Come right in and pull out your C harp. Wanna jam? Here's music prepared by Jon Gindick specifically for customers of the Cross Harp Press, and HarmonicaCentral.com. If you don't own a Jon Gindick, book, CD, video, if you don't own ALL of them, we hope you will soon.

Quick Guide to Improvisational Harmonica

When you play 2nd position or cross harp, you are playing your "C"harp in the key of "G." The reason we play 2nd position is because now we can play harp with the accent on the draw notes, the notes that really wail. When you play cross harp, there are certain notes that won't make a mistake. In my long and varied harmonica career, I have heard them called "Safe Notes", "Harmonizing Notes", "Common Tones", "Target Notes", "Pedal Points." What you call them doesn't matter. Knowing where they are does.

For instance, 4 draw and 2 draw. You can play them at any point in the jam and make them fit with the music. They are often the two most accented and wailed-upon two notes in any blues harp harmonica solo. The other Common Tones are important too. Would you like to know where the rest of these Safe Notes are?
1 draw
2 draw (G note on your C harp)
3 blow(same note as 2 draw)
3 draw bent
3 draw unbent(except in minor key)
4 draw (D note on C harp)
5 draw (when playing blues)
6 blow (G note on your C harp)
6draw
7 draw unbent (unless playing minor key music)
8 draw (D Note on your C harp)
9blow (G note on your C harp)
10 draw

Basic Riffs

Since we know there are certain notes that we can accent or wail on, let's use them to build the structure of our music. For instance, go from 2 draw to 4 draw, using the notes inbetween as Steppingstones.

The Up Riff: 2d 3d 4b 4d
The Down Riff: 4d 4b 3d 2d
4 Draw Surprise: 4d 4b 3d 4d
Blues Scale Down 6b 5d 5b 4d 4b 3d 2d
The Good Morning Riff: 1d 2b 2d

The Principle of Repitition

What do you do with these riffs? Repeat them and mold them to the music. Music that goes all over the place, jumping from note to note is usually boring. Repitition is an essential element in music. Here are a couple of ways to use it.

1. What we suggest is that you take one riff, say The Up Riff, and repeat it, creating a theme. After you've done this through the chord progression, switch to another riff,say, Blues Scale Down, and repeat it, then go back to the first riff and so on.

2.You can also play riffs in pairs, or in question and answer format. Listen and play examples in the "Ule Bule Jam Lesson."

To jam better, sooner, get Jon's 224 page instruction book and 74 minute CD jamming Buddy, Rock n' Blues Harmonica, and or Rock n' Blues Volume II.

The audio lessons on this page can only be streamed. To own the CD and the 20 page booklet that comes with it buy Rock & Blues Vol III "Jon's Jamming Room". Buy Jons Books and CD's Now!

Submit your music to Jon's Online Jam Room

The music and lessons on this website are for Windows Media. Click here for a free download.

Before jamming you may want to take a free lesson from Jon that will help you with all the jams to come.

Ule Bule Jam Lesson(Click right here)
(key of G, for C harp, 2nd position) Jon uses simple riffs to accompany "Ule Bule", explaining what he does each step of the way. If you get lost during jams, this lesson will help you stick to the basic cross harp riffs and harmonizing notes. Pull out your "C" harp and let's get started!




"Ule Bule" with Jon's harmonica
"Ule Bule" with no harmonica "Ule Bule" (key of G , for C harp, 2nd position) A fast I-IV-V rocker that really lets you stretch out. The guitar chords are G7, C and D. Instrumentation includes drums, bass, guitar, piano.


"He's Here" with Jon's vocal and harmonica
"He's Here" with no harmonica "He's Here" (key of G, for C harp, 2nd position) Here's a leisurely , bluesy ballad with an unconventional chord progression that goes from G to F a couple of times, then G,C, D a couple of times, and,at the end, a bridge that goes Am, Bm, C, D, G. But don't let these chord progressions throw you. Using the principle of repitition, try repeating a few cross harp riffs and in time your instincts and memory of the music will help you carry the changes effortlessly.


"Unforsaken" with Jon's harmonica
"Unforsaken" with no harmonica "Unforsaken" (key of G minor, for C harp, 2nd position) This is kind of a blues/jazz cha cha number with I-IV-V chords that go from Gm, to Cm to Dm. On the harp version, I play second position, and create a melody that uses the Down Riff: 4d 4b 3d* 2d and 4 Draw Surprise: 4d 4b 3d* 4b 4d. WARNING: Bend the 3 draw when playing minor key second position or the harp will be out of tune with the music. TIP: You can also accompany this music in the key of G minor playing an F harp in 3rd position, B flat in 4th position, E flat in 5th. Get concepts, scales and riff for positions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 12 in Jon Gindick's book and cd "Rock n' Blues Harmonica."


"No Good Reason" with Jon's harmonica
"No Good Reason" with no harmonica
"No Good Reason" (key of A minor, for D harp, 2nd position, C harp, 5th position, G harp, 3rd position) This bluesy number goes Am, F major, E 7th. On the harp version, I play 3rd position G harp, 2nd position D, harp and 5th position C harp.