Saturday, March 1, 2025
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#1 Harmonica Exercise – ‘Relaxed Breath for Tone Control’


This is one of my weekly lessons on Patreon.
The Backing Track on Patreon is called ‘The Line Acoustic Guitar Backing Track’.
If you would like to check it out I post new lessons every Monday & Friday –
https://www.patreon.com/juzziesmithofficial

I really love sharing this lesson as breathing relaxed gives you the best harmonica tone. Blues playing is 80% draw notes so this exercise is a fun introduction to drawing more and staying relaxed.

Get your key C diatonic 10 hole harmonica & give this exercise a go.
If you need a key C Harmonica here is a link to the one I’m playing –

Juzzie Smith Blues Harmonica (Key C)

The exercise is drawing -(123) which is a G chord for three bars then blowing (123) which is a C chord for only one bar.
Chord progression is Em G D C.
Em G D chord’s draw -(123)
C chord blow (123)
|Em |G |D |C |
-(123) (123)
Work on a good seal so you don’t loose air.
Breath gentle and relaxed as this will use less air.

A great experiment is to film yourself practicing this today then practice this everyday for a week and film again. Then try practicing this exercise for one month and then film yourself.

Your breathing should be much smoother therefore your tone and ease of playing will have improved.

If you have breathing problems let me know if this exercise has helped your breathing and lung strength.

Have fun!

#Harmonica #Exercise #Relaxed #Breath #Tone #Control

Originally posted by UCeI-4_UjLwwHvTGjM0cKEIw at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egH33-JQ1Kc

25 thoughts on “#1 Harmonica Exercise – ‘Relaxed Breath for Tone Control’

  • You are a great teacher and I enjoy learning from you! Thanks for sharing all of your skills. I am in love with my harmonica, and my family and friends love it too.❤

    Reply
  • Juzzie you're the best and coolest man of the world ever, I believe in super heroes, your frank from Germany. ????????????

    Reply
  • With my 55 yo, I saw this musician on Youtube with his Harmonica and knew, this is my intstrument. Thank you Juzzie. I get better every day and it makes so much fun. Best regards from Germany, Steffen

    Reply
  • Mr. Smith, I strarted to play harmonica 10 months ago, and one of your videos helped me a lot, that one where you play Muddy Waters riff "harmonica groove to blow your friends away"
    Your video determined me to continue this fantastic journey. Yesterday I uploaded my first harmonica video, would you like to take a look on my channel and tell me what do you think? thanks a lot

    Reply
  • Time to start, this is the video. Have a harmonica, the brace and a guitar. All the gear .. no idea, but watching this gives a helping hand to make the first move.

    Reply
  • Can you teach the tones you're playing at 2.48? I'm practising that ta ta ta ka video and would like to ad that melody to practise 🙂 cheers/ Jesper

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  • You’re amazing and love listening to you play and these videos, shame I can’t play as I get bored quickly but I absolutely love listening to it.

    Reply
  • Love your instructional videos, man! Two years ago, I couldn't really play harmonica at all. Now, thanks in part to your videos, I can actually make some decent sounds with the instrument (nowhere near your level, but still, so much better than I was). Keep doing your thing!

    Reply
  • Thanks Juzzie! I appreciate your weekly lessons, they are really helping me improve my playing. You're the best!!

    Reply
  • Thanks for the new c cord Harp. Greetings from central Arizona my man. I've just started my journey and I appreciate you.

    Reply
  • Really amazing video, super inspired by you, and im considering to start playing harmonica. Is it just standard tuning on the guitar?

    Reply
  • Thanks again for this amazing video. It also helps alot with coördenated playing with my guitar. Easy chords and fun harmonica exercise. ????????

    Reply

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