How to Play Blues the Bebop Way | Charlie Parker Style | Blues for Alice

[@HowardLevyland]

Get my free backing track: levyland.com/teaching-videos-free-backing-tracks Download lead sheet & mp3: levyland.com/notation

[@thcerveirathcerveira4964]

Great video Howard, I am enjoying a lot watching all the new material you put online. I couldn't help myself laughing out loud on 3:50 when it seems like you stopped yourself from playing a Db because it was an ob. That note was begging to be played, haha. I hope you and your family are great. Best Regards.

[@HowardLevyland]

@@thcerveirathcerveira4964 Ha! You have eagle ears! That's exactly what happened. We're doing ok, and I hope that you and yours are staying safe and healthy!

[@thcerveirathcerveira4964]

@@HowardLevyland As soon as this thing ends I hope you resume performing live around the world, hopefully in Brasil as well. Stay healthy and safe as well, and keep making your wonderful and inspiring music. All the best.

[@robertbocknek5761]

Howard, Listening to you is almost hypnotic. I know I'll never reach your level or understand 1/2 what you are talking about but I love to listen to you speaking and playing.

[@harpharpharpharp1971]

For anyone who is learning harmonica but is discouraged because they don't understand the technical jargon, don't be discouraged. I can play that. Not as well as Howard does, but I can play along, and I can even play that ending. It sounds very familiar and quite normal to me. It is not difficult to play, but I had no idea it is called "ending on a flatted fifth". Although it is interesting to hear that, I don't really care what it is called. The truth is, I have not the foggiest notion what a flatted fifth is. Here is a great tip that was taught me by the legendary bass player Peter Ind about 40 years ago. First sing it and then try to play it. Whatever instrument you play, if you can hear it in your head well enough to sing it, however badly you sing, you are more than half way there. What it is called becomes less important. Many of the finest blues harmonica players in the world could not read music or any kind of chart and would not have been able to name one of the technical terms that are mentioned in tutorials. They employed the techniques as naturally as just breathing, but they learned them by trial and error. If the technical stuff gives you a headache, I recommend you do the same. Don't give up. Howard clearly knows what he is talking about, but if you don't, don't worry about it. I don't either, but I can play it. Good luck.

[@michaelcarlisle5403]

Thank you sir, IF you had exposure, IF you had motivators, IF you had financial backing, IF you had enough talent to get into Julian, IF your mind could connect. Otherwise just play what you want.

[@FilipJersMusic]

Hi Howard! Love this, thanks for sharing!

[@stuffnuns]

This is so cool. I love those changes. The blues go to university. !!! When I hear Howard playing over those changes, I know I’m not going to reach his mastery of the harp. Part of me wants to just throw up my hands and quit right now, and, yet, the better part of me decides to keep practicing and learning theory, and growing - because playing harp does bring me joy. Thanks, Mr. Levy.

[@jasonricci]

Really GREAT video!

[@HowardLevyland]

Glad you dig it!

[@LordStompyHarpLoonyTunes]

Dude, I love bebop, I've wanted this for a long time

[@xxthe_rainxx7445]

The double time lick 👀. I loved this as a jazz musician trying to understand what to do over a blues

[@MicahScottPnD]

Man alive, Howard, you're making me miss Chicago

[@harrywilde2178]

Hey Howard, you're a bloody genius, L'chaim!!

[@MrLordfarinhas]

Señor Levy: es usted un gran maestro ¡Muchas gracias! 👏👏

[@leksheychef6063]

Thank you for your exception generosity

[@GagiSvanidze]

Mr. Howard... Thank you for vote 🙏I mean "phrygian challenge" 🧕 I'm shocked.

[@juank503latino3]

Please keep doing this type of videos Howard Levy!! Thanks so much.

[@RonaldoAguiar]

That's some beaultiful music! Thanks for the video and the lesson!

[@John-sj2md]

Thanks for making me discover my favorite song Mellow Bird Blues/Blues for Alice. To be able to do this on the harmonica was simply inconceivable not so long ago, yet it works so well! Howard Levy folks, for those of you who don't know. A lot of harps would have ended up in the trash without you.

[@guidoperlini6336]

GREAT.....ONE AND ONLY LADIES AND GENT..... HOWARD LEVY

[@mboykin6047]

Thank you Howard

[@p1nesap]

Beautiful.

[@davidscott1052]

Simply the best harp player on the planet......he doesnt need a chromatic harmonica like the rest of us mortals

[@MrRezillo]

I have to agree. First time I saw him live, I couldn't really see what he was doing. I was sure he was on a chromatic harp, doing all those bebop 16th note runs. My jaw dropped when I saw he was playing a diatonic. I didn't think you could play like that on a diatonic harp. I play harp myself, but I never tried to learn how to overblow. I took up trumpet instead.

[@JL-bu8bz]

And why to be the best of planet or universo or cort is important?

[@guimaluc0]

I'm playing this non-stop, such a good and warm song. not too hard to play and such a good practice.

[@HowardLevyland]

Indeed!

[@bigsanharmonica180]

Fantastic! BIRD LIVES!

[@roberttemple2521]

Hypnotizing playing. Something to learn, thank you for this.

[@djesasono6237]

Thanks. You explain it right in that core...

[@bobleach7313]

Thanks Howard

[@uripmargono946]

Amazing, as always.

[@kwkuras]

Thank you, Mr. Levy.

[@andydunn5673]

Outstanding lesson Thanks for sharing this with us all Cheers Howard

[@4tune889]

Great tutorial

[@rhatid]

Maestro, thank you! So good! Inspirational!

[@2236-l1z]

Amazing!! Play 10hs!!?? from Japan with love.

[@GregoryPearsonMusic]

Very inspiring and beautiful - the harmonica sounds great with this type of genre.

[@laurensilver1159]

Every day you post a new video is literally the best day, such a beautiful day! Thank you so much!!

[@HowardLevyland]

You are so welcome!

[@carlsjoquist4299]

Great vid! Thanks, very helpful and enjoyable!

[@jangohemmes352]

Loving the upload schedule lately!

[@notes7799]

Thank you Howard. I've always wanted to play like Bird & Dizzy. You make it accessible. Many Thanks ~ NOTES 🎵

[@HowardLevyland]

Thank you! That's the idea~

[@dariuszrygier]

Fantastic jazz tutorial. Thanks a million !

[@WoozleEffect]

Mind blown. I'm so excited to give this a try!

[@HowardLevyland]

Have fun!

[@tomkirvin4571]

Great lesson from a great player! Thanks.

[@HowardLevyland]

My pleasure!

[@Windhorse_Mcghee]

Amazing Clarity Thank You So Much !

[@HowardLevyland]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jackwilloughby239]

Howard, how Important is your knowledge of the Piano to your Harmonica Playing? How did you learn the piano? I'm finding that all the Brick Walls and Dead ends I've encountered in my attempt to learn these things on the Violin was due to a lack of knowledge of the Keyboard but trying to remedy that has led to more Brick Walls and Dead Ends. I've been reading "Swing to Bop" by Ira Gitler, and one of the things that struck me to the core was a remark by Howard McGee about one night, the piano player passing out and him and Charlie Parker having to take turns playing the changes on the Piano! The only mention I've read of Charlie Parker playing piano. Cheers, Jack

[@gerscheeve297]

I like the solo without overblows and overdraws best! There's more space in it and the tones are more natural..... I'm just entering the jazz world. Managed to play the head of Street Life on a low Eb. But now the solo ..... I think it's in F minor, anybody with suggestions?

[@trickeyt.v96]

Amazing ... thanks !

[@HowardLevyland]

Thank you too!

[@peppinogar]

Great Howard!

[@doreendiggins620]

Brilliant, very impressed!!

[@conchitacarmelita]

Wonderful!!

[@AdvancedLawn]

Thanks Howard! Hey could you do another lesson on 12th position major pretty playing? I love 12th. So fun learning it. I love thenoverblows

[@phoenixgab]

C'est vraiment magnifique !!!!!!! Je vais travailler ce morceau ! Bravo encore et merci à vous ... Belle journée !

[@aramisst-gelais]

In general for bebop do you prefer second or first position? also tasty lines at 4:58 & 5:26 . great stuff as always!

[@HowardLevyland]

Thanks for watching! To answer your question- I use whatever position fits the tune best. For example, to play "Ornithology", I use a Bb harp, even though the tune starts in G major.

[@richcruz]

Astonishing!! WOW! I'm going to give this a try today. Are you going to be playing anywhere in Chicago anytime that you know?

[@HowardLevyland]

Thanks, Richard- I'm not playing anywhere yet. Thinking about starting a weekly livestream sometime soon...

[@harmonicamanrandy]

Hey Howard! Quit hogging up all the awesome. lol

[@HowardLevyland]

LOL...

[@tedpowers2045]

I played Billies Bounce which is also a Blues. Didn’t use any overblown May have screwed up a few notes

[@conchitacarmelita]

"Bebop..." that one style seemingly most inaccessible to mortals! I love the clarity and 'relative' simplicity of your explanation, but am left with a nagging question: would you characterize your playing through this progression as mostly straight or cross harp (or both, as I'm thinking about it)? Thanks so much!

[@HowardLevyland]

Allen, glad you enjoyed the video- the tune is a blues in F, with many chord changes that require you to go into different keys. I'm basically playing in cross harp (2nd pos.), but following the changes really closely.

[@marcelomartinez2510]

Ok me puedes poner en tablatura pf

[@sasaivanovic783]

Incredible!! Jazz on harmonica

[@r5yamaha]

Howard love listening to you play...but you are way to advanced for the average player.

[@Mathuews1]

You did for me what Richard Feynman did for me when I was learning quantum physics.

[@HowardLevyland]

Thanks- I'm a big Richard Feynman fan! He's from my old neighborhood in NYC.