Video: Playing the Train on Harmonica

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Play the harmonica like a Blues Brother; learn a simple harmonica exercise known as "the train" in this free video harmonica lesson.

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skerp Aug 02, 2008
Jim, when the band plays a 12 bar blues in the key of E which harp do I grab, key of G, etc... thanks SP
skerp Aug 02, 2008
Jim, when the band plays a 12 bar blues in the key of E which harp do I grab, key of G, etc... thanks SP
stigmurder Aug 02, 2008
definately doesn't sound like a C.
stigmurder Aug 02, 2008
definately doesn't sound like a C.
evuser17894 Aug 02, 2008
a great starting exercise ty

Video Transcript

This is Jim Luke again. This lesson is about something we call the shuffle; we’ll get to the shuffle but first we are going to talk about the train. The train or the Choogle is a little bit like this. Now, that little train thing is really a breathing exercise, first of all. And what it also does it teaches you timing. Now if you are going to learn to play that you can start out real slow with it, and let’s just break down the elements and then play them slowly. The first thing that happens is you have your pucker is one, two, three and four draw and blow. You are hitting your tongue with the roof of the mouth to get the separation. Remember to keep your lips real loose on the harmonica to get the best tone. Now once you’ve done that; got the harp to your face and you’re going back and forth here you learn to ultimately speed it up as you go along. So now you are moving along quick so what do we do next? Now we have to blow the whistle. So you pucker up a little bit; shove the harmonica up and draw go wah oo wah. That’s the whistle and that’s a little bit about how to play the train. So try it out for yourself and start Choogling.

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Playing the Train on Harmonica

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