PETER “MADCAT” RUTH is one of the best-known harmonica players alive. His harmonica playing has been heard on hundreds of albums of all music styles, from blues to pop to country. He’s also known to generations of harmonica players for his instructional videos on topics including harmonica basics and rhythm playing. Ruth developed his highly personal style in the shadow of some of Chicago’s blues greats. He talked to Harmonica World about his apprenticeship, lessons with Big Walter Horton, and more.
PETER MADCAT RUTH ON LEARNING HARP AND LESSONS WITH BIG WALTER By Justin M. Norton
How did you discover the harmonica? RUTH: My father played harmonica for about five minutes a year. So, I knew what the instrument was. When I was 15, I heard Sonny Terry on the radio, and I said: “What is that?” My Dad didn’t sound like that when he played. I was already playing guitar and loved it. When I heard the harmonica the sound of it just got to me. I had to learn how to do it. How did you apprentice yourself to learning the instrument? RUTH: It was 1964 and there weren’t any books out. So, I got an LP called Folk Festival at Newport that had two cuts by Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee. I got out my harmonica and tried to play along. One song was in the right key (F/Bb harmonica) so it sounded cool to play along. On the other song, I was like: “this sounds terrible.” It was in the wrong key (laughs). It wasn’t like you could go on Google then and type “learn blues harmonica.” How did you develop skills on the instrument, especially when the living masters weren’t open about sharing? RUTH: They certainly weren’t. What really helped me was that I was taking guitar lessons at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago (eds: modern master Joe Filisko heads harmonica instruction at the school now). They didn’t have any harmonica courses then but sold harmonicas in their store. I said I wanted to buy a harmonica and he (the clerk) said what key. The salesman told me to get an A harmonica to play in E. So, I got a C and A. Then I kept getting Sonny Terry records. For the first two years,
