MY WEBSITE IS ESSENTIALLY an account of my experiences in what I admit is a very narrow field of harmonica playing. I just wanted to pass on what I've found out. I'd be very glad to hear from anyone who can tell me about useful things I haven't found out yet! Also I'll gladly consider adding good links suggested to me. I HAVE A SECOND SITE which is a sort of non-Irish harmonica issues miscellany.... http://harmonicapics.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk

Me looking soulful playing a Special 20. A good-sounding harp available in low D.

LINKS to other sites of interest: http://www.harmonica.co.uk the National Harmonica League - for all harmonica players from beginners to virtuosi. The NHL is a very active organisation which provides many opportunities to get together with like-minded folk, and the site is a positive treasure trove of information. The house magazine is called "Harmonica World." I have a regular column in the magazine and I provide tunes to go with the articles. http://www.irishmusicreview.com Geoff Wallis is an eminent music journalist and the author of The Rough Guide to Irish Music, among other things, and he is an aficionado of Irish harmonica. His site contains many authoritative reviews of trad Irish CDs (including mine!). Click on Album Reviews. The aforementioned "Rough Guide" is absolutely indispensable - and inexpensive! http://www.martincoleguitars.co.uk - master guitar maker living in North Cornwall, player of traditional music and a fine singer. He has inspired me to better myself for a number of years now (musically that is!) http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jsabot/accueilan.htm Jean Sabot of Brittany, an exceptional player of Irish, Scottish, Breton and French-Canadian tunes. The albums "Harmoníca, víolon" and "Iniskis" are superb. Believe me when I tell you that no-one on the planet plays this music better than Jean. I met Jean and played a few tunes with him in April 2005. What a day that was. http://www.members.aol.com/heducator2 Richard Martin publishes The Harmonica Educator four times a year. You will find a wide range of articles here, but the emphasis is to provide advice to players in any genre of music and to supply musical scores for both solo and ensemble players. I contributed articles on the playing of traditional Irish music on diatonic harp for several years until 2007. You can purchase back issues from Richard. http://www.brendan-power.com one of the world's most talented harmonica players in various styles including Irish. Customiser of harmonicas too, and he understands Irish needs! http://www.celticguitarmusic.com/celHarrm.htm Here you will find details of Glenn Weiser's superb book of Irish and American fiddle tunes arranged for diatonic harmonica. Highly recommended. http://www.workingmansharps.com the site of Tim Moyer, who is not only extremely knowledgeable about all practical harmonica matters but who is also a provider of very well-regarded customised 10-hole harmonicas at very reasonable prices. Tim is a first-rate all-round chap. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/thurgood Investigate James Thurgood's great CD of Celtic and old-time harmonica from the Maritimes - listen to clips. http://www.donwessels.com Don Wessels is a player of Scottish and Irish tunes on the chromatic harmonica. In 2003 he got together with some musicians in Orkney and made a great CD. Listen to clips and buy his CD "On Orkney" at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/wessels Don's a man who doesn't shy away from tough tunes! http://www.ablowforpeace.com The album "A Blow For Peace" featuring Dave Hynes and Noel Battle of Mullingar in Ireland is a very fine album of traditional Irish harmonica with a fair number of other influences coming through. Dave and his talented friend Vincent Baker have made a lovely follow-up "Another Blow For Peace," which is a collection of Christian music, song and spoken word, with Dave on harmonica of course. Dave is now selling harmonicas too. http://www.harmonicatunes.com Tony Eyers in Australia has made a great album of traditional fiddle tunes for harmonica called "Black Mountain Harmonica" on which he uses modified tunings. Listen to clips. This is a really excellent website - well worth a visit.

Playing an Echo tremolo double-sided harmonica. Adds variety to the sounds I produce.

Over on the right I've listed a few tune-books that I've found useful. None is specifically for harmonica but that doesn't matter at all. Personally I prefer books with simple settings including chords that don't expect too much of guitarists. Another kind of book, or quite often book/CD nowadays, is the tutor. I've got very little experience of these, but I have just acquired Jerry Portnoy's Blues Harmonica Masterclass (a set of three CDs, costing around £45 - gulp) in the hope of improving my general techniques. First impressions are very positive. I'll let you know how I get on!

A well-used Special 20 Low D. I can't imagine what I'd do without these.

BUY MY CD! It's called "Blowing Through The Reeds" and I made it with Martin Cole (links, left). We made it ourselves in Martin's studio. It's 14 tracks, 45 minutes of predominantly Irish tunes played mostly on a Lee Oskar G and a Special 20 low D, with guitar, mandolin and fiddle accompaniment, and one lovely song from Martin. Whilst I'd love to give it away or swap it for yours, I do have to try to cover the cost of producing it, which was considerable (I'm not out to make a profit!), so I'm selling it for £6 OR $10 (US) OR 10 euro, POSTAGE TO ANYWHERE INCLUDED. I CAN ACCEPT PAYPAL, otherwise I'd prefer cash unless you live in the UK. We can negotiate...! Please email me for details, moorcot@msn.com (or click on link on home page) or LISTEN TO CLIPS at http://www.gjk2.com/steveshaw/cd.htm I'm greatly indebted to Gary Kelly of Swindon, UK, for setting the clips page up for me so expertly. He's a prince among men! READ A REVIEW at http://www.irishmusicreview.com Click on Album Reviews, then "S."

My new CD: 45 minutes of mostly traditional Irish on diatonic harp with guitar, fiddle and mandolin

MORE LINKS: http://www.antonydannecker.com Antony Dannecker will sell you a Hohner harmonica that he has set up and tuned to your own specifications - for little more than the cost of an off-the shelf harmonica! Antony is based in the south of England. You just tell him which Hohner harp you want and how you want it set up, and in a very short while you will receive an excellent instrument (contact me if you need help in knowing what to ask for). He is the answer for those who don't want to do much tinkering yet who can't afford the prices or waiting-times of the other customisers. Order a harp from Antony and then tell me there's no such thing as a bargain! The evening before I wrote this I played a Special 20 low D of his all night in the session, retuned to the Paddy Richter tuning and fine-tuned to equal temperament, and it was a joy. http://mag.irish-music.net/ Irish music magazine for news, views and more on the Irish folk and traditional scene. http://www.eaglemusicshop.com Eagle Music - an excellent mail-order music shop based in Yorkshire that gives fast, friendly service and which has very reasonable delivery charges. http://www.hobgoblin.com chain of traditional music shops selling instruments, books and accessories etc. in the UK. Find nearest branch on their main website. http://www.dblack-scotharmonica.fsnet.co.uk Donald Black - Scottish traditional harmonica player http://www.harpinanawhinin.com "Harpin' an' a Whinin'" - Mark Purintun's amazing site, where you'll find song tabs, midi files and other information about literally hundreds of songs of all kinds, and it's harmonica-orientated. A man of rare energy! http://www.patmissin.com What Pat Missin can't tell you about diatonic harps isn't worth knowing - and not a scrap of gobbledegook. And you must check out the next guy too. In the harmonica world he is simply known as "G." Find out more by going to G's main site at http://www.harmonica.7p.com These two men are giants! http://www.harp-l.com An internet discussion group for harmonica players of all levels. I've learned a huge amount from the members of this very supportive group, and just as much from the next one as well: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/harptalk

"Three In The Bush," the trio that got me started. Our line-up has changed over the years!

GOOD BOOKS: Four from Dave Mallinson: 100 Essential Session Tunes 100 Enduring Session Tunes 100 Evergreen Session Tunes 100 Irish Polkas Irish Traditional Session Tunes, books 1-3 from Tony Sullivan (Halshaw Music) Pauline Cato's Northumbrian Choice (a Mallinson book) The Irish Fiddle Book by Matt Cranitch (Ossian) Complete Works of O'Carolan (Ossian)

Posing in my garden. My son's idea. It was freezing!