Product Details

• Actors: Peter Madcat Ruth
• Directors: Happy Traum
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Homespun Tapes
• DVD Release Date: May 1, 2005
• Run Time: 40 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B0009OBHAE
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #100,923 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Here’s a lesson for people of any age who want to play the harmonica. This pocket-size instrument has been a favorite for generations, and there’s no easier way to get started than this basic lesson. All you need is a 10-hole harmonica in the key of C and you’ll be playing in no time.

Peter Madcat Ruth starts by showing you how to simply inhale and exhale to make sounds on the harmonica, and then turns this into a basic "train rhythm" exercise. By narrowing your lips to get single notes, you’ll quickly be playing the easiest of all harmonica songs, Oh! Susanna. Refining your basic technique further, Madcat demonstrates the proper way to hold the instrument so you can achieve good tone, vibrato and "wah wah" sounds that are typical of good harmonica playing.

After learning the major scale, you are ready to play a number of songs, and Madcat teaches popular campfire favorites: Go Tell Aunt Rhody, Shenandoah, Down in the Valley, On Top of Old Smoky, Polly Wolly Doodle and Camptown Races. Moving on to the "tonguing" method, he demonstrates how to combine melody notes with chord accompaniment and octaves to create more advanced sounds on your harmonica.

Once you’ve worked your way through this very easy and enjoyable lesson, the world of harmonica playing will be open to you, and you’ll be well on your way to more advanced styles and techniques.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not so good!, February 25, 2009

By 

Raymond E. Holley (Iraq) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: DVD-Anyone Can Play Harmonica-An Easy Guide to Getting Started (DVD)

I figured since I was puchasing the $18 DVD that it would be a more detailed product. Peter Ruth only explained the techniques of how to play. It was not a teacher to student type of lesson. After talking about the half dozen techniques he played songs that he thought would be easy to learn but NEVER taught you how to play them. He also said in the video that you could follow along in the book that came with the DVD but there was no book. VERY DISSAPOINTED!