By Kyle Vallone
One of the most enjoyable aspects of playing the harmonica is getting together with friends and playing together. Like doing anything that you love with someone who you have shared a positive experience with over a period of time, it just gets better. For a harmonica player having someone just to sit around and jam with (usually a guitar player) can make all the difference in the world.
I remember when I first started to play the harmonica back in the late 70s and I met my old friend Doug Hoppe. We loved the same artists like Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry. There are just certain songs you share together and, as the years roll by, they add to your collective harmonica playing memory. Because harmonica is an instrument that can be played solo most of the time, I think it is important for a young harmonica player to find someone to jam with.
While in this modern era using mp3s or CDs to play along with is great (much better than all the old vinyl albums I scratched up while learning), nothing can take the place of playing live with a good buddy. You can stretch it out and try that lick you have been working on without worrying about sounding goofy.
Another aspect of playing with friends is it gives you the confidence to go out and play with other musicians in a live setting. When I have periods of time where I am not playing with a band, I will go and check out the local jam sessions. This gives me the opportunity to play impromptu on a lot of songs I probably would not choose to play at home. When you go, take a friend with you, or a fellow musician, maybe even someone who you have worked out a song or two with and you can do it live, either together or with the house band.
Either way, playing music with friends on the harmonica is the most rewarding experience of your playing career.
