44 &
E7
oeoeoeoe
oeoeoeoe oeoeoeoe oeoeoeoe oeoeoe oeoeoeoe oeoeoeoe oeoeoe oeoeoe oeoeoeoe oeoeoeoe oeoeoeoe oeoeoe oeoeoeoe oeoeoeoe oeoeoe
˙
2
1
0
0
2
1
0
0
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
0
0
2
1
0
0
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
0
0
2
1
0
0
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
0
0
2
1
0
0
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
44 &
E7oeoe oeoe
oeoe oeoe oeoe oe oeoe oeoe oeoe oeoe oeoe oeoe oeoe oeoe oeoe oeoe n# oeoe oeoe ˙˙ #n
3
3
3
3
3
3
12
10
0
0
12
10
10
9
0
0
10
9
9
7
0
0
9
7
7
5
0
0
7
5
5
4
0
0
5
4
4
3
0
0
4
3
3
2
˙
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
44 &
E7
oe oeoe oeoeoeoe oeoeoeoeoe
A7
oeoeoe oeoeoeoe oeoeoeoeoe
B7
oe#oeoe#oeoeoeoe#oeoeoe#oeoe
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
78
9
10
9
10
9
9
97
9
7
01 2
3
2
32
2
20
2
0
23
4
5
4
54
4
42
4
2
˙
Fig. 6
44 &
3 ‰oe oe Fig. 6
™™
A7 fi oe #j oeoe oeoe oeoe fi oe #j oeoe oeoeoeoe
3
3
3
3
™
™
6
57
75
1/2
75
6
7
75
1/2
75
6
˙
™™ fi oe #j oeoe oeoe oeoe fi oe #j oeoe oeoeoeoe
3
3
3
3
7
75
1/2
75
6
7
75
™
™
1/2
75
6
to believe he meant was don’t make up your
mind about what to play until you are in
sync with what’s going on around you musically. Use your ears, not your licks! The lick
in Fig. 4 is a great way to segue from the I
chord into the IV. For some extra vibe, add
a slight palm mute and use all downstrokes.
I call the lick in Fig. 5 a “looper.” Once
you get it going, you can pretty much go
on autopilot for a while to build up tension. In the example, I have outlined how
to play this phrase over the I (E7), IV (A7),
and V (B7) chords in the key of E.
We have another looper in Fig.;6, and
this time we will use it over an A7. The
addition of the 9 (B) at the top of each
phrase gives this lick a jump blues, or
T-Bone Walker sound. Once you get this
one swinging, it will be hard to stop.
Everything I’ve shown you here is not
only great for big, powerful solos, but I
have also started you on the path to learning how to correctly accompany a Chicago
blues harmonica in a band setting. The difference? Easy, here are three steps:
1. Turn down.
2. Listen and complement the soloist.
3. See steps 1 and 2.
Being at the right volume is even more
important than being in tune for this stuff!
For reference, check out any Little Walter
compilation, or anything from the ’50s by
Sonny Boy Williamson or Muddy Waters.
Those really playing this style very well today
are guys like Rusty Zinn, Junior Watson,
Billy Flynn, and Little Charlie Baty. You
can also hear all these licks in the blasting
blues-rock stylings of Stevie Ray Vaughan
and his hordes of followers, all the way to
sophisticated jazz-blues playing of dudes like
Robben Ford and the great Chris Cain.
