One of the most effective ways of soloing in Blues is to imagine the harmonica is taking the place of a vocalist and to use a vocal style of phrasing.The following example demonstrates the vocal melody from the previous example played by the harmonica.
This time the harmonica leaves a space for another instrument to play the response (in this case a piano). Leaving space between phrases also gives time for the listener to comprehend and enjoy what you just played.
This Blues solo uses most of the techniques you have learnt, and uses a vocal style of phrasing. Listen to the CD to hear the expressions created by the use of each technique. As mentioned earlier, a good way to learn any new solo is to sing along with the recording to help get the sound in your memory. By now you should have a good grasp of the basics of harmonica playing. As well as learning the new sounds and techniques in the book, it is essential to listen to your favourite albums and play along with them, and also to play with other musicians as often as possible. Guitar and harmonica sound particularly good together, as do piano and harmonica. If you are serious about music it may also be worth taking some lessons, particularly in the area of understanding music. The most important thing is to just keep on playing and keep on learning new melodies and then creating your own variations on them. By doing this, you will develop your own style.