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Textbook/CD for beginning harmonica players
Blues Harping Steve Baker / Dieter Kropp	Hohner Verlag, Trossingen Schott Music Distribution ISBN 3-920468-26-0, englische Ausgabe book incl. CD, € 15,--
YouÕre going to get solid, down to the basics harmonica information ! This new book, Blues Harping, is really geared for the beginning or intermediate harmonica player. But the information contained in it - even that mentioned just in passing - is often helpful. Even a more experienced player might profit by spending some time with the book that comes with the CD.
The CD is easy to follow and is supported by the well-illustrated 51-page 8" x 11" (DIN-A-4) stapled book. The CD and book start out with the basic things, such as defining the different models of the blues harp, holding the harp, playing single notes, breathing and intonation. Many peolpe can probably get most of the information directly from the CD.

		The book features exploded diagrams of harmonicas, photos of various harps and shows how to hold the harp and form the proper embouchure: lip blocking or tongue blocking. The music is written down in a couple of kinds of tablature, boxes indicating the 12-bar blues format, arrows and numbers for which holes to blow or draw. And there is musical notation for indications of time values and kinds of notes.
		There is a diagram of the Circle of Fifths, which is commonly used these days to determine the various positions on the harmonica. And there is also a chart that shows which position is which. This allows you to double-check your mastery of the Circle of Fifths or the way Steve Baker tells you how to determine the various keys on the CD. Anyone can teach basic harp technique, but when two veteran players do it, even the simplest exercises sound like masterpieces. Which is good for the beginners, who may not know how good the harp can sound.
Steve Baker and Dieter Kropp also get into the notes and chords available on the C harp as well as how to play a 12-bar blues in C. They discuss cross harp or second position, go into the blue notes and bending and describe some important playing techniques.
At some point on the CD, the language switches to German from English. But most harmonica players can still understand the harmonica, which is similar to that offered to the English speaking audience. If you don't understand German, ignore the language and just listen to harmonica exercises, they make sense in any language. by Phil Lloyd Contributing Editor American Harmonica Newsmagazine, Vol. 12/No.5/May 1999

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