Ask Tomlin: Harmonica Jam Tips • How to Clean Your Harmonica • Easy 12 Bar Blues Improv Tricks + more!

Tomlin Harmonica Lessons

It’s a lot of fun to buy new harmonicas and watch a ton of YouTube lessons. One thing that will really help you improve quickly on harmonica is getting feedback from a mentor or teacher. In this video I answer questions from members of Tomlin Harmonica School about harmonica jam tips, how to clean your harmonica, easy 12 bar blues improv tricks and more!

In this video…

00:00 Amplification: “At what point in our harmonica journey should we consider amplification?”
01:45 Harmonica Jam Tips: “The blue scale doesn’t work with the style of my local jam group. What are the alternatives?”
05:14 Experimenting: “Are there disadvantages to experimenting with more advanced techniques as a beginner player?”
07:10 Clean High Notes: “Do you have any advice for attaining a cleaner sound when hitting high notes?”
08:34 Harmonica Cleaning: “Should I dismantle my harp when using an ultrasonic cleaner or am I safe to skip this stage and wash intact?”
10:12 Different Key Harmonicas: “I’m still a beginner – are there any benefits to practising with different key harmonicas at this stage?”
11:44 12 Bar Blues Minor Tune: “Can you give some tips on how to approach a 12 bar blues minor tune?”
13:16 Standing vs Sitting: “Should I put in more practice standing and playing vs sitting?”