The following are recommended instructional books & courses for harmonica players & musicians.
The Tommy Reilly
Harmonica Course
Devised and written for Chromatic Harmonica by Tommy Reilly,
with James Moody (Piano)
Reproduced by kind permission of Mrs Ena Reilly
This edition by Douglas and Barbara Tate
"The ring bound book contains 28 lessons with over 80 mins of audio support played by Tommy accompanied by James Moody on the piano. It is suitable for beginner to intermediate level students and it teaches music reading and theory alongside harmonica
technique."
Douglas Tate is the author of two very useful books.
Play the Harmonica Well
Techniques & methods spelled out by Chromatic Harp virtuoso Doug Tate.
Harold Leonard order number (The world wide distributor) HL 0000244.
ISBN 1-57424-061-7
"This book tells you how to actually play to get the most out of your
harmonica... it DOESN'T teach you music, notation etc, it tells in great
detail the various techniques needed for musical playing, wide tonal and
volume range. It also allows helps you to achieve long life in your
instrument whilst playing with these added dimensions."
THIS BOOK IS STILL IN PRINT
Find it here!
Make Your Harmonica Work Better
To see the current price and to order a copy click on the title.
How to maintain & improve the construction & assembly of your harmonica
by the co-designer & maker of the amazing Renaissance Chromatic harmonica.
Harold Leonard order number (The world wide distributor) HL 0000238.
ISBN 1-57424-062-5
"This book describes in detail how to improve your harmonica... it is
written on three levels, Things which don't require surgery, things you
can do with a few very simple tools, and things which require time and
patience. The techniques are all the things I used to do when setting up
Larry Adler's instruments... plus some others."
THIS BOOK IS STILL IN PRINT
Find it here!
The Harmonica Educator by
Richard Martin
Who is a harmonica teacher as well as the Editor and Publisher of
The Harmonica Educator publication, and the author of a number of Harmonica Course books.
The Harmonica Educator
Book 1 (100 Pages) :
For Beginning & Intermediate Level Chromatic Harmonica Players:
Musicianship and Performance Skills
AND
The Harmonica Educator
Book 2 (135 Pages) :
Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Level Chromatic Harmonica and Bass Harmonica Players:
Musical Exercises, Duets, and Ensemble Music
And Advanced Level Chromatic Harmonica Players:
Musicianship and Performance Skills
Click This
for the complete contents list of contents by Richard
Martin
Visit
The Harmonica Educator website for prices, information on how to
order books from Richard Martin,
or to arrange to have lessons, no matter where you are in the world.
Richard has written several other music books for Harmonica:
Scales, etc. Exercises
for Chromatic and Bass Harmonica
Golden Oldies for
Harmonica Ensembles
More Golden Oldies for
Harmonica Ensembles
Hymns for Harmonica
Ensembles
Christmas Music for
Harmonica Ensembles
Duets, Trios, and
Quartets for Harmonica Ensembles
Jerry Portnoy's Blues Harmonica Masterclass
From the long time veteran of The Muddy Waters and Eric Clapton bands.
The definitive blues harp instruction method is here.
3 CD's and book in a boxed set. US$59.95
"The most thorough, detailed and comprehensive instructional method ever done for the blues harmonica, yet the easiest to follow and understand.
Whether you're a total beginner or an experienced player looking to sharpen your skills, this course has everything you need
-- from establishing solid fundamentals to the most sophisticated techniques of tone, phrasing and sound production."
Available at Jerry Portnoy's Website or
Coast to Coast Music.
Jazz Harp
by Richard Hunter.
Instruction for learning Jazz on the harmonica, published in 1980.
Includes vinal with 6 cuts.
ISBN 0.8256.0229.7 Order No. OK 63727
To see the current price and to order a copy click on the title.
"Excellent book for beginning Harmonica Jazz Players.
Richard Hunter is an excellent harmonica player and his contributions to the harmonica community are well received.
Jazz Harp was published in 1980, it comes complete 6 cuts which are used with practical examples through out the book...
BUT, the cuts are on Vinal, so be warned.
This book is written for BOTH chromatic & diatonic harmonica.
I'd recommend purchasing additional good music theory book & jazz theory book for seriously indepth music theory studies.
Richard also recommends finding teachers,
and asks that you find the tracks given in each chapter so that you can follow his explicit references.
This is a good book, well written and presented.
If you are starting to learn Jazz on the harmonica: this is the one."
(c)2001 Amazon.Com Book extracts from Review by G.
Jon Gindick
Offers a range of diatonic harmonica education books.
Jon is a great harmonica player in his chosen genre.
His writing style is captivating and easy to read,
his motive is to draw in and teach people music on the
harmonica. His books and CDs do this effectively.
Alan "Blackie" Schackner's
Complete Book of Chromatic & Diatonic "State Of The Art" Repairs US$12.95
Harmonica Virtuoso Alan Schackner gives useful instruction for the new owner on windsaver repair/replacement, reed tuning/replacement, improving compression, etc..
available only from F&R Farrell
Blackie also wrote "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About The The Chromatic Harmonica" with CD US$15.95, which apparently is good.
Also available only from F&R Farrell
Band in a Box
An excellent software tool for musicians. Mac and PC versions available. Easy to use, gives full backing to any
changes you want to learn or practise. Any instrument combinations. Ear training and many features.
Good deals available at Amazon.com.
The Musicians Handbook
The New Rules for Getting Gigs,
By
Randy Singer ©2004
This eBook is designed to show you how seek out the hidden opportunities for performance and make the changes to put yourself in these money making and career enhanced gigs.
20 years in the making, you can benefit from the real life examples today and even be gigging next week. - Book Description.
Lentil (Picture Puffins)
by Robert McCloskey
A charming story about young Lentil, his harmonica,
a sour old coot and the leading citizen of Alto, Ohio.
(For kids of all ages).
The Worst Band in the Universe
by Graeme Base
Australian author and illustrator Graeme Base's books are all musical,
but The Worst Band in the Universe (and CD) clearly trumpets the loudest.
With lessons most musicians could learn from.
Effortless Mastery : Liberating the Master Musician Within
by Kenny Werner.
"Mastery is available to everyone," providing practical, detailed ways to
move towards greater confidence and proficiency. - review extract.
The Inner Game of Music
by Barry Green, W. Timothy Gallwey (Contributor).
... here's a book designed to help musicians overcome obstacles, help improve
concentration, and reduce nervousness, allowing them to reach new levels of
performing excellence and musical artistry. - Book Description.
Harmonic Experience:
Tonal Harmony from Its Natural Origins
to Its Modern Expression
by W. A. Mathieu
Explaining the science & physics of music in plain English.
A practical guide with exercises for you to gain real experience from.
The Just Intonation Primer
By David B Doty.
Do you want to start making music in Just Intonation, but don't know where to begin? Have you tried to read other books or articles on Just Intonation, only to be baffled by arcane terminology and strings of numbers? Or do you just want to find out what all the talk is about? The Just Intonation Primer will give you the information you need, in a succinct and readable form. With 84 pages of text and over 50 charts and diagrams, The Just Intonation Primer explains the essential concepts of Just Intonation in terms that practicing composers and musicians will understand.
You may also be interested in the Just Intonation Network.
On the Sensations of Tone
By Hermann Helmholtz, English Translation by Alexander J Ellis.
This book reprinted more than 90 years after its first publication,
is a magnum opus of one of the last great univeralistes of science...
The Sensations of Tone is still required reading
for everyone who wishes to prepare himself for work in physiological
acoustics, and the musician who finds in it unexhausted treasure if he
wishes to understand his art.
- From the Introduction, by Henry Margenau.
Improvising Jazz
by Jerry Coker.
This book, published in 1964, is awesome. It's packed with insight and
applicable techniques regarding improvisation that are as fresh today as
they were nearly 40 years ago.
Patterns for Jazz - Treble Clef
by Jerry Coker.
Jerry's book is excellent for jazz instrumentalists.
It logically guides the player through patterns and sequences that form the constructs of jazz improvisations.
The Jazz Theory Book
by Mark Levine.
This highly recommended mammoth ring bound 522 A4 page book is on Jazz Theory.
To see the current price and to order a copy click on the title.
Thanks to Omer Rauchwerger for his review
Rhythmical Articulation
by Bona.
Rhythmic exercises for all musicians to build up their timing & rhythm reading & playing skills.
Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns
by Nicolas Slonimsky.
Systematic documentation of just about every possible succession of tones.
Me & My Big Mouth
By Larry Adler.
Instant Chromatic Harmonica
The Blues/Jazz Improvisation Method
by David Harp - Book - for beginners.
Harmonicas, Harps and Heavy Breathers
by Kim Field
Blues, Rock, and Jazz Improvising Made Easy
by David Harp
Progressive Harmonica Chromatic and Diatonic 21st Century
by Oscar Fransaw
Harmony & Theory
A Comprehensive Source for All Musicians
by Keith Wyatt, Carl Schroeder
88 Songwriting Wrongs & How to Right Them Pat Luboff, Pete Luboff(Contributor)
Theory & Harmony for the Contemporary Musician
by Arnie Berle (beginner to advanced)
The following include excellent listening material.