Complete Chromatic Harmonica Method [Paperback]

Phil Duncan (Author)

Book Description

Series: Complete | Publication Date: February 1983

A comprehensive chromatic harmonica method by noted writer and clinician Phil Duncan. Contains excellent harmonica arrangements of 60 tunes ranging in style from light classics to folk and country.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Phil Duncan earned his Masters of Music Education degree in 1973 at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. His thesis focused on the study of methods for teaching the beginning student of any musical instrument. He has taught piano, guitar, and harmonica since the age of 16, having been introduced to the harmonica by his grandfather at age 7. With a versatile educator's experience ranging from elementary school through university levels, Phil served for many years as the vocal and general music teacher at Lakeview Middle School in Kansas City, Missouri. He is currently teaching at Park University in the Music Department. He instructs choir and voice as well as a class in Kansas City Jazz Style and classes on Music Education for Elementary Teachers.

As a clinician, Phil has conducted workshops at several harmonica conventions and at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the University of Arkansas, the Texas Music Educator's Conference, and has presented many other clinics throughout the Midwest. He is also active in community education, and has advised teachers in techniques to better instruct their students in the art of playing the harmonica.

Phil's career as an author for Mel Bay Publications began in 1979 with the publication of The Deluxe Harmonica Method. This work was the result of ten years of research and two years of diligent writing. Since this auspicious beginning, Phil has published over 20 books and videos with Mel Bay Publications on virtually every aspect of playing the harmonica, making a significant contribution to the repertoire for this instrument. He also has 8 published instructional videos and is a recording artist with 15 albums to his credit.

He also performs on guitar and keyboard. Mel Bay has published his Learn to Play Rock/Blues Electronic Keyboard. Missouri Middle Schools's Journal published his article on teaching harmonica playing in the middle school. The Missouri Conservation Commission published several of his harmonica arrangements in its Songbook in 1982. He also is a contributor for the Society for the Preservation and Advancement's Harmonica Happenings news magazine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Mel Bay Publications (February 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871668319
• ISBN-13: 978-0871668318
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,185,121 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Major Flaw!, August 18, 2011

By 

Mister B - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Complete Chromatic Harmonica Method (Paperback)

This book is for beginners to learn the chromatic harmonica, and Mister Phil has the big credentials BUT there is a huge Flaw in his method, in that he starts you reading for notes in the lowest octave (Blow and Draw holes #1 thru 4) but he gives you all the fingering as if they are for holes #5 through 8. Then, having learned all the wrong fingerings, in the middle of the book, he then wants you to "nevermind"...and learn the lower (1-4) AND (5-8) middle octaves ALL OVER AGAIN! (For what they actually are!) So you have to unlearn the entire first half of the book and relearn to read, with different fingerings for everything!!!!This is absolutely NUTS! His justification is that he doesn't want you to have leger lines confuse you (there's just one for that low C, buddy!)
Fortunately I had already learned enough about reading for the Chromatic before the book arrived, so I could immediately spot the FLAW! And am very grateful that I tossed this book in the crap pile before it had a chance to mess me up.

Anyway..Learning to read for the Chromatic is not all that hard, if you just use the actual notation for the actual pitch you are going to use, for starters. Once you actually KNOW how to play all the notes, then if a tune calls for "Octave Changing" as Phil likes to call it, then you are going to be grounded enough to be able to switch. But I would steer clear of this book. Really Far!!!