HarmonicaWorld.net blog

New harmonica project - launch of the 10-week course

Recently Paul and I have been involved in a fascinating project - a 10-week harmonica course for primary school children that can be taught to large groups or individuals.

The Ocklynge School project is unique in this country; it’s never been attempted before, but we are doing the same at two West Country schools on the back of this project. Actually the school itself is unique; it has 842 children from year 3-6 and is the biggest junior school in Europe they tell me!

The music teacher, Jenny Johnstone, has worked with the Head, Mark Trott, to secure a grant in order to provide all the children with tuition in one instrument for ten weeks in terms 3 and 4. Jenny chose the harmonica as it is cheap, easy to learn, sounds cool right out of the box, requires no manual dexterity, encourages improvisation and reading music, and act as an excellent introduction to music.

The Ocklynge School asked me to be involved as I am the only full time harmonica teacher in the UK and currently my team (HarpsCool) teaches 600 children in 40 West Country primary schools.

I went for a day with Paul Lennon and we did four one-hour concerts for the different year groups and a team-building harmonica workshop for the 100-strong staff in December 2007. This was to create excitement and set the ball rolling for Jenny as she is the one doing all the teaching.

Paul and I then put together a plan for the ten weeks with all the play-along music tracks and the written music, as well as organising the instruments from my supplier. I then taught Jenny how to play the harmonica and how to teach it and and spent a week at the school in January teaching each class and demonstrating to Jenny how to use the resourses I had provided.

Jenny is doing all the teaching now and is working with each class of about 30 children. She has five or six classes a day for about 40 minutes per group. This goes on every day for the ten weeks! We are now in week six I believe. There is a performance with the whole school playing together on April 4th although I will probably be away.

The plan is for me to go back in April for a further ten weeks and offer tuition in small groups of 5 or so rather that the 35 children that are currently in each group. We will then produce a concert in a big venue with parents invited and the proposed date is Monday July 7th. We are currently talking to two BBC children's programmes which we believe are interested in reporting the progress.

Ben Hewlett

The school number is 01329 725 839
Email: office@ocklynge.e-sussex.sch.uk
Address: Ocklynge School, Victoria Drive, Eastbourne, East Sussex,
BN20 8XN

The Ben Hewlett Harmonica Course

This is an ongoing course which covers all areas of diatonic harmonica playing. Ranging from material for beginners through intermediate level to advanced. Originally designed as playalong CD/book packages they are now in an ideal format for download. The CD tracks have been converted to MP3s and the book into a pdf. The music tracks all feature harmonica on the right channel of the stereo mix, the band on the left channel and the rhythm (drums or a click) in the centre giving each track different uses for the student/performer. All the tracks come with a chart in conventional music notation and harmonica tab.

Volume One of the course (now published by MelBay) covers 'chugging' - another name for rhythm harmonica playing where the performer uses sounds and words to create rhythmic patterns. This style is often found in the playing of people like Sonny Boy Williamson III.

Another important aspect of harmonica-playing is covered in Volume Two 'Search for the Single Note' which, as the title suggests, is designed to develop melody playing from the simplest one and two note tunes to more complex pieces using complete scales.

The next volume in the series is the first package to focus purely on the blues. Volume Three - 'Blues Jam Factory' features many different types of blues in a way that beginners can easily play along with and feel that they are soloing with their own backing band! Great for building confidence right from the start. This album is also the first to have a double CD length playalong section where stereo mixes without the harmonica allow the performer to play completely solo with the backing track.

'Mastermix 1' is Volume Four in the series and features chugs, riffs and tunes all aimed at the beginner. Still featuring blues, there are also classical, rock and popular styles represented in this playalong format.

The fifth volume 'Bones of the Blues' returns to the blues but now demonstrating how one harmonica can play in different keys - five to be precise on this album. These tunes are aimed more at the intermediate level and can provide much more challenge for the developing player. Ten tracks in different styles give the student plenty of opportunity to explore these new possibilities.

Volume Six '101 Blues Riffs' is our first compendium of riffs in different styles for intermediate to advanced players. These are in the styles of great harmonica players like Sonny Terry, in different musical styles - jazz etc., in particular positions on the harp or have particular functions - endings, fast & flashy etc. So there should be something for everyone.

As the name suggests 'Funky Folk' - Volume Seven features treatments of folk tunes in a funky way. Traditional folk tunes have been given funky backings and provide a challenge for any intermediate harmonica player.

Still in the funky vein the next two packages Funky Nursery - Volume Eight and Funky Christmas - Volume Nine feature traditional nursery rhymes and christmas carols treated with new funky backtracks which makes learning for younger beginner loads of fun. There is also the odd original piece among these selections of familiar and not so familiar tunes.

Catering for school age children the next volume 'Nasty Chugs' - Volume Ten uses 'Roald Dahl'-type words and phrases that appeal particularly to kids and provide a great vehicle for learning rhythm harmonica. This is a perfect compliment to the very first volume 'Get Chugging'

There are many CD/book packages planned in this series as well as new ventures like Blues & Beyond which takes a fresh approach to beginning harmonica for all ages.

A new beginning with a new site

As of August 2007 The Ben Hewlett Harmonica Course has a new home at HarmonicaWorld.net where all the downloadable CD/book packages are now available.
Ben Hewlett and Paul Lennon have been putting this material together now for over ten years to teach people how to play the harmonica and show how the diatonic harmonica player can play the blues and much much more. The course covers a huge range of playalong music which includes blues riffs, chugging (rhythm harmonica), tunes, improvisation, beginners' techniques. All this comes with standard music notation and harmonica tab. The first book in this series called 'Get Chugging' is now published internationally by MelBay inc. and can be obtained through any good music shop. The rest of the course is on the website and each CD/book can be auditioned at the click of a mouse. Come and check us out and join our mailing list. I'll bet you had a harmonica as a child and never did anything with it. We'll show how easy and fun it is to play.
At present there is a special of 'Blues Jam Factory' for half the normal price. This is an ideal way for you to start playing the blues.
All the best from Ben and Paul