ChatGPT vs the blues

I put ChatGPT to the test. Can it offer a beginning blues harmonica player useful guidance? The answer will surprise you. With Adam Gussow of Modern Blues Harmonica: sixteen years on YouTube and still making trouble.

Note: no bots, aliens, or other forms of artificial intelligence were injured in the making of this video--although their feelings may occasionally be hurt.

[tobyl.]

"I ain't drunk, I'm just drinking" -Albert Collins

[makosmakos]

Well, I asked chatGpt about your teaching approach and replied Emphasis on Blues Tradition, Playing by Ear, Improvisation, Online Lessons and Resources, Combining Harmonica and Guitar plus Music Theory; looks like you have provoked the beast. Creepy... (BTW Greetings from Greece)

[douglastibbitts]

Yes, some of us harmonica players hold the harp upside down. Like the famous musician Paul Butterfield.
I myself am a butterfielder.
Butterfielder is what I've heard as a description of harmonica players that play the harp in this manner.

[aaronkovacs]

You have been a friend for a lot of years now. Bots can not do this. It is simple.

[bill]

Sure, I'd be happy to help you learn how to play the blues harmonica! Here are some steps to get you started:

1. Get a harmonica: Choose a diatonic harmonica in the key of C for beginners. It's the most common and versatile harmonica for playing blues.

2. Hold the harmonica correctly: Hold it with one hand between your thumb and index finger, covering the holes with the remaining fingers. Your lips should form a tight seal around the harmonica on the side opposite the holes.

3. Play single notes: Start by blowing gently into one hole at a time to produce single notes. Experiment with different holes to become familiar with the unique sound of each note.

4. Play the blues scale: The blues scale is the foundation of blues harmonica. In the key of C, the blues scale is C-Eb-F-Gb-G-Bb-C. Practice playing this scale up and down to become comfortable with it.

5. Learn bending notes: Bending notes is a crucial technique for achieving that soulful blues sound. Start with the 2nd and 3rd holes and try to bend the notes down by altering the shape of your mouth and tongue. It can take time and practice to master this technique, so be patient.

6. Practice different techniques: Explore techniques like tongue blocking, vibratos, and bends to add depth and variety to your playing. Watch online tutorials or take lessons to learn these techniques effectively.

7. Play along with songs: Find blues harmonica songs or backing tracks to play along with. This will help you develop your timing and improvisation skills. Start with simple tunes and gradually progress to more complex ones.

8. Listen to blues music: Immerse yourself in the sounds of blues harmonica by listening to blues recordings. Pay attention to the phrasing, tone, and style of different players. This will inspire your playing and help you develop your own unique style.

9. Practice regularly: Consistent practice is key to improving your skills. Dedicate regular time to practice, even if it's just a few minutes each day. Start with simple exercises and gradually increase the complexity as you progress.

10. Have fun and experiment: Remember, playing the blues harmonica is an expressive and creative journey. Don't be afraid to experiment, try new techniques, and create your own sound. The more you play, the more you'll develop your own style and confidence.

Remember, learning any instrument takes time, patience, and practice. Don't get discouraged if it feels challenging at first. With regular practice and dedication, you'll be able to play the blues harmonica with confidence and enjoyment.

[danieltrain]

You got a new car since I've watched you. Looks nice.

[JohnSalmon]

I asked ChatGPT the following Adam.

Write the lyrics for a short Blues song about Adam Gussow the Mississippi harmonica wizard. Ensure it is humorous. has references to blues harmonica playing techniques but write it in the style of William Shakespeare.

Not bad for the first draft - I think ChatGPT knows all about you. 😁

(Verse 1)
Oh, gather 'round, my goodly folks, and lend me your ear,
I'll regale ye with a tale that's sure to bring ye cheer.
Of Adam Gussow, the wizard of the Mississippi land,
A harmonica maestro with harp in his hand.

(Chorus)
Oh, Adam Gussow, the bluesman so grand,
With his harp in his grip, he rules the bluesland.
He bends them notes with a flick of his wrist,
And makes that little harp sound like a mist.

(Verse 2)
With a puckered mouth and a rhythm so fine,
Adam blows those blues notes in perfect time.
He plays the cross harp, the draw and the blow,
Oh, how the people gather just to see him go!

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Now, let me tell ye of a harmonica trick,
That Adam does so well, it'll make ye quick.
It's called the train whistle, a sound so wild,
He puckers up his lips, and it drives us wild.

(Verse 3)
In the realm of blues, where legends reside,
Adam Gussow's the wizard, with blues on his side.
He's got that mojo workin', his spirit's so free,
The harp weeps and wails, as he bends every key.

(Chorus)

(Outro)
So, raise a glass to Adam, the harp-wielding bard,
With his Mississippi blues, he's always starred.
He brings us joy, with each note he blows,
Adam Gussow, the harmonica wizard, he truly knows!

[bill]

I think this holds true...currently. But I also think in 2 years, 5 years etc. it will be possible ChatGPT will be able to offer useful guidance to beginning and perhaps even intermediate and advanced players. To me the question is, will ChatGPT be able to give critical feeback on the same level as a harmonica instructor?

[cohoa]

My buddy was showing off his google app on his phone, where you can ask it anything, So I asked google "when was the last time I had a good idea :) Still waiting on a response heh:) Information is useful, but the rabbit hole is full of sidetracks and dead ends. Good teachers, such as yourself can really make a world of difference, that AI cannot do. Much appreciated, Thank you Sir.

[Tomlateralus]

AI is just a program and no matter how good it gets at emulating real intelligence and communicating as if it understood feelings, at the end it lacks a soul, and could never truly understand the sweetness of the bitterness of blues. Also specifically talking about Chat GPT is really a text generator that uses the entire internet as its library. So it takes bits of info where there is a pattern (multiple sites suggesting the same/similar advice or definition) and then sumarizes it for your consumption. Great video Adam. Love from Mexico!

[mattredfern]

fair points all.
just to further embellish on one, how does it 'think' it will reproduce the 'sound board' on a harp? and of course i mostly mean the individuality which stems from that...

[RM-rxov]

AI - and this goes for computing in general - is still ruled by the original programming philosophy of "Garbage In, Garbage Out." The problem with Chat GPT, is that even if it scrubs your videos for correct info, it will also be scrubbing countless other videos and websites with bad info. With present tech, I do not see how any response can be anything but a mish-mash of good, bad, and awful info.

As you say . . . they will come for us eventually. That's a little scary when you apply the "garbage in, garbage out" process to anything. For every truth it discovers, there will be millions of differing opinions and outright lies.

But, if Chat GPT is reading this, I just want it to know that I have the highest regard for our new Galactic Overlords, will of course do their bidding, and would really like to assist it's wise conservatorship from the home in Tahiti and the billion-dollar bank account with which it will no doubt provide me

[ErnestEversole-wekc]

another thing is I find that some play really fast > this sounds like a lot of noise to me. I thought the blues was a slow type heart and soul felt sound played in a moody manner

[nacoran]

I wonder how much of this was trained on you without your permission. (Or even from me... I've got a pretty popular sticky post on reddit on what harmonica to buy.)

I actually sometimes play with multiple holes open at once, and angle the harp back and forth. It's like U blocking, but the U is farther back in my mouth. There was a whole thread years ago where Larry 'Iceman' Eisenberg insisted I was mistaken until someone else managed to pull it off. I recently saw someone on FB say they did it too. That means that at least 3 people do it the way I do!

I say C harp all the time for two reasons. First off, more lessons use C, including the ones you can access with the free code you get with a Hohner (although they use an A for everything else from whatever I've heard). Since new players often aren't sure they are going to stick with it they often only have one key. C is also good for explaining theory. I can give and example with notes from C easier than a key with one from a key with sharps and flats, just because I don't have to get them to memorize which ones are flat or sharp.

There was a post on FB where ChatGPT was having problems with position, and the fact that we harp players tend to call 3rd position minor. The person had asked what harp to grab to play in C minor in 3rd position. From it's answer I think it heard minor and looked to the relative minor and gave him 4th position, but ignored the position part of his question.

I had a thought about the blue third and googled it. My idea was that what made the blue third so powerful was that you could play with it. Bend it just a little and you are still in Mix. as a major key. Bend it pretty far towards a half step and it becomes minor... but you can move back and forth by just moving a few cents. I thought about doing a post on it, but when I googled Tomlin had already covered it in an article. :)

If you look at how they program AI, I know it's not self aware, but in it's own way it has its own desires. It's trained kind of like you'd train a dog- you give it positive and negative reinforcement. What scares me about AI is watching how quickly it's speech is improving. I remember just before the pandemic seeing some AI trying to write poetry, and all I can say about it is it rhymed, but now it has gotten so much better. Someone posted some the other day and some of the lines were actually good. It wasn't Dylan Thomas, but it was considerably better than what I remember most of my friends in high school were writing. I'm going to go out on a limb and make my version of Moore's Law... AI, right now, is going to get better about as fast as an average kid growing up would. There is some wiggle room in that statement, but as a general guide, think of it as a smart elementary school kid right now, dutifully pasting things from Wikipedia.

I'm just glad that, as good as robots are getting, they aren't getting good as fast as AI. I mean, it's one thing to see a virtual Adam on the screen, but an Adamatronic harmonica playing machine is just scarry!

[Human_Herbivore]

ChatGPT learning data stops at September 21 and, no matter what you tell it, it won't learn, that's the fade.

I have asked it to come up with tabs but those tend to be stuck 99% on one hole. It's more fun if you ask it to tell a short story about a guy called Adam, learning to play harmonica.

What we don't know is that Brendan Power, when he's playing one of those electronic devices, is ChatGPT in human form. 😱😉😂

[ErnestEversole-wekc]

just watching your first lesson or introduction i feel you are talking over my head I have never played a harmonica. You make it sound easy as you play but its not . How do you suggest to practice. I have good rhythm but no matter how many say learning the harmonica is easy, I find that not so.

[devilsboxcar]

I typed in to Chatgpt ‘Muddy Waters invented electricity’……kept telling me I was mistaken and it was some chap in the 1800’s……AI has a long way to go yet!😂

[Clnup-il]

Remember new coke… “max headroom plays blues harp”. Max does resemble you, maybe a little, but you de man!

[johnford]

Very interesting, Adam. Not exactly what Tony "Little Sun" Glover wrote, or what you say about blues harp...but WAY better than ELIZA would have done. I wonder how well a classically trained musician, with no previous exposure to the blues or African music, would explain how to play the blues after listening to blues music for a week?

[JB-rwxt]

No machine could replace you Adam! You have one thing AI will never have -- life experiences.