Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

This is a good book for intermediate and advanced players to pick up licks from the music on the CD on their own. For this reason, I liked this book. The instruction is way poor. Butterfield was straight out one of the best, but he was a lousy instructor.

This product is the most educating harmonica session on the market. Paul Butterfield gives away his deepest secrets, with all his heart and soul.
But beware, theres no short cuts, he shows you the way, but you have to walk it. If you are a total beginner, and knows nothing of basic teckniques, you will be i trouble on page six or seven. But when you master the essentials, this book and CD is pure gold. Not to mention what pleasure it is to listen to the master, when he delivers goodies on his "horn from the heart" as he says on a track.

God bless you Paul, where ever you are.

Play on

Dan

Butterfield was my door into the Chicago electric blues world in the mid 60's. I'd been playing in rock bands since elementary school (vocals and keyboards). Being from R.I. I'd been exposed to folk blues from the Newport fests, but I'd never heard anything like "Butter". He played with a passion and fury missing on the scene.
While this tape doesn't have the intensity of his early work, it's a glimspe into his head. I've messed with harp for a number of years and recently started to get more serious. This is not for a begineer or someone who looking for traditional teaching. As he put it "these notes are there, you just have to find them". It's more like sitting next to someone who's been there, listen, try it, let him rub off on you.
I would recommend this to anyone who has been working on harp and needs a fresh prespective.

I was led to believe this was targeted for beginners, but that is not the case! The sheet music is fairly complex.

I've played blues harp since I was 16 years old. In 1967 I attened the Montrey Pop Festival where Paul and his band played. I was blown away by the performance of the tune Drifting and Drifting (it's on youtube). I was amazed; How he could make that harmonica sound. I was hooked. Over the next 43 years I've listen and played along with Pauls albums, CD's (in addition to other blues harpest). I've perfected most of his harp licks into my own style of sound and playing, (and you should too). I just purchased this instructional book with CD only becasue I can't get enough of Pauls playing. This is a very easy course to start with. It flows along very good, progressively adding to the instructional content. It's a good tool to learn Pauls basics. It sould be repeated over and over again and practiced to regularly. I highly recommend that you import this instructional CD into iTunes on your comupter that way you can view each area of instruction on your screen and practice only the areas you want to by clicking the mouse. If your interested in learning more of Pauls masterful blues licks, I can't say enough about the CD The Paul Butterfield Blues Band LIVE (recorded in March 21-22 1970 at the Troubadour in Los Angeles). It some of Pauls greatest harp playing to practice too. You can't go wrong by buying any of The Paul Butterfield Bules Bands CDs to practice to here on Amazon.com A great selection of hard to find blues harp master CDs.

Paul's Blues can be simple and as artistic as only he can make it. Anytime someone can take the time to explain their insight into the Blues it is worth the investment.

Butterfield is not a bad technician when it comes to playing the harmonica (assuming the accompanying CD is him). There are several riffs that are very impressive and entertaining. But when it comes to trying to provide the listener with instructions, he falls quite a bit short.

I found that he tends to speak in generalities and makes some assumptions that, had he clarified, would have added volumes to the listener's understanding. I listened to the CD several times and never could find an instance where he actually indicates where he is about to start on the harmonica (4th hole draw, 6th hole blow, etc. . .) It is this lack of clarification that I found very distracting, and often downright frustrating.

The turnaround riffs starting around track 45 are excellent. But they require the student to have mastered bending. A tough task for a newcomer.

He almost has a great teaching tool here -- but I was hoping for a little better than almost. . .