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ESSENTIAL INFO
If you purchase a ticket for this course, all the information on this page will be emailed to you with your ticket.
👥 Suitable for: Ages 16 and up
📍 Venue: Bellingen High School (mobility aid accessible)
📈 Level: BEGINNER skill level
⏰ Schedule: Mon–Fri, 9am – 12pm (5 Half-Days)
⚠️ Extra info: This course includes an opportunity for public performance. Students may opt out if they wish.
🚗 Check your venue: If you are booking multiple courses, we are unable to provide transport between venues.
Required skills & experience
No experience required
This course is for absolute beginners who have none, or very limited experience with any musical instruments
You don’t need to be able to read music to attend this course
Supplies that you need to bring to class
MUST have a good quality blues harp in the key of C – Hohner (Marine Band), Special 20, Pro Harp, Blues Harp, Tombo – Lee Oscar or Seydel (Session Steel)
A notepad
Pencil and a rubber
A clipboard for handouts
Learning outcomes
By the end of the week, you’ll be able to:
Blow a single note
Play a C scale and a tune
Play a few different chugs
Use a YouTube or Spotify blues backing track
Cross harp on the first six holes
Jam along to blues in G
Improve your tone such as bending notes
Play a solo
COURSE PLAN
DAY ONE
Explore the blues harp – understand the holes and notes on your C harp
Practice playing a single note – tongue block or pucker
Develop and practice the best hand position for you
Play a shuffle rhythm in 2nd position
Practice a basic improvisation
DAY TWO
Learn the blues scale in 2nd position on first six holes
Learn a vibrato technique
More minor pentatonic scale work
Practice playing an F on hole 2, a Bb and A on hole 3, and a Db on hole 4 (bending)
DAY THREE
Recap and practice what’s been learnt so far
Learn to improvise using different three notes
Understand the 12 bar blues and try an improvisation
Play a simple tune
Keep practicing single notes
DAY FOUR
Add some hand wah wah
Learn more licks together with some sustained notes
Mix a chug and a riff
Practice increasing speed on licks
Learn some new blues licks in various positions
DAY FIVE
Review and practice all of above
Talk about home practice and what to do
Talk about mics, amps and effect pedals
Prepare own solos for the concert
Practice as a group for the concert
COURSE TUTOR
Neil Buckley
Neil started out as a brass and keyboard player, from his start in music at the age of six.
After gaining a Diploma Music Specialist in 1974 from Alexander Mackie CAE, he taught high and primary school instrumental and concert bands from 1975 to 1984 on the northern beaches in Sydney. At the same time, he played sax with a rock and roll band, with gigs all over Sydney.
Over the years since leaving the public school system, he played with A Grade brass bands and concert bands here and in the UK.
He took up blues harp as an aside to jam with guitars in the 80’s while he was playing sax. This was after doing a gig with an amazing blues player – before that, he didn’t know anything about them.
His main gigging these days however is solo – looping a 4-string CB guitar and percussion while singing and then playing over it with harp and keys.
“Neil managed to teach a bunch of beginners a lot of basics. He was patient, informative and helpful. ”
“Fabulous workshop excellent tutor and very hands on and interactive. Great participants also...back next year!!!”
