For those of you who've had a harmonica kicking around --
but who never get much past "Oh! Susanna," help is here!
Probably that little ten-holer you're reluctant to take our
of the bedroom drawer should someone hear you, is a blues
harp -- waiting to be rung with soulful tunes and cryin'
bends that are its heritage.
For me, Blue Barry Faust's new CD, Beginner Blues
Harmonica, will take you there. It did for me when I first
sat in his class, guided by the same little book to playing
the blues. Here, in his own voice, you'll have it all --
this great teacher and performer guiding you in an easy,
understandable way through the steps and secrets of blues
inventiveness. In it, you'll be challenged to practice and
play back with him, both to his harp and his supportive
guitar accompaniment. One day soon you'll surprise yourself
at how real you're beginning to sound -- and the blues will
be yours forever.
Al Sigal, player
Age 75 years young
November,
19, 2000
Blue Barry Faust is "THE BEST HARP PLAYER" I know, bar
none. I had played harp for many years before I met Barry
and boy was his stuff an eye opener. I only played straight
harp and cross-harp in country, gospel, and bluegrass
styles. I had tinkered with blues but never really got the
drift of it. When I heard Blue Barry playing the blues I
fell in love with his style of harp. He plays so many
different harp licks that I don't know how he remembers
them. He plays straight-harp, cross-harp, third position,
and some stuff that I don't really know where it is being
played. He plays with such ease. It's as if he thinks it
and it comes out of the harp.
Blue Barry is also a great communicator. It's one thing to
be able to play good harp and it's another to be able to
teach others that same skill. I have attended about a dozen
of his harp classes and we had a packed house each time.
Barry is an amazing talent because he also plays guitar,
banjo, dobro, mandolin, and a few instruments I haven't
heard yet. His Booklet and CD is a great learning tool. He
leads you through every step of learning to play the blues.
I highly recommend it to any harp enthusiast.
Charlie Potter @ http://www.inscorp.com/harmonica
Barry "Bluesman" Faust offers a unique training method
which makes learning to play the harp a lot of great of
fun. He teaches you the correct way to play this awesome
instrument.... from holding the harp correctly to breathing
through, and manipulating the air flow through the
instrument to make beautiful music. His training technique
helps you understand the blues theory and helps you in
developing your own personal style in making the "Blues
sound".
I've enjoyed learning to play the harp through Barry and I
highly recommend his system to everyone who has interest.
You won't regret it!
Brad Amundson
"I've had the privilege and pleasure of receiving acoustic
guitar instruction from Blue Barry for just over a year.
Frankly, just hearing him play would have been worth the
very modest cost of the lessons. His ability to keep me
patiently motivated to improve my beginning level skills
while training me from his wonderful array of both Piedmont
and Delta blues songs, chord progressions and guitar licks
has been nothing short of inspirational. At age 54, I can
truly say that in a positive way, he has changed my life."
Robert Olive
"As a harmonica student who has tried a number of different
methods to learn harmonica including tapes, books, and just
trying to blindly honk along with songs not knowing what I
was doing, I can honestly say that Blue Barry and his
method of teaching are assets to anyone aspiring to play
harmonica. He teaches the student how to play from the
get-go and then encourages him or her to explore with the
instrument. A constant reminder he gives his students is
that should not try to play 'just like so-and-so' and that
they should just play like themselves. His own humility
about his own talent allows the student to learn a lot
while not feeling as if, with some work, that they could be
able to play anything they desire to play. The CD and
booklet are wonderful extensions of his abilities. Having
used several similar methods, I can say that the CD and
booklet are on par or better than any other beginning
teaching aid out there. Take it from somone who has tested
the waters, Blue Barry is an asset that every harmonica
student should have in his or her 'harmonica toolbox'." I
hope that works. Let me know how things are going down
there. Take it easy
Paul Bielicki