner's packages that will help you build on what I've shown you in this video:
Modern Blues Harmonica beginner's special:
www.tradebit.c...
Modern Blues Harmonica beginner's deluxe:
www.tradebit.c...
Please follow me on Twitter (@AdamGussow) and Medium.
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/ asgussow_69031

[@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

[@bjkaboom]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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!

[@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

[@ConnorRunsFree]

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

[@thumper1385]

Giggity

[@andymooney]

My girl disagrees with this.

[@AltoPretorius]

any Gussouw video is simply AWESOME! Thank you!

[@donschmit]

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

[@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!

[@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!

[@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!!!

[@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.

[@sparrabag]

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

[@mzthisuseristaken]

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

[@zloop]

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

[@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"

[@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!

[@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 !

[@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.

[@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

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

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

[@charlessnyder1839]

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

[@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

[@richarddeleon3558]

Beautifully presented, bravo.

[@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.

[@rodsreel]

This is spot on advice thankyou. From the Scottish Highlands

[@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!

[@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]

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.

[@joejackson854]

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

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

I have to agree with you: of the hundreds of thousands of people who have viewed, and learned from, my videos, at least three people--one per year--have taken time out of their day to tell me that. One fundamental spiritual principle of the universe is that like attracts like. This would suggest that you notice my scariness--rather than, say, my skill, or my passion--because you, too, are scary, or scared. Interesting. Well, you're one of three to notice, in three years. Thanks!

[@robertbrunston5406]

Very good! Thank you.

[@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!

[@VivianAkacie]

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

[@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

[@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.

[@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!!

[@giusepperesponte8077]

Don’t read this comment if you’re new to harmonica and are just trying to get your harp playing decent. Only read it if you want your harp to play as good as possible and aren’t intimidated, bored, or otherwise disinterested by long explanations of the minute complexities that come with setting up a harp optimally. The problem I find with using a piece of paper to adjust the gap is that it’s prone to bend the reed along it’s length rather than near where the reed is anchored. The problem with that is that if the reed itself is bent, the whole reed doesn’t enter the slot at the same time which reduces the volume and responsiveness of the reed. Ideally, when you’re looking at the reed, that gap of light that comes through from between the reed and it’s slot should disappear at the same time when you press the reed down into the slot. If you adjust the gap with paper, it is likely that the back of the reed will enter the slot first and the tip will follow after because you’ve introduced a slight bow into the reed. This most definitely makes a difference because the way that a reed generates sound is by moving little puffs of air very quickly at a speed that corresponds to the hertz of the note being played. The way it generates those puffs of air is by moving through the slot, so if the reed isn’t moving through the slot at the same time, it isn’t chopping up that air as effectively as if it were moving through at the same time. This is hard to describe but if you get what I mean, this makes perfect sense. This isn’t that big of a deal but if you’re an obsessive perfectionist like me, you want your harp to be perfect. It would take too long to fully explain how to optimally shape and gap your reeds but I’ll just say this, there is info available on reed work that you can buy or maybe even find for free if you look hard enough, but the best thing to do is just get a cheap harp like an Easttop 008k and practice reed work on that. Use a feeler gauge to support the reed at its front and make your adjustments as close to the anchor point as possible using some sort of prodding tool, ideally brass or similar soft metal. Andrew zajac sells a pair of brass tools on his site that are made for this purpose and I’d recommend them. A small flathead screwdriver thats tip is just slightly wider than the reed itself could work in a pinch but be careful because if you slip, it could scrape metal off the base of the reed which would make it go flat. If the idea of doing this work on your harp in order to optimize its playing doesn’t dissuade you and you’d like to learn how to set up your harp to a professional level, I can recommend Andrew zajac’s instructional USB videos and full harmonica work toolset. You can get all his tools and all his videos for about the same price as a custom harmonica like a blue moon, and that will give you everything you need to make your own custom harps at a very high level. Although, make no mistake, it will take a lot of study to gain the expertise to customize your harp at a professional level and it will take a lot of finite, patient work to implement said expertise into your customization process but if you enjoy this type of craft, it is rewarding and once you’ve acquired both the knowledge and the physical expertise and experience to implement that knowledge, you will be able to make your own custom harps. Also, if you really have the aptitude for this work, you could even sell your harps and make good profit off them if you’re good enough.

[@PlAyInSomeBluez]

"You got to use every single hole" -Adam Gusso

[@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.

[@bsquared61]

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

[@Crashoverall]

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

[@wyominglost]

bought my grandson his first harmonica for christmas this year.he's 6. he liked mine so much i had to get him his own.lol

[@torgo714]

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

[@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

[@rickwaddell6603]

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

[@RustyNail5856]

great video.

[@SatisfiedOutside]

fantastic work

[@andretti1950]

suuuuper toll,sehr gut gespielt .i love blues

[@Nomovies]

Basically the most important video on youtube for me.

[@vwthings]

Best explanation on KZbin of gapping! Thank you:)

[@Frank332666]

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

[@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.

[@sculls77]

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

[@sQrin]

thanks a lot for all the information.

[@PayoFyah]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@pagmatic]

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

[@therealkyleyates]

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

[@alexlintern9779]

Adam's light comes thru!

[@JazzQuasar]

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

[@bugandflea]

Excellent! Thank you for posting this.

[@iaaoe]

hell of a warm up bro

[@cat1dog5075]

Very cool video man - 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

[@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.....

[@jzehrung8]

This is helpful, thank you for spreading the knowledge

[@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.

[@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.

[@Gourdane]

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

[@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... ;-)

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

No problem. I like guys who get pissed off sometimes; it means you've got the right feeling for the instrument.

[@bensonan01]

dam is always an excellent voice in harmonica education . thanks

[@PattiReichenbach]

Thank you for some really great info!

[@arthurterembula]

Wow, my harmonica sounds so much better after doing this!

[@AugieButtinelli]

Fantastic...Good Stuff.

[@buh2001j]

Thank you so much. Very informative.

[@bethnaji7602]

You are great!

[@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

[@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!

[@ErinaceousOutrageous]

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.

[@bigbaddays]

GREAT TIPS ADAM

[@ethanjs672]

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

[@W4llyB4nger]

Awesome! Thanks man. Stuff I didn't know about harps.

[@detroitbluesguy]

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

[@Superfangelo]

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

[@27travelgirl]

my teacher wants us to play odd instruments that aren't normally found in school bands, so I chose the harmonica. Haven't actually tried playing it yet so I hope this helps

[@detroitbluesguy]

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

[@Marc1414]

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

[@eddie9903]

You can really blow that Harp . You rock it .

[@tayyip]

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