Harmonica: Bye Bye Birdie by Sony Boy Williamson III

 

Bye Bye Birdie

Harmonica by Sonny Boy Williamson III (1912-1965)

Harmonica Studies.  By Michael P. Garofalo.  HTMl Version

Harmonica Studies.  PDF Version

Harmonica Chords

I keep some of my notes about my Harmonica Studies on my webpage:

Harmonica Studies by Michael P. Garofalo.

Chords for Harmonicas

By Michael P. Garofalo
June 25, 2024

Common Harmonica Keys: C A D G

I gathered the information provided below from a series of books by James Major titled "the Complete 10 Hole Diatonic Harmonica Series." Each book in the series is about one Harmonica Key. Detailed information, informative charts, well organized, excellent layout, and a valuable booklet of around 50 ages. For example, C Harmonica Book. By James Major. Mel Bay Publishing, 2005, 48 pages. VSCL.

Chords on C Key Harmonica

I C Major CEG (Blow Holes 456 or 789 or 123 or any 3 adjacent holes)

IV F Dyad FA (Draw 56 and Draw 9 10)

V G Major GBD (Draw Holes 234 or Draw Holes 1234

G7 GBDF (Draw Holes 2-5)

Gm DG (Draw 12) 

Dm DFA (Draw 456 and Draw 89 10)

Bb BDF (Draw 3456 and 789) 

Blues Second (Play on G Key Harmonica)

Chords on G Key Harmonica

I G Major GBD (Blow Holes 456 or 789 or 123 or any 3 adjacent holes)

IV C Dyad CE (Draw 56 and Draw 9 10)

V D Major DF#A (Draw Holes 234 or Draw Holes 1234

Gm Minor DG (Blow 34 and 67 and 9 10)

D7 DFmAC (Draw Holes 2-5)

Dm AD (Draw 12)

Am ACE (Draw 456 and 89 10)

F# FAC (Draw 345 and 789)

Blues Second (Play on ? Key Harmonica)

Chords on D Key Harmonica

I D Major DFA (Blow Holes 456 or 789 or 123 or any 3 adjacent holes)

IV G Dyad GB (Draw 56 and Draw 9 10)

V A Major ACE (Draw Holes 234 or Draw Holes 1234)

A7 AC#EG (Draw 2345)

Am EA (Draw 12)

Em EGB (Draw 456 and 89 10)

D Blow AD (Blow 34 and 67 and 9 10)

C Triad C#EG (Draw 345 an 789)

Blues Second (Play on ? Key Harmonica)

Use D Key Harp to Play Blues in Key of A

Band in a Box Software

I downloaded the 2024 Windows version of Band in the Box Pro on June 20, 2024.

Started viewing Henry Clarke's Band in the Box Tutorials on UTube.

PG Music Website, Band in a Box, Software 

Using Ebook: Band in a Box by Peter Upclaire

Band in a Box 2024 User Guide PDF

Harmonica Playing

My Musical Objectives

June-July 2024

Study The Idiot's Guide to Harmonica Playing for 30 minutes each day.
Attend an online class at Harmonica.com with Luke twice each week.

Fluency with C Chords: 
I     C Major   CEG  (Blow Holes 456 or 789 or 123 or any 3 adjacent holes)
IV   F Dyad    FA     (Draw 56 and Draw 9 10)
V   G Major   GBD  (Draw Holes 234 or Draw Holes 1234
     G7   GBDF        (Draw Holes 2-5)
     Dm  DFA           (Draw 456 and Draw 89 10)


Playing, Jamming, Learning, and Practicing with
various C Major Diatonic 10 Hole Harmonicas:

Hohner Special 20 Progressive
Hohner Crossover Marine Band 
Suzuki ProMaster MR 350
Seydel Sohne Blues Session 
Lee Oskar Tombo

Learning how to play 5 simple folk music tunes properly all the way through:
Streets of Laredo, Annie Laurie, Marine Corps Hymn, Michael Row the Boat Ashore,
Blues Piece in C.

Intermediate Objectives (June-Dec 2024):

Find a good harmonica teacher in Portland, Oregon, or Vancouver, Washington.
Learn how to use the Band in a Box computer software ($160) 
Purchase Novation Launchkey 49 MIDI Keyboard Controller
using seamless Ableton Live DAW software ($240).
Learn how to use DAW software.
Continue to advance my understanding of musical theory and history.

My Musical Goals

Playing the harmonica daily.
Learning how to play better chords on the harmonica.
Learning how to play harmonica rhythmic patterns better.
Listening to harmonica music.
Learning some harmonica musical theory each week.
Learning to interpret standard musical score notation for a harmonica.
Learning how to play easy popular tunes. 
Learn how to use Band in a Box software.

My Musical Mission

Listening to all kinds of music over a lifetime.
Enjoying the pleasures of music over a lifetime.
Seeking positive, uplifting, spiritual, and mystical experiences via music.
Enjoying playing the harmonica.
Sharing good sounds with others.
Encouraging and supporting musicians.

Background, Introduction

I have owned various harmonicas since my childhood days.  

I have enjoyed playing various harmonicas by myself.

I have used various books, CDs, MP3s, charts, and online learning resources to learn 
how to play the harmonica.

I now focus for 30 to 60 minutes each day in learning and practicing with a harmonica.

Purchasing good quality harmonicas in different Keys, books, CDs, MP3s, online resources, online video instruction (Luke), and paying for a personal harmonica instructor can be costly for serious intermediate harmonica students and lifetime enthusiasts.

Good education and ongoing learning are essential for steady improvement and more fun.

From January to May 2024, I used a Hohner Crossover Marine Band Key of C and a Seydel Sohne 1847 Key of Low C for daily practice. I was learning the chords on the C Key harmonica, learning the hole notes and playing single notes more clearly.  Most basic instruction books for the harmonic focus on using a diatonic harmonic in the Key of C.  I have gained some fluency in properly playing single notes and chords, in blowing techniques, and I can entertain myself with some improvising.

Saint James Infirmary

Saint James Infirmary

I will be using the Blues Keys of A Minor:  A C D  Ef  E G A

Blues Chords of: 
Am   A C E
E7    E  G Sharp  B D
F7    F A C  E Flat  


The melody is 8 bars long, unlike many songs in the classic blues genre, where there are 12 bars. It uses a steady slow 4/4 time signature.  The Louis Armstrong version has a tempo or pace is that of a slow walk, a funeral march, a dirge.  It can be done in a stride rhythm style with the left hand like Doug Duffey does solo below in 1991, along with his skilled extensive melodic improvisation.  


I take lessons at the Vancouver Music Academy, near Fourth Plain Blvd. and Covington St (94th Ave.)., in the unincorporated Orchards area of Northeast Vancouver, Washington.  

My piano music teacher, Howard, has me doing a finger exercise in C Key and the chords and melody for playing St. James Infirmary.  

The song I asked to work on first was  St. James Infirmary, based on old folk ballads.  The second song will be Summertime, by George Gershwin.  


Various Lyrics for Saint James Infirmary:

"Well, folks, I'm goin' down to St. James Infirmary
See my little baby there
She's stretched out on a long, white table
Well, she looks so good, so cold, so fair

I went down to the St. James Infirmary to see my baby there.
She was lyin' on a long white table, so sweet, so cool, so fair.
Went up to see the doctor, "Shes's very low" he said.
Went back to see my baby.  Great God!  She was lyin' their dead.

Let her go, let her go, God bless her
Wherever she may be
You may search this whole wide world over
But you'll never find another sweetheart like me, yeah

Take apart your bones and put 'em back together
Tell your mama that you're somebody new
Feel the breeze blowin', tell 'em all "Look out, here it comes"
Now I can say whatever I feel like to you

Then get me six craps-shootin' pallbearers
Let a chorus girl sing me a song
Put a red-hot jazz band at the top so that we can raise
Hallelujah as we go along, well

Well, folks, now that you have heard my story
Say, boy, hand me another shot of that rye
And if anyone else should ask you
Just tell 'em I've got some of those St. James Infirmary blues."