Black Rat Blues Swing

Memphis Minnie

This comes from Phil Wiggins's advanced blues harp class at Augusta Heritage Center. Phil is know for country blues, playing with John Cephas. This piece is (as John would say) low down dirty blues. It works well accoustically or using a mic in a Chicago type blues band. It has all of the basic elements of "good chops" and a relative beginner should be able to get it all down and use it as grist for jams.

Here is Cephas and Wiggins on Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad doing Black Rat Swing. You get to hear Phil starting to do the notes below, but it fades out.

 

 

 

 

 

The tab icons are set so that if you click (or touch) them it will play a harmonica note. All songs are set to play with a "C" harmonica in cross harp (2nd position) so the song or riff will be in the key of "G".
The exception will be the riffs where the little menu comes up and it allows you to play in first or third position or correct the key. You still will use a "C harp, but they song key will be "C" or "D" accordingly.

 

Buy the Book!

I cleaned up my tab for Sonny Boy's Help Me and made it into a short book. There's a Kindle version for 99 cents, and if you buy the paperback you get the Kindle free.

Playing "Help-Me" In the Style of Sonny Boy Williamson II: A step by step, note for note analysis of some of Sonny Boy's Signature Riffs