Bobby's Blues

The middle section of this little harp solo is my attempt to play an improvisation by Bobby Joe Holman, which he showcased on one of his instructional videos. When I first heard it I was thirteen years old and entranced by the sound that, if I had not known better, I would have attributed to a raging electric guitar, or an electric organ rather than the harmonica. Bobby’s version is ‘mic’d’ through an amp; a technique that gives the harmonica a warm distorted tone, as well as increasing its volume as an electrified instrument. The result of my own tribute is an altered acoustic version, with a slower blues improv starting and ending the piece.

I am indebted to Bobby’s instructional range for opening up the world of the harmonica to me and making, what can be a complex and underestimated instrument, accessible. In more recent years, YouTube has opened up learning on any instrument for free and there are some truly great instructional websites on the internet (for the Chromatic Harmonica, http://www.angelfire.com/music/HarpOn/index.html is a great example). Indeed, for learning on any subject, it is no secret that the internet has caused nothing less than a revolution in providing material for the autodidact. From illegal downloads of books, to free websites (such as http://www.openculture.com/ or https://archive.org/) that provide courses on just about any subject, and specialist material, legally.

For the Harmonica (like any instrument, or topic), there are also wonderful players that one can follow in order to pick up tips on the instrument. The magnificent Christelle Berthon comes to mind as an example, as does Jason Ricci, and Tinus Koorn -who showcases his inspiring overblowing and overbending talents on http://www.tenhole.com. Despite the impact of the internet in transforming their careers, and as teachers themselves, all these players still advocate formal learning from an instructor in person, or with themsleves ‘via’ the internet (usually through skype). This has obvious merits, and musicians (or students), of all instruments (or topics), often seek each other out to advance their playing, and broaden their approach to their respective interests. But what could you do if you were a beginner with no teachers near you or, like me as a teenager, the internet had not grown to the behemoth that it is today? Enter Bobby Joe to the rescue.

Regardless of the advances in online education, Bobby’s instructional range are still the ‘go-to’ place for anyone starting out on the harmonica, and are a brilliant reference for more experienced players. He has a positive and friendly approach to teaching the instrument, one that guided me in my introduction to blues and jazz during my early teenage years and, consequently, one that I will forever be grateful for. 

https://soundcloud.com/samsmusicandmusings/bobbys-blueswav