70 Exercises and Progressive Musical Studies for the Chromatic Harmonica: for beginner to intermediate/advanced levels

During the years in which I have been a chromatic harmonica teacher at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory of Rome, one of the greatest difficulties I have encountered has been that of not having a collection of studies and progressive musical exercises at hand, conceived specifically for the harmonica, to support my work as a teacher and to give order to the course of study.

“70 Exercises and Progressive Musical Studies for the Chromatic Harmonica” places the student, even the beginner, in a position to gradually deal with the various techniques on the instrument (playing legato, movement on the instrument, the use of different registers, playing staccato, jumping notes, shifts, trills, etc.): a course which, if followed correctly, will allow the student to achieve mastery on the instrument.

To accompany the text, free audio backing tracks are available for download for many of the exercises and studies presented in the book, which can be used with the “iReal” application.

The text presents a collection of scales and arpeggios: major, dominant and natural minor in all keys with specific indications for their execution and relative positions that allow for optimal fluidity and speed.

For those wishing to deepen their knowledge of the instrument and its maintenance to consult the “Practical Theoretical Treatise for the Chromatic Harmonica”.

I hope that this book will be of interest to harmonica teachers and that they may make use of these exercises and musical studies to help and support their work.

Follow the link to see the presentation of the book and some extracts of the exercises performed by the students of Maestro Gianluca Littera.