Paul Butterfield - Blues Harmonica Master Class: Book/CD Pack [Paperback]

Paul Butterfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1997

Paul Butterfield Teaches Blues Harmonica is part of the Listen and Learn series from Homespun. Paul explains some of his playing techniques that made him famous such as note-bending, tongue-blocking, and tremolo.

Product Details

• Paperback: 56 pages
• Publisher: Homespun Listen and Learn Series (November 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0793581303
• ISBN-13: 978-0793581306
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 8.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #645,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Help on Learning Blues Harp, March 28, 2004

By 

Blues Picker (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paul Butterfield - Blues Harmonica Master Class: Book/CD Pack (Paperback)

I'd been trying to learn blues harp for about a month when I ordered this book along with "John Sebastian Teaches Blues Harmonica." Being an intermediate blues guitarist, I managed to figure out a few licks on my own, but nothing fancy or complicated. When I got the two books a week ago, I started with J. Sebastian's. It's a decent book, but it's definitely for beginners. It only contains a few good examples towards the back. On the other hand, Paul Butterfield's book was like a gift from God for those who want to learn blues harp. The book is full of great examples and incredible performance. His explanations are simple and straight forward. I'm working on the first two 12-bar solos that'll make you feel like a pro, and there's much more stuff to learn. This book is worth every penny. The only complaint I have is that I had to wait 4 weeks to get it and that there won't be a sequel to this book.

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect, August 19, 2000

By 

Louise (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paul Butterfield - Blues Harmonica Master Class: Book/CD Pack (Paperback)

Complex musical examples explained clearly. The CD is very easy to follow because it is broken down by example and numbered.

Butterfield was a master!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant portrait of a master, January 28, 2010

By 

mike_in_sd_area (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Paul Butterfield - Blues Harmonica Master Class: Book/CD Pack (Paperback)

Each time you hear Paul Butterfield say "Hi, my name is Paul Butterfield and I'd like to share a few insights on the harmonica if I could..." in his somewhat crackly worn voice, you'll be filled with a premonition that he's about to leave us. And it's sad to know that he only had a few years left when he made this recording with Happy Straum. But you can't help but love the recording, though I guess I'd almost prefer to have bought it alone without the mediocre, error-riddled book that accompanies it. Here's what the recording has to offer.

1. A conversation between Paul Butterfield and the listener that almost makes you feel like he and Happy are with you. Paul's language is different/better than plain old English. He says stuff like, "Happy and I are going to do a little guitar/harmonica thing."

2. Funny moments like when he says that he's playing a Marine Band harmonica with wooden stops and little metal reeds, and you can hear Happy laugh in the background. And another after he's done playing a tune with Happy and he exclaims, "Well, that was fun!"

3. Performance quality songs, with Happy playing guitar, that are so raw you'll tingle when you hear them. Of the 76 or so tracks on the CD, about 10 are full-on recordings of 12-bar blues songs, and each one of them is a gem. You'll be surprised when you hear Paul Butterfield sing too. Though his voice is somewhat tired, it is quintessentially bluesy and gritty. You won't want the songs to end.

The material itself is incredibly advanced. Even the first simple riff he introduces, upon which you are supposed to build and advance, has several nearly impossible-to-reproduce pre-bends and bends. Just a few pages later, the material is so dense that each page will take you weeks to get through. If you're a beginner, don't even think about learning anything from this material. This is a course solely for experts. But you might still consider getting the recording just so that you can hear Paul and Happy. It generates some of the same ruminations as The Last Waltz: These are extraordinary people from an era in our history when people dared to be different, creative, and free, and they will never come again.