Liam Ward interview

Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

Liam Ward joins me on episode 140.

Liam is from the north west of England and first took up the harmonica in his late teens. His youthful zeal turned into his career when he chose to become a full-time harmonica player over becoming a school teacher. Liam plays in numerous bands, including his own band, two duos and in an Oasis tribute band. In addition to the harmonica he also plays various jug band instruments including the musical saw, washboard, spoons and the Irish bones.

Liam runs one of the most popular online tuition sites: LearnTheHarmonica.com, which he started in 2014. He is also a regular workshop leader at harmonica camps, teaching at the EuroBlues week and the Hohner festival in Trossingen in 2025. And he has recently been selected as the face of the Hohner Blues Harp.

Links:

Liam’s website: https://www.liamwardmusic.com/

Online harmonica school: https://www.learntheharmonica.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/liamwardmusic

The World Harmonica Festival (Hohner): https://worldharmonicafestival.de/

Videos:

Learn The Harmonica YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Learntheharmonica

Liam’s critique of his first recording with Lonesome George: https://youtu.be/JNZvs2Mm-mk?si=Jlo-OCWmR4G4rkGP

Lyndon Anderson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGwAnYpxWT0

Oasis Supernova Tribute Band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JDqWIuwKbQ

Liam playing the Fat Tone amp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ilXKHh2r6I

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ
Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
--------------------------------
Blue Moon Harmonicas: https://bluemoonharmonicas.com

Support the show

فصول

1. Liam Ward interview (00:00:00)

2. Liam was last on the podcast for the Bob Dylan episode in January 2025, where he provided some great insights (00:01:30)

3. Grew up in Macclesfield (where John Mayall is from) and Manchester (00:02:09)

4. Now lives in Stroud, Gloucestershire, which has a lot going on musically for quite a small town (00:02:28)

5. Formed a band with his family around age of 18, called Lonesome George (00:03:00)

6. Grew up in a music filled home, with mother playing piano and sisters both singing (00:03:42)

7. The name Lonesome George came from a tortoise which was the last of it’s species (00:04:23)

8. Had drum lessons when younger before starting on the harmonica age 17 or 18 (00:05:05)

9. Bob Dylan was the main inspiration for taking up the harmonica (00:06:17)

10. Had some lessons with Mat Walklate, who turned Liam onto blues harmonica (00:06:54)

11. Signed up to Howard Levy’s online harmonica school for a time and had lessons with Lyndon Anderson in the north east of England (00:07:39)

12. Signed up to Howard Levy’s online harmonica school for a time and had lessons with Lyndon Anderson in the north east of England (00:07:39)

13. Also had some lesson with Carlos del Junco while living in Canada (00:08:12)

14. Enthusiasm to learn when young propelled Liam forward and has been trying to recapture some of that early zest (00:08:38)

15. Has been exploring learning Irish music on the harmonica recently (00:08:58)

16. Plays various percussion and jug band instruments, such as the saw and washboard, as a result of playing in jug bands (00:09:29)

17. Musician’s Union list the harmonica as a novelty instrument (00:10:56)

18. The Rumblestrutters Jug Band was the first band Liam recorded with, although played in several bands in Manchester before that (00:11:25)

19. Liam interviewed John Sebastian and they discussed the jug band work John did (00:13:12)

20. Liam interviewed John Sebastian and they discussed the jug band work John did (00:13:12)

21. Liam interviewed John Sebastian and they discussed the jug band work John did (00:13:12)

22. The decision to become a full-time harmonica player was partly thanks to Liam’s wife (00:13:45)

23. Part of the reason for Liam’s success in being a full-time harmonica player and teacher is the diversity of things that he does as well as hard work and organisational skills (00:15:13)

24. Liam’s passion has helped drive him along and make the ‘job’ of being a harmonica player easier (00:17:34)

25. Also need to be professional and reliable as a musician in order to be a success and overcoming imposter syndrome (00:18:05)

26. Teaching really helps develop your own playing (00:19:05)

27. Liam is the new face of the Hohner Blues Harp, with this photo appearing on the box (00:19:55)

28. Is endorsed by Hohner but remains open minded in his teaching material about other brands (00:20:07)

29. Started releasing YouTube tuition videos in 2014, catching the wave of that before the internet was flooded with them (00:20:53)

30. Adam Gussow, Christelle Berthon and Ronnie Shellist were probably the first to start releasing YouTube instruction videos, with Liam closely behind (00:21:17)

31. Initially thought putting videos on YouTube would bring him session work rather than thinking he would start a harmonica school (00:22:17)

32. Other things Liam did to get his harmonica career off the ground (00:23:15)

33. Combined playing in bands with pushing the harmonica teaching career and working a lot of hours and burning himself out (00:23:44)

34. Was in The Jake Leg Jug band for around ten years, although recently left that band, but still makes the occasional appearance with them (00:25:07)

35. Played the percussion instruments with The Jake Leg Jug band, including the bones, which he loves (00:26:31)

36. Plays some harmonica on a rack with the different percussion instrument, although doesn’t play as a one-man band (00:26:52)

37. For the second album, Shine, all the money raised is going towards the stoke association (00:27:15)

38. The Liam Ward Band is his own band, with all original songs and has released two albums (00:27:27)

39. Is the main singer in The Liam Ward Band, with his sisters also singing some of the songs (00:27:43)

40. For the second album, Shine, all the money raised is going towards the stoke association (00:28:15)

41. Plays in a duo with Mark Cole, with Mark playing multiple instruments (00:29:01)

42. About to release a new album with Mark Cole of American roots music (00:29:56)

43. Also has an active duo with Malcolm Thorne, having released one EP with him thus far (00:30:49)

44. Malcolm Thorne also plays in The Liam Ward Band and has recorded some backing tracks for Liam’s online harmonica school (00:31:22)

45. Liam plays in an Oasis tribute band, Oasis Supernova, and plays on various songs that didn’t originally have harmonica on (00:31:37)

46. Likes to say yes to what opportunities come up, which has led to the diversity of bands Liam plays in (00:33:04)

47. Runs the successful online harmonica school: LearnTheHarmonica.com and currently puts out a new video around every two weeks (00:34:53)

48. Loves learning songs and teaches the songs that he wants to learn himself (00:35:42)

49. Many of the videos are of pop songs, in addition to blues, and Liam usually just puts out songs he wants to learn himself (00:36:23)

50. How the LearnTheHarmonica.com website grew into an online harmonica school (00:37:47)

51. Teaches at the London Harmonica School, and is teaching at the Euroblues week in 2025, run by Michael Roach, who Liam sometimes sits in with (00:39:47)

52. Appearing at The World Harmonica Festival at Trossingen in 2025 (00:40:46)

53. Was asked to run a Masters workshop at Trossingen on rack harmonica, but stepped aside to let Eddie Martin run that one, who is much more experienced with rack playing (00:41:21)

54. Has written articles for different magazines, such as Blues Matters and Blues In Britain (00:42:01)

55. Won the Harmonica UK harmonica contest in the blues and rock category (00:42:07)

56. Ten minute question (00:42:28)

57. How to split the different types of practise into routine (00:43:13)

58. Currently working on learning Irish tunes (00:44:16)

59. Is a Hohner endorsee and mainly plays Special 20s and Golden Melodies, Thunderbirds for low diatonics and CX12 for chromatic (00:45:18)

60. Not playing much chromatic at the moment but the value of all diatonic players being able to manage some third position blues on chromatic (00:45:54)

61. Favours plastic bodied harmonicas (00:47:03)

62. Isn’t a fan of the Hohner Rocket harmonica (00:47:54)

63. Liam doesn’t like metal bodies harmonicas, partly because of the extra weight (00:48:48)

64. Owns some custom Sugar Cain harmonicas, but only keeps them for best and gigs with out of the box harmonicas (00:48:58)

65. Is considering obtaining some custom harmonicas to use for overblows (00:49:23)

66. Does a little customisation of own harmonicas, but not much (00:49:49)

67. Uses some overblows, but quite sparingly and not playing diatonic chromatically, although is interested in developing playing in that (00:49:55)

68. Embouchre: mainly tongue block but uses pucker for Irish tunes and some jazz songs (00:50:41)

69. Considering u-block for Irish tunes (00:51:25)

70. Amps of choice include a Vice 2x12, a Fat Tone custom built amp (00:51:51)

71. Fat Tone amp has delay built in as Liam doesn’t like lots of pedals when performing (00:52:58)

72. Harp Gear HG2 amp is small amp which mainly uses for recording (00:53:25)

73. Fat Tone amps also create a pre-amp pedal, which Liam has, as well as a mic from there (00:53:45)

74. Main mic is a Greg Huemann wood mic with the Huemann element (00:54:57)

75. Has owned a Mexican manufactured Shure Green bullet (00:55:32)

76. Owns some Lone Wolf pedals but doesn’t use them much as likes to focus on playing the harmonica rather than worrying about gear (00:56:05)

77. Future plans (00:57:02)