Customer Reviews

Sourcebook of Little Walter/Big Walter Licks for Blues Harmonica

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

 

 

The best way to learn any instrument is by transcribing the masters and this book makes it easy. Tom Ball has done all the leg work compiling and transcribing classic lines so you can learn them and get way better. Its also a great overview of blues history and music from a harp point of view which is great for anyone that wants a launching point for becoming hip to the blues. Also the book covers a wide range of difficulty levels so it will give newer guys a place to start but will continue to challenge people who have more experiance. Certainly the best harp book out there, and definantly worth the price.
Just so you know all the tunes on the CD are played using a Bb harp. Also the fact that Ball puts multiple licks on a track is a bit frustrating when your trying to play them over and over again to learn them, but if thats enough to deture your purchase of this treasure trove of blues harp greatness, you should probably just stop trying to playing music.
Hope thats not the case. Have fun and good luck!

This book is not for the beginning harmonica player, but if you can bend notes and perform octaves/tongue splits, or are able to acquire these skills, this is for you. The author plays the licks beautifully on the accompanying CD and the notation is clear. If you have some harmonica skill, you can play these licks, even though many of them sound complex and sophisticated. Tom Ball must have put in hours and hours breaking these licks down - he's done all the work - you just need to listen, follow the notation, and practice. There are some nice surprises on the CD also - the author has a great sense of humor. One of the best harmonica books I've ever seen.

First of all, this is NOT a book for total beginners. This is a book for someone who can bend the notes, but can't get much farther. This is a book of licks, as played by the truly greats. If you can play all these licks, you are ready for prime time. Then you just have to take it to the last step, which is thinking up your own licks. You will have a much better chance of reaching that point when you learn this material. Very well presented by the way.

Not only are the riffs in this work done correctly but there's a wealth of information on the blues harp and the Walters, too.
Contains a really interesting bio on Big and Little Walter including some interesting insights into their playing style and equipment.
The author is a accomplished professional WORKING harp musician and it shows.
Great for the licks and much more.
also see Little Walter's bio Blues with a Feeling: The Little Walter Story

My title sums up my feelings about the book pretty well. The author is knowledgeable, thorough and obviously a great player. That's what you want in an author of a method or transcription book. BUT, there is no standard notation, meaning notes, in this book, only draw and blow symbols with the hole numbers. He came up with a way to notate some of the subtlety of harmonica bends, but standard notation plus draw symbols plus numbers and a simple H, W and HW, to indicate half-step, whole-step and 1and1/2 step bends would cover everything you need. By leaving out standard notation the author has left out the rhythm of the licks and made the book only accessible to harmonica players. I AM a harmonica player, by the way. You have to listen to the accompanying CD to get the complete picture. Bravo for the ONLY book out there covering these two great player in depth, but it only gets four stars from me for not taking the final and completing step of making this book for MUSICIANS, not just harmonica OWNERS. I will treasure the knowledge here nonetheless....oh, maybe the writer can't read music? Good job, considering then.