How to Play the Blues Harp

Your Essential Signpost to Resources and Help on the Internet and Elsewhere

One CD to get you started...

If you haven't got an extensive collection of blues harp CDs and you want to know who's hot and who's not,check out Blues Harp Boogie - 25 years of Blues Harmonica.

This features Little Walter, Cary Bell with Muddy Waters, Paul Lamb, Junior Wells with Buddy Guy, Charlie Musselwhite, Big Walter Horton, Jimmy Reed, and Sonny Boy Williamson and thats just the well-known artists. There are also some "finds" like Greg"Fingers" Taylor, Paul DeLay and Paul Orta. This has got to be one of the best blues harp CDs issued in a long time.

BTW - Did you notice the price ? To help you even more, here are the harp keys for most of the tracks:

1. Wailing At Weavers - Orta, Paula & The Kingpins A Harp

2. Get It Right - King Biscuit Boy D Harp

3. Catfish - Arnold, Billy Boy & Tony McPhee D Harp

4. Alabama Train - Louisiana Red & Bill Dicey A Harp

5. Country Girl - Wells, Junior & Buddy Guy D Harp

6. Soul Survivor - Taylor, Greg 'Fingers' Taylor & Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets

7. Jukin' With Walter - Horton, 'Big' Walter A Harp

8. I'm Goin' Home - Musselwhite, Charlie C Harp

9. Your Funeral And My Trail - Williamson, Sonny Boy G Harp

10. Annie Maybe - Key, Troyce & J.J. Malone

11. Bugle Call Blues - Blake, Sonny & Mose Vinson C Harp

12. Harpoon Man - Delay, Paul Band

13. Trouble No More - Bell, Carey & Muddy Waters C Harp

14. I've Done Everything I Can - King Biscuit Boy D Harp

15. Walter's Jump - Little Walter

16. You Sure Make Loving Hard - Lamb, Paul & The Blues Burglars C Chromatic 3rd Position

17. Cry Before I Go - Reed, Jimmy A Harp 1st Position

18. Rockin' My Boogie - Horton, 'Big' Walter B Flat Harp

19. Mine All Mine - Delay, Paul Band

20. Hoodoo Man Blues - Wells, Junior & Buddy Guy

21. I'm Your Slave - Harmonica Red & Clarence Edwards A Harp 1st Position?

22. Dixie Diner - Taylor, Greg 'Fingers' Taylor & Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets B Flat Harp

...and a book to help you on your way.

It's not a tutor but it is the harp players bible which includes sections on harp maintenance and tunings, a clear explanation of the functions of opening reeds and closing reeds which explains very clearly the mechanics of bending notes as well as describing overblows. all the notes from all the common keys of harp, a discography and a CD.