UNLEASH your creative Passion!
It's all about CONNECTION - not PERFECTION!
By the first week, you'll be playing a 12-Bar Blues. By the end of the course you'll be bending notes, improvising bass lines, comping, playing riffs, string-bends, rhythm and hearing people say "Wow! I didn't know you could do THAT on a harp!!"
“BLUES: Harp-Style” is
a 6-Week online
course by
Deborah Henson-Conant
(that's me!) that’s especially
for harp players and
it gives you the secrets to playing one of the world's most fun, useful and expressive musical forms: the 12-Bar Blues – no
matter what
your skill
level is.
How can some musicians just sit down and PLAY,
making up melodies seemingly 'out of thin air'?
How do they KNOW what to play??
Are they just more 'creative' than others ...
or do they have skills that anyone could learn?
Blues gives you a shortcut to improvisation - and it's something you can learn. Not only that ... it's FUN. From the very first week of the course, you're actually playing the famous 12-Bar blues form that musician love all around the world. After that, you're learning to add basslines,
You're not worrying about what's on the page, because the course teaches you how the Blues WORKS - and then how to simplify, embellish and have fun with it.
And check this out: Notice it says it's a 4-Week course in the video? Well, it was 4 weeks, but now it's 6 weeks -- because I EXPANDED the course to include more playalong sections,more review and new sections like the focus on contemplative blues styles to use in therapeutic and hospice situations.
PLUS ... when you take this course at the Hip Harp Academy, you automatically get into "Blues by the Dozen" - a cool new 14-Day challenge that builds your Blues repertoire - and all the fun that goes with it - super fast.
About
"Blues: Harp-Style"
Here's the video that convinced me to offer this course. Blythe Tait, a student in my "Arrange Yourself" course made this singing testimonial ... and when you get to the end, you'll know exactly why I HAD to create this Blues Harp-Style course
How
can Blues musicians just sit down and play together?
How do people create Blues solos out of thin air?
Are
they
just
more
'creative'
than
others
...
or
do
they
have
skills
that anyone
could
learn?
Well ... the Blues is both a style and a structure.
So the first thing I teach you is the structure and the underlying rhythm - so you have a foundation for putting the Blues into practice.
Next, I show you what to do with your left hand, what to do with your right.
And then we learn how to start adding a sense of style - to bend notes, and play with Blues scales.
And from there ... it's simply learning how to have more and more fun!
“I have not had this much fun playing my harp for months. Since I’m fairly new to the harp; I’m also learning a great deal from the suggestions, ideas and comments of everyone. Taking copious notes & tucking them away for when I’m ready for new concepts.” Laurie Esch Taylor
(p.s. we're in prelaunch mode and don't have a photo of Laurie yet, so this photo is me, DHC)
Why Learn the Blues?
-
It's fun! It's playful! It's one of the simplest ways to learn improvisation!
- It's one of the easiest forms of music to play with other people.
- The basics are simple - so you can free yourself from the notes on the page. But the creative possibilities are endless so you can expand and embellish it for years and just get better and better.
- It sounds utterly cool on the harp.
- You get to hear people say "Wow! I never knew a harp could do THAT!
- It's a great way to have fun with your levers (because you get to learn to bend notes with them) - AND you can also play completely leverlessBlues and still sound fabulous.
- You can even play a contemplative Blues that's wonderful for bedside (who knew that BLUES could be a beautiful form for therapeutic music??)
What
you will
be
able
to do
by the
end:
-
You'll be playing the 12-Bar Blues! And you'll be doing it at your own level! If you're a fledgling player, you'll learn to play a simple Blues, and if you're an intermediate or advanced player, you'll learn to layer more complexity on that same Blues -- and you'll always have the simple, basic Blues to go back to - and sometimes that's the MOST powerful form of the music. And everyone will play from the very first week!
- You'll learn to play riffs, to comp and to blow ... and you'll even know what each of those words means!
- You'll learn to play SOLO BLUES, you'll learn to play BLUES WITH A FRIEND.
-
You'll learn about how to play Blues in a band setting - what the 'roles' and etiquette of Blues playing is, who takes a solo when, what to do when someone else is soloing and how to make your own improvisation pop - even if you're just playing a few notes.
-
You'll learn to create Blues scales, to bend notes and learn how to write out a Blues so you can play with other people
-
I'll show you how to sing and play the Blues, if that's something you want to do. And once you know that, then you'll also know how to accompany someone else singing or playing the Blues.
-
You'll get some special "Harp Friendly" jam ideas so when people say "Let's Jam" you can steer them to music you'll be comfortable jamming on.
-
You'll learn some cool tricks to make those guitar players who always lord it over us go "WOW! I never knew a harp could do that!"
-
And you'll learn a never-fails technique to 'fake it' when you completely blank out, so you can stand there, still playing nary a wrong not, a smile on your face even if you have no idea where you are for the moment. And you'll learn how to get your bearings and come back in once you do figure out where you are.
- And finally... you'll learn an easy, impressive works-every-time ending that's not only easy to play, but looks amazing!
“This has been the best workshop ever! I like having plenty of alone time to work with the concepts in the lessons. At other workshops I can’t hear myself think or play. I really like the online course”
Dawn Sessions Penland
How does does the course actually WORK??
- We have an online classroom where you get to access all the materials. Each week a new module opens up and each module includes weekly teaching videos you can
watch
at your
own pace, a PDF overview of the lesson, and an audio version you can download -- so you can access the information in whatever forms work best for you
- The course also includes downloadable "playalong" tracks so you can start playing the Blues immediately, along with the "Band in Your Ear"
- There's a
weekly
live Q&A chat where
you can
ask questions..
Those
will
be recorded
so that
if
you can’t
be there
live, you’ll
be able
to listen
to them
later – and
you’ll
be able
to submit
questions
in advance
via email,
so if you
can't
make the
chat live
you can
still ask
your
questions and learn the answer later!
- There a
weekly homework
assignment (optional ... and fun!) - which many people find say is the most useful part of the course. Others prefer to just work through the materials and not worry about the homework.
- There's a Private
Facebook Group
- for everyone in the
class
so
students
can
connect
with
each
other,
share
questions,
resources, "Aha's"
and "Ta-das!" and ask questions on a more daily basis in case they get stuck.
- You have access to my"Ask a Question" form
- that lets you email me direct with questions. Then I either answer you direct or add your questions to the weekly chat.
So you can do the whole class at your own pace if you want - and you'll have access to every part of the program for as long as you're a member of the Academy. Usually about a 3rd of the people come to the live events and do the homework - the rest prefer to do it all at their own pace.
How
long
is
the
6-week
course?
Well
... including the catch-up and extra review, you'll be working with me for 8 weeks. You also have access to the course material for as long as you're a member of Hip Harp Academy, so you can continue to review at your own pace even after the course is over.
PLUS ... starting in 2017 you get the Blues Harp Challenge!
Starting in 2017 - I've created a super fun Blues Harp CHALLENGE where you'll learn up to 12 different Blues tunes in 14 days (it's way easier than you think, once you've taken the course!) -- so you can apply everything you learned and see how easy and fun it is to play Blues once you know how it works!
Got
more
questions?
Email
your questions and I'll
try to get
back to you
ASAP with
an answer!
“I play almost daily at the hospital or hospice, and put all of this into practice immediately, so it really sinks in.”
Betsy Scott Chapman
Invest
in Your Creative
Passion!
>> REGISTRATION CLOSED FOR 2017 <<
"Blues Harp-Style" is the Spring Course of Hip Harp Academy. Register for the FULL year-long Hip Harp Academy for access to all my online courses for harp players. Join me for this foundational 6-Week course - including online trainings, Live online Q&A chats, and post-course review.
PLUS you get these three GREAT BONUSES to help you put it all into PLAY:
AND REMEMBER: once you're signed up you get any additional bonuses I add to this course so register now and jump right into the Blues Warmups!
BONUS "MEGA-JAM" This 90-min virtual jam session is pure playalong fun, a chance for you to put everything you learned in the class into action -- and also a chance for you to develop your own repertoire of Blues Jams so when someone says “Let’s Jam” you can say “Hey, I know a couple we can do!” and you can share jam ideas you already know how to play!
BONUS "BLUES BY THE DOZEN" REPERTOIRE-BUILDING CHALLENGE! After you’ve gone through the program, I want you to take all your new skills out for a fabuous musical test-drive! In the "Blues by the Dozen" two-week challenge, you'll get a different Blues tune every day so you can apply what you've learned to it - and you can share it on YouTube or Facebook to enter the challenge (for shy players, you can share more secretly just within the class community). You'lll BLOW YOURSELF AWAY seeing how you can spontaneously turn each melody into a complete Blues arrangement.
"NEW BLUES - BEYOND THE PAGE"! This very cool, virtual workshop uses a simplified version of my popular piece, "New Blues" so you can personalize it and take it beyond the page - using techniques from "Blues HarpStyle" to create your own variations and basslines so you can learn it faster, add the wow factor all with my personal input.
>> REGISTRATION CLOSED <<
THERE ARE 2 GREAT WAYS TO REGISTER!
You have TWO ways to take this foundational 6-Week course that includes online training, LIVE online Q&A chats PLUS the cool bonuses above: You can either sign up for the Hip Harp Academy FULL Membership and get Blues HarpStyle, all the Bonuses PLUS ALL other FULL-LEVEL Academy classes for a full YEAR ... OR take "Blues HarpStyle" a la carte
Option #A: "A la Carte"
Sign up for the 6-week "Blues Harp-Style" only (plus the 3 bonuses listed above - 8 weeks of guided learning)
Option #B: Register for "Hip Harp Academy" Yearlong Membership
"Bluse HarpStyle" is now housed inside my full year "Hip Harp Acadey,: so when you sign up for a FULL YEAR MEMBERSHIP you get“Blues HarpStyle” PLUS over 10 different programs including “Hip Harp Toolkit / Arrange Yourself,” “Summer Harp Jam,” “Hands on Harmony,” “Strings of Passion” – you can see all the courses at HipHarpAcademy.com
NOTE: Only press the "Place Order" in the shopping cart once. If the shopping cart acts like your order didn't go through, don't order again - just send us an email explaining what happened. Usually it HAS gone through but is just ACTING like it hasn't, and if you email direct you won't lose any last-minute bonuses, even if your order didn't go through fully. Just don't hit 'order' in the shopping cart more than once and you'll be fine!
About the Creator of this Program - Deborah Henson-Conant!
Hi,
I'm Deborah Henson-Conant. I've played harp with symphonies and on the streets. I'm a
GRAMMY- Nominated composer
and performer
and I write music for solo harp, harp & voice and harp with symphony - and one of my favorite kinds of music to play - and to teach - is BLUES.
Blues is both a musical structure and a musical style - it's also one of the most fun kinds of music to play on harp, because you can set up Blues scales, bend notes and have a rollicking good time!
Unlike a lot of Blues guitarists, I didn't grow up playing Blues. I had to figure it out once I was an adult, and that's one of the reasons I love teaching it. I know how simple it can be and I know how confusing it can seem.
One of the things I love about Blues is that the basic structure is so simple that you could learn it in a single lesson. But it's so rich that you can spend a lifetime exploring it.
Another thing I love about the Blues is that it's a great form, both for singing and for instrumental playing - and if you want to sing, you don't need a trained voice to sing the Blues - in fact, the more raw your voice, the better the Blues - so it's a great form for 'non-singers' to sing.
The Blues is also a great way to get to know other musicians. Once you learn the simple 'roles' of the jazz band, and who does what when, you can play with other musicians - musicians who don't even speak your language, and, so long as your rhythm is strong, and the structure is clear (and you'll learn how to make both of them strong and clear in this course), you can play with musicians far above or below your skill level.
That's great news for performers, for harp teachers, and for anyone who wants to play along with other musicians. The Blues also just sounds really cool on the harp!
In
other words, Blues is
not a matter
of technical
skill, but
of understanding
the basic form, knowing how to set up the scales, what role you play and then putting it intopractice.
And you'll get lots of practice with this course. There's optional homework every week, and there are also play-along audio-files so you can get down with the band inside your computer. Because I want you to be playing Blues from the first week of this course and for the rest of your life.
So you'll have a structure
to support all the new
techniques and skills you'll learn, as you continue
to grow as a musician for
the rest of your life!
FAQ ~ Q
& A
Q.
WHAT SOFTWARE DO I NEED FOR THE COURSE?
A. You don't need to install any extra software on your computer.
Each week you log into the online classroom where you can watch the lesson on video, or download it as an audio or PDF file. They're all the same information - just in different formats, so it breaks down like this:
A video you can watch online
A PDF overview you can read (so you don't have to take notes on everything in the video)
An audio file you can listen to (so you can listen on your iPod or while you're doing the dishes)
A special playalong audio file so you can play along on your harp!
So
even if your tech-savvy
only
goes so far
as knowing how
to
link
to a Webpage,
watch YouTube and
download
a file, you'll
be able to
get all the class
information.
Q.
WILL I HAVE TO
DO
HOMEWORK?
A. It
is NOT required
to submit
the weekly ‘homework’ for
feedback, and
you will
not be
graded. The homework is to help you integrate the concept and put them into practice, so I recommend you do it even if you don't turn it in.
Each week I choose 3-5 homework submissions at random to give feedback on - and many students say this is their favorite part of the course, getting to see me answer questions and show alternate ways people could play the piece, or what their next steps could be.
The
technical quality
of homework assignments
isn't important.
I have a strong commitment to the concept of 'imperfect completion' so you can know that nobody expects you to get it 'right' the first time (or 2nd or 3rd) - it's all about learning, and playing, and learning more.
One of the biggest values of doing the homework is that, even if you do it for only 10 minutes, it usually brings up some questions - and one of the most valuable things about working with a mentor or coach is that you get to ask questions that are directly relevant to YOU.
And that's why we have TWO different ways to ask questions: one, via the "Ask A Question" form that comes direct to me, and that I often answer within a few hours, so that you can get over whatever stuck-place you're in and move forward.
The other is the weekly live online chat ....
Q. WHAT'S THE WEEKLY ONLINE CHAT? AND WHAT IF I CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE CHAT???
A. Each week I have a weekly Live Q&A online - which people say is another of their favorite parts of my courses.
The chat gives us the chance to be together at the same time, and lets you to ask me questions directly. We try to always have a tech-assistant on that chat in case you're having trouble and need assistance. And if you can't make it to the chat live, it's recorded so you can watch or listen to it later.
Many people submit questions before the chat and then watch the chat later - others like to be on the line, and the discussions often get fairly lively!
Q. WHAT
IF I CAN’T
KEEP
UP?
A. You
can go at your
own pace – you
can take
what you want
from
the course,and
you’ll
be able
to access the
materials
for at
least a month after
the course
is
over.
Different
people
will
take
different
things
from
the
course. Sometimes
I
get
one ‘elegant
idea’ from
an
online
course
that
gives
me
all
the
knowledge
and
power
I
need
to
shift
to
the
next
creative
level – which
is
what
I
want
for you.
Sometimes
I
need
to
do
all
the
homework
and
get
all
the
feedback
in order
to feel I've
gotten
what I need
from
the
course.
So
I wanted
to structure
this
course
so that
regardless
of which
way you like
to learn,
you'll be
able to get
what you
need from
it.
“I have not had this much fun playing my harp for months. Since I’m fairly new to the harp; I’m also learning a great deal from the suggestions, ideas and comments of everyone. Taking copious notes & tucking them away for when I’m ready for new concepts.”
“This has been the best workshop ever! I like having plenty of alone time to work with the concepts in the lessons. At other workshops I can’t hear myself think or play. I really like the online course”
“I play almost daily at the hospital or hospice, and put all of this into practice immediately, so it really sinks in.”
BONUS "MEGA-JAM" This 90-min virtual jam session is pure playalong fun, a chance for you to put everything you learned in the class into action -- and also a chance for you to develop your own repertoire of Blues Jams so when someone says “Let’s Jam” you can say “Hey, I know a couple we can do!” and you can share jam ideas you already know how to play!
BONUS "BLUES BY THE DOZEN" REPERTOIRE-BUILDING CHALLENGE! After you’ve gone through the program, I want you to take all your new skills out for a fabuous musical test-drive! In the "Blues by the Dozen" two-week challenge, you'll get a different Blues tune every day so you can apply what you've learned to it - and you can share it on YouTube or Facebook to enter the challenge (for shy players, you can share more secretly just within the class community). You'lll BLOW YOURSELF AWAY seeing how you can spontaneously turn each melody into a complete Blues arrangement. 
"NEW BLUES - BEYOND THE PAGE"! This very cool, virtual workshop uses a simplified version of my popular piece, "New Blues" so you can personalize it and take it beyond the page - using techniques from "Blues HarpStyle" to create your own variations and basslines so you can learn it faster, add the wow factor all with my personal input. 
