Author: Richard

Another True Story 

A Boy Band

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What do you call a group of four musicians?

Robbie stood up in class today and played a perfect rendition of the nursery rhyme London Bridge Is Falling Down. It was only his third week of learning the harmonica and he did really well.

“What do we call one musician playing alone?” asked the teacher. Lots of hands went up. The teacher pointed to one child. “Solo!” came the answer. “That’s quite right, well done you, and well done Robbie for being our very first soloist!” replied the teacher. (more…)

Crazy Harmonicas 

Robert McClung (1936)

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Robert McClung – Pigskin Parade (1936)

Welcome back to our crazy harmonicas series. This clip comes from the film Pigskin Parade made in 1936, which featured a young harmonica specialist called Robert McClung. Robert lived from 1920-1945.

At 16 years of age, watch Robert play a Fox Chase (mixing a galloping harmonica with the sound of baying fox hounds), use his nose to play harmonica, and demonstrate a harmonica steam train. No microphones, no amplifiers, just the amazing natural sounds of harmonica and human voice. Truly amazing

Not much information about Robert is available; we suspect more will be found, now that his crazy harmonica playing has been rediscovered.

Tunes to Play 

That’s The Way I Like It (Part 4)

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Don’t blame it on the sunshine

Now you’re hip to the groove and diggin’ it! Ok, ok, ok, getting down with the funk. Time to check out the lead part dudes.

This takes two forms. The chorus and the verse. Basically the bit that goes before the A-ha, Aha’s and over the chord accompaniment we learned in part 3. Ok, let’s keep on truckin’

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Tunes to Play 

That’s The Way I Like It (Part 3)

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Yeah they were dancin’ and singin’

Well now we’re really motorvatin’. We’ve worked out the chorus and the intro, so now it’s time to learn a chord accompaniment to fit behind the verses.

This won’t take long at all. You just have to play some long notes and keep to the beat. Let’s get movin’ to the groovin’. (more…)

Tunes to Play 

That’s The Way I Like It (Part 2)

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Dance with the boogie, get down

In the first part of this series, we learned two lines you can play to fill the chorus to the song. The ‘A-ha, A-ha’ parts.

Now it’s time to learn the Intro Theme. This starts the song and is repeated towards the end. It’s not difficult. But like the rest of the song, you need to keep it funky!

Ok, ok, ok let’s boogie on down brothers and sisters.

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