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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > Comping Options - Harmonica Models?
Comping Options - Harmonica Models?
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HarpNinja
2563 posts
Jul 10, 2012
8:30 PM
Very last minute, I was offered the opportunity to back a country-rock artist for a couple of pick-up gigs. Most the tunes are in the Carrie Underwood/Taylor Swift vein. I rehearsed with the group today using just a SM57 into a BBE Two Timer and Tech 21 Bass Driver DI.

I played 2nd, 3rd, and 12th position. Really, I am trying to cover steel and fiddle parts with only a few songs requiring harmonica-harmonica. On some of the tunes, I just play a few fills, on others I was doing some chording, and on others I was trying to sound like a horn...I was trying to really not overplay and only comp when asked, etc.

Am I missing any easy/obvious options for comping? They want me to play more than I thought, and I am trying to fill space with a guitar and keyboard player. I probably won't use any effects, but was wondering if things like tremelo or octave harps might be worth checking out???

Almost all the songs are based off D7 or minor chords. I think only one or two were really "major". I just want to be able to comp when asked and not walk all over the keys and rhythm guitar.

I don't see a need for country tuned harps, and I don't think using a lot of effects would be the best route...think contemporary country rock and not traditional country...I hear a lot of steel and fiddle behind things. I am playing a lot of single notes and aiming for "violin" tone with no real chugging or blues comping.
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
dougharps
221 posts
Jul 11, 2012
8:52 AM
Having heard you play, it is unlikely that you are missing any options for comping. With your overblow technique you shouldn't need a country tuned harp.

Since you mentioned octave harps, I do often just play octaves for simple horn lines when comping. Do you do that?

Also, Mickey Raphael sometimes uses tremolo harps to good effect. If you try tremolo harp but haven't played them much you might need to woodshed some before recording.
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Doug S.
HarpNinja
2568 posts
Jul 11, 2012
8:48 PM
You're too kind! My default comping is playing octaves based off chord tones - usually using the 5th or 7th.

I had to chuckle that this country jam was almost all diatonic Dominant 7 chord stuff. Playing blues licks wouldn't work at all, but everything was harp friendly.

It was like playing in the Allman Brothers...I mean, it was all contemporary pop-country, but the guitar and band parts were all very interesting, riff-based, and used a lot of changes...really fun stuff to play!
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...


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