Instant Blues Harmonica [With Harmonica and CD]

I'm a beginner, I never played the harmonica before buying this package. You really will be playing the harmonica in minutes. What a great, fast, easy and fun way to learn to play the harmonica. After 70 minutes or however long this CD is you won't be John Popper but you will definitely be playing some basic tunes and have a good start to becoming a pro. You get a CD, book, and a harmonica for a great price. I highly recommend this starter set.

If you're ready to pick up a harmonica and a book to play today, I highly recommend David Harp's Instant Blues Harmonica. It teaches the basics of harmonica improvisation quickly and easily. Pop that CD in, and you'll be playing in minutes. Literally! It's very fun and VERY easy! I think ANYBODY can learn to play with this book/cd. It opened the door to musical instruments for my non-musical husband. For a more in-depth study, check out The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing the Harmonica. It covers every possible aspect of learning to play the harmonica, including how to read music and advanced techniques of play, such as bending. This book is useful in learning how to translate written music to a harmonica, and learning how to incorporate harmonica into a band or group. David Harp will get you started playing immediately. Then, if you're interested in continuing your education, check out the Idiot's Guide.

For anyone who thinks you can't learn to make music in an hour or less, you gotta try this book and CD! Appying a series of very simple breathing patterns--with names like Chicago and Boogie Woogie--you can make MUSIC on the harmonica in only a few minutes. In the first few lessons, David Harp takes baby steps through a series short lessons (none is more than three minutes long) which cover beginning blues, folk and "classical" ideas. In the second half, he covers application of the earlier blues lessons, gives a little explanation of the blues scale, presents you with a simplified blues scale and few tricks. The last few tracks are "jam" tracks so you can test out your new chops. Of course he doesn't get into bending in this introductory course, but for less than $15 it's a GREAT way to start! I use the CD in my car and play along on my commute. It's perfect!

This is truly the most comprehensible, hassle-free self-teaching guide for raw beginners. Go with this book and you cant go wrong. Just play along with CD and you will have so much fun! After you finish with this one you may want to purchase Jon Dick's Rock and Blues Harmonica for slightly more advanced techniques you may also want to check out Tom Ball's Source Book series which is a very convenient reference of famous Blues harp licks/riffs.

I have been playing with learning harmonica for a while now, but received this book as a present from my in-laws (who were probably tired of hearing "Camptown Races" and "Red River Valley" endlessly). What a treat. David Harp's instruction is super easy, and starts off with foregoing single notes. He gets you started on music, and then when you're having fun (and more interested in practicing), he hits you with more advanced techniques. I don't mind the Bending Notes book being plugged - there's only so much you pack into a beginners book. If you're thinking about trying the harmonica, I can't recommend this one highly enough.. :)