I'm so happy to tell you that my new course is now live in the school! This course is the ultimate companion to learning pretty much every blues structure you will ever need.   The course covers 26 of the most popular chord structures used by blues bands and at jams. You'll cover several versions of the 12 bar blues, as well as 8 bar, 16 bar and other classic forms.   By the end of the course, you will have improved your knowledge of the common chord progressions used in blues music, and feel more confident in playing along to almost any blues track - whatever the song structure!   The idea is to listen intently, practise playing over the included jam tracks, and learn to internalise the structures in order to become a great blues harmonica player.   Check it out in the Blues School - https://www.learntheharmonica.com/blues-school

I’m thrilled to announce a brand new feature in the school designed to make your harmonica journey even smoother:   The Live Q&A Archive!   This exclusive member-only benefit grants you unlimited access to recordings of all my past live Q&A sessions. That's a treasure trove of harmonica wisdom, just waiting to be explored!   Why You'll Love It:   * Answers at Your Fingertips: Ever wondered about a specific technique or had a burning harmonica question? Now you can search through the archive and find advice from previous sessions, all conveniently on-demand. * No More Missing Out: Couldn't be there for a live Q&A session? No problem! The archive ensures you never miss a single harmonica tip or trick. * Constantly Evolving Resource: As I host more live Q&A sessions, the archive will keep growing, providing you with an ever-expanding library of harmonica knowledge.   This exclusive access is my way of saying thanks for being a valued member of my harmonica school.   Here's how to access your exclusive archive:   On the dashboard after you've logged in you’ll notice a new section called Live Q&A Archive. Click through and start exploring the archive!   Cheers, Liam   P.S. I’ll still be hosting live Q&As on YouTube (you'll het an email about the next one).

Today is International Women's Day (8th March) and I want to celebrate all the women around the world who play the harmonica. There's some very famous women (Big Mama Thornton, Alanis Morissette, Shakira etc.) but let's keep things local for now. I am so pleased to have lots of amazing female students in our LearnTheHarmonica community. After discussion with a few female students I wanted to create a space on the forum specifically for you - to celebrate you and also a space you can use as you see fit. For 2024 International Women's Day I want to celebrate @Paula Braynion. 🎉 Paula is a lifetime member of LearnTheHarmonica.com and has been with me since the start of the school. Paula plays in a Blues Band, The Leaping Frog (check out the link to their Facebook page here). She likes walking with her husband David and dog Dixie and she also runs a not-for-profit social care organisation (Future Directions CIC) which supports adults with learning disabilities and/or mental health issues. Here's a picture of Paula playing with The Leaping Frog: Paula playing the harmonica on stage in the USA Thanks @Paula Braynion for being such an ace student and here's to you on International Women's Day 2024. 🎉 I'm hoping to celebrate my female students on Interntional Women's Day every year but let's not wait until 2025 to celebrate women who play the harmonica. Thank you to each and everyone of you who are a vital part of the community at LearnTheHarmonica. p.s. I found that someone online had created a Spotify playlist of Blues Harmonica played by women - you can check it out by clicking here (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1yrz1cYtNdPtOF58jI9GeV ). Cheers, Liam

Hi all! Just a quick message to say I've added a Welcome Tour so you can learn your way around the school and its courses. You can watch it by clicking on 'Welcome Tour' at the top of the main menu:

Hi all, Very excited to announce a new course 'Blues Grooves for Harmonica'! I think this is a really valuable course for anyone who wants to play with a blues band or get up at a jam night without feeling confused or overwhelmed. You'll get: The ultimate guide to blues grooves 20 common grooves to study closely Individual instrument tracks so you can lock in with the band Pro backing tracks in various speeds Note: You don’t need a harmonica to take the course, but if you want to play the practice lines along to all of the jam tracks, you will need diatonic harmonicas in the key of C, G, A, Bb, D, Eb and F. Check it out in the Blues School - https://www.learntheharmonica.com/blues-school

Hi all, Very excited to announce a new course 'Introduction to Overblows'! You'll get: Step-by-step instruction to get you overblowing for the first time How to set up your harp top make overbends easier Scales and exercises to add overbends to your playing Note: To take this course you must be able to draw-bend and blow-bend already. Check it out from the main menu - https://www.learntheharmonica.com/member-courses

Hi all, Very excited to announce that a new course all about improvising blues harmonica is out now! You'll get: Step by step course on blues soloing Short lessons in easy to follow chunks (using C harp) Several soloing approaches to add variety to your solos Open to all levels even if you’ve never improvised before Check it out from the Blues School menu - https://www.learntheharmonica.com/blues-school

Hi all, I'm very excited to release a new set of jam tracks, all about blues structure! You'll find them in the Jam Tracks section. These tracks will help you to study all the common chord progressions used in blues music: 12 bars, 8 bars, 16 bars and more! The collection includes 26 tracks. They are intended for various keys of harmonica (see the guide in the resources for more information). Enjoy! P.S. There will soon be a corresponding course in which I'll help you get started with these tracks. I'm recording next week and will hopefully release the course by the summer.

Hi all, Very excited to announce that a new course all about mics, amps and pedals is out now! You'll get: No-nonsense guide to essential stage equipment Basics of microphone and amp use Demos of popular pedals Tips on improving your sound and avoiding feedback Check it out from the Blues School menu - https://www.learntheharmonica.com/blues-school

Hi all, Very excited to announce that 'Positions & Modes for Harmonica' is now available! You'll get: Step-by-step lessons in easy-to follow chunks (using C harp) Explore the most useful and interesting positions Learn to use modes in your playing Song studies to try each position and mode Check it out from the Courses menu - www.learntheharmonica.com/member-courses

Hi all, Very excited to announce that 'The Bending Course' is now available! You'll get: Step-by-step course on all types of bending Short lessons in easy-to follow chunks (using C harp) Songs studies to practice your bends Open to all levels even if you've never bent a note before Check it out from the Courses menu - www.learntheharmonica.com/member-courses

Hi all, I'm very excited to release a new set of jam tracks, recorded professionally by my blues band, and this time it's all about GROOVE! You'll find them in the Jam Tracks section. The idea of this collection is to reflect the range of grooves you need to know for a jam night or to play with a band. I really hope they help you to improve your knowledge of grooves and your confidence at improvising. The collection includes 40 tracks (that’s 20 grooves in full speed and slower versions). They are intended for various keys of harmonica (see the guide in the resources for more information). Enjoy!

Hi all, UPDATING CREDIT/DEBIT CARD DETAILS: To update the card details on your account, visit your account info at https://www.learntheharmonica.com/my-account-login and click 'My Subscriptions' from the menu. Next, click 'Update Payment Method' and add your new card details. UPDATING PAYPAL CARD DETAILS: If you pay by PayPal, you can update your card details directly on PayPal. SWITCHING CATEGORIES OF PAYMENT: It isn't currently possible to switch your payment from credit/debit card to PayPal, or vice versa. If you really need to do this, you can cancel your school membership and sign up again using a different payment method. The site should still retain your course progress data as long as you use the same email address to sign up.

Hi all, Very excited to announce that 'The Intermediate Course' is now available! You'll get: Step-by-step instruction through a year of intermediate learning Short lessons in easy-to follow chunks (using C harp) Fast licks, vibrato, draw/blow bends, tongue splits and position playing Suitable for blues, pop, folk, rock, country and more Check it out from the Courses menu - www.learntheharmonica.com/member-courses

Hi all, Just a quick announcement that there's a new set of backing tracks in the Jam Tracks section of the site. These tracks are designed specifically to help you improve your blues licks and all-round soloing. All tracks are ‘one-chorders’ (they contain only one chord) in the keys of E, A and B. This gives you the chance to practice your licks for the I, IV and V chords on an A harp. I find the A (IV chord) and B (V chord) tracks the most useful, because they let you linger on chords that you wouldn’t usually have the chance to in the course of a standard 12 bar blues progression. Enjoy!

Hi all, just wanted to give you a step-by-step guide to asking a question in the forum. The screenshots below show you how to add a post in 'Give & Get Advice' but the same method applies to all categories. Step 1 - Click a category title to enter that category: Step 2 - Click 'Create New Post': Step 3 - Click 'Ask a Question' (or 'Start a Discussion' if that's what you're doing): Step 4 - Add a title and text to your post: Step 5 - Add an image (if necessary): Step 6 - Add a video (if necessary): Step 7 - Click 'Publish' to publish your question: And that's it! Now you just wait for a reply 😎

Hi all, Very excited to announce that 'The Tongue Blocking Course' is now available! You'll get: Five modules teaching blocking, slapping, splits, flutters and sweeps Step-by-step lessons in easy-to follow chunks (using C diatonic harp) Song studies to hone your technique Open to all levels even if you’ve never tongue blocked before Check it out from the Courses menu - www.learntheharmonica.com/member-courses NOTE: this course replaces the old 'Intro to Tongue Blocking' lessons. This new course goes into much more detail and, I hope, explains thing a lot better! Don't worry if you were taking the old lessons, this course covers the same topics and a lot more. Enjoy!

Hi all, Very excited to announce that 'Blues Harmonica for Intermediates' is now available in the Blues School! You'll get: Step-by-step blues lessons for intermediates Short videos in easy-to follow chunks (using C harp) 10 blues songs written especially for intermediates Improve your bending, expand your textures and learn fast licks Check it out at https://www.learntheharmonica.com/blues-school

Hi all, very excited to say that Blues for Beginners is now available in the Blues School - enjoy!!