As a musician, the biggest payoff you may get to feel is when you perform for actual real human people (rather than noodling away on your own).
This is the moment when you get to release the gift you’ve been toiling away in solitude to prepare.
All those hours working on breathing, mouth position, isolating notes, tone, repertoire, etc…and, if you’re like me, in the midst of it sometimes wondering, “Why am I even doing this? Am I wasting my time? What’s the point?”
That question is answered at last when you get to give a performance to a happy listener. No , it wasn’t a waste of time…it all paid off! What a great moment.
I’ve performed thousands of times in my life, sometimes for an audience of thousands, yet some of my most meaningful performances have been in front of only a few people.
When my Grandma passed away, I remember standing on a hill overlooking a reservoir with just a few of my family members to pay respects. My harmonica performance of Amazing Grace that day is one that family members still bring up every once in awhile, and it was a moment I will forever remember and cherish, as I was able convey all of my emotions through my harmonica.
So what am I getting here? Learn songs that give you an excuse to regularly bust out your harmonica. And what better song than… Happy Birthday.
Every year you’ll have a chance to connect your passion to the people you love - there’s no better feeling. So…
Here’s 3 Levels of Happy Birthday from beginner to advanced, so you can help celebrate birthdays, whatever stage your harmonica playing is at. The basic Happy Birthday harmonica tabs are:
6 6 -6 6 7 -7
Hap-py birth-day to you,
6 6 -6 6 -8 7
Hap-py birth-day to you,
6 6 9 8 7 -7 -6
Hap-py birth-day to someone
-9 -9 8 7 -8 7
Hap-py birth-day to you.
But in the lesson itself I go through all. kinds of ways that you can add decorations and flare to the performance. Oh, and for good measure there’s a bonus Stevie Wonder version too.
Rock on harmonica fam!