kudzurunner
4815 posts
Jul 27, 2014
7:39 PM
|
Billy Branch and Harmonica Hinds. Not just some great blues, but a great lesson in the relative unimportance of gear. If you're a harp player, learn how to play through the vocal mic.
|
Kingley
3640 posts
Jul 27, 2014
10:50 PM
|
I couldn't agree more. All the smart players already know this. Still can't believe how many people refuse to believe that the acoustic tone and chops of the player is what makes the biggest difference. Gear is, has and always will be secondary to what makes a good harp sound. Gear is just the icing on the cake. You need to get the main ingredients and bake the cake before you even think about putting any topping on it though. In my opinion if you can't turn up at a jam/gig/session and blow straight through a vocal mic and get a good sound then you need to go back home and study your craft until you can. Because you can't play for shit, if you can't do that.
|
jnorem
461 posts
Jul 27, 2014
11:21 PM
|
Are there really that many people who refuse to believe that the acoustic tone and chops of the player is what makes the biggest difference?
"In my opinion if you can't turn up at a jam/gig/session and blow straight through a vocal mic and get a good sound then you need to go back home and study your craft until you can. Because you can't play for shit, if you can't do that."
Can't play for shit if you can't do that. Why?
----------
Call me J
Last Edited by jnorem on Jul 27, 2014 11:24 PM
|
Kingley
3641 posts
Jul 27, 2014
11:45 PM
|
1. Yes there are and many more than you would think.
2. Because if someone can't get a good sound acoustically, then they need to do their homework, until they can. The point is that unless they can get a good acoustic tone and have some chops then everything they play is going to sound like crap. Regardless of what gear they use. So it's essential to learn to get a good acoustic sound first, which is one of the basic foundations of playing. Before trying to add other stuff in.
Last Edited by Kingley on Jul 27, 2014 11:46 PM
|
SuperBee
2131 posts
Jul 27, 2014
11:55 PM
|
I like my acoustic sound better than my amped sound, but I'd still rather play through my own rig than a random PA operated by an unknown quantity and be at the mercy of said quantity x regarding whether I get to hear what I'm playing
|
Kingley
3642 posts
Jul 28, 2014
12:38 AM
|
I understand where you're coming from SuperBee and I do agree with you. We all have gear that we prefer to use and it can help smooth out the unknown quantities of jam situations. However the point is that without the foundation of a good acoustic tone all that gear is pointless. What I'm saying is that if someone can't turn up and just play through the vocal mic and get a decent sound then they haven't done their homework. If that's the case then they need to spend more time working on the foundational techniques of playing. Gear is nice to have and can make a good player sound better, but a bad player will always sound bad no matter what they use. I'm not saying don't use or own an amp. What I'm saying is get the basics down if you want to make the most of that gear. If you look at all the good players, they all have one thing in common. Good basic acoustic tone. That's why they sound good. Not the amp or mic they use. This is evidenced not only in the clip above but in numerous recordings. You only have to go to YouTube to hear players with good gear who sound like shit. On the other hand, have a listen to someone like RJ Mischo on YouTube. He can make any set up sound good. Why? because he has spent time working on his foundational techniques. The same is true of Jason Ricci, Rick Estrin, Rod Piazza, Kim Wilson, Paul Butterfield, Andy Just, Steve Guyger, etc, etc.
|
kudzurunner
4816 posts
Jul 28, 2014
4:41 AM
|
I prefer to play amped up, myself, but I'm aware that this isn't always possible. I attended an all-pro jam session two nights ago at the end of the blues fest in Midland, Texas where no harp amp had been provided (although all other backline had been provided) and where, even though I brought my own small touring amp (a 12-watt Premiere) and a good mic to mic it up, the sound man insisted that he had been instructed not to mic ANY amp. This meant that I either played through a vocal mic or didn't play at all, since my amp was obviously not going to be heard over the sound of a full rhythm section and two guitars playing through Fender Twins.
The point of this video, as I see it, is that the harp players did really well by playing a style--especially a comping style--that needed no sustain, none of the "great tone" provided by the right mic and (tube) amp.
Every serious blues harp player needs to know how to play with a full band through the PA mic, both comping and solos. Period. It's not optimal, but it's sometimes required. If you can't handle that particular challenge without missing a beat (and without producing a good sound out of the PA), you're not a pro. Good soldiers are prepared for conditions on the ground.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Jul 28, 2014 4:45 AM
|
atty1chgo
1025 posts
Jul 28, 2014
6:05 AM
|
Not being a professional or a member of a band, my live playing situations are always in a jam setting, unless I step up with a band which is more rare. Or you may have brought your amp, like kudzurunner says, but the house prefers that you don't set it up, or there is not enough room on the stage, or a myriad of other reasons. As the result, I am always prepared to blow through the PA system. It has actually become a preference lately. I just love the tone that I get through a PA. I modulate without a volume control, I can play acoustically to get more hand effects if I want.
If the setup is there for another harp player, you are being invited up, and the harp mic is handed to you, you will probably use the rig out of courtesy. But my harp/gear bag (a 7"x 10" square black vinyl camera bag) will have a thin zip case with seven harps (and a couple of extras on the side), two mics and sometimes three: a Hi-Z mic (usually an EV 638) for replacing a substandard mic or hard-to-grip bullet already on a rig if possible (or plugging into an amp where the cord is already present), and two Low-Z mics, an EV 631A and an EV RE-10, both stick mics. It is a simple matter to unplug the PA mic, put it in a safe place, and plug in the RE-10. It gets me the tone that I like anyway, which is a relatively clean sound with a fatter middle range. I also have a mic cord with an impedance matching transformer to plug into an guitar amp that may be offered. If I know that I am going somewhere that acoustic blues will be played, I also bring an EV RS35 vocal mic to maybe plug into the PA. These are the old broadcaster mics that look like a capsule with a band around the middle.
When traveling light, on vacation or in a faraway place, what I have in my bag allows me to adapt to most situations, especially when the PA system is the only option.
Blowing through the PA is something that I enjoy. Billy Boy Arnold uses the PA 99% of the time, and I am seeing pros like Billy Branch doing it more often to get the acoustic effects.
-------------------
Thanks for posting this. I was talking to Billy Branch a few weeks ago, and he was telling me about that first gig in Germany with Willie Dixon, and I am quite positive that he does not have a copy of this video. I'll send him the link.
Last Edited by atty1chgo on Jul 28, 2014 7:22 AM
|
The Iceman
1865 posts
Jul 28, 2014
7:09 AM
|
So much for the myth that you have to play LOUD to get "that sound".
----------
The Iceman
|
Greg Heumann
2783 posts
Jul 28, 2014
8:39 AM
|
Good acoustic tone is a SKILL. It takes practice. Having it is important.
Playing through an amp is a SKILL. It takes practice.
Playing through a PA is a SKILL. It takes practice.
One should not assume because you can do ANY of the above that you can do the others well.
"... The same is true of Jason Ricci, Rick Estrin, Rod Piazza, Kim Wilson, Paul Butterfield, Andy Just, Steve Guyger, ... and RJ and Musselwhite and Hummel and .." - They ALL sound fine through the PA and ALL of them perform sometimes with nothing but. But when they do their own gigs? Every single one of these guys uses a tube amp. And they use BOTH during performance.
It isn't an either-or proposition. But I agree 100% - good acoustic tone matters, a lot - to getting good tone amplified, and playing through the PA will amplify BOTH strengths and weaknesses more than an amp will.
----------
***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
Bluestate on iTunes
|
1847
1998 posts
Jul 28, 2014
8:50 AM
|
it helps to tweak the pa
turn the pad all the way up
roll off the treble and bass
this will boost the mid range
----------
i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
|
Kingley
3643 posts
Jul 28, 2014
9:27 AM
|
"Good acoustic tone is a SKILL. It takes practice. Having it is important.
Playing through an amp is a SKILL. It takes practice.
Playing through a PA is a SKILL. It takes practice.
One should not assume because you can do ANY of the above that you can do the others well.
"
The above is true Greg and I agree with you 100%. Especially on the last sentence. However if you don't have good acoustic tone you have no chance at all of making either the PA or an am sound good for you. The old sayings are true. Garbage in = Garbage out. and if you speak to ANY pro player they will tell you that good tone is essential to getting a good sound.
"... The same is true of Jason Ricci, Rick Estrin, Rod Piazza, Kim Wilson, Paul Butterfield, Andy Just, Steve Guyger, ... and RJ and Musselwhite and Hummel and .." - They ALL sound fine through the PA and ALL of them perform sometimes with nothing but. But when they do their own gigs? Every single one of these guys uses a tube amp. And they use BOTH during performance. "
The following sentences you neglected to quote are the ones that make the point.
"On the other hand, have a listen to someone like RJ Mischo on YouTube. He can make any set up sound good. Why? because he has spent time working on his foundational techniques."
That's the point. Not whether they play amped or acoustic or through the PA, or mix and match in a performance. The point is all those players have worked on the basic foundational techniques of playing harmonica and developed their acoustic tone.
I'm not saying people shouldn't use amps. Far from it. Amplified harp is a great thing in the right hands. But (and it's a huge but) working on acoustic tone is THE single most important thing ANYONE can do to improve their overall sound.
|
jnorem
463 posts
Jul 28, 2014
11:03 AM
|
I'm just wondering now: does the fact that someone has a good amped-up sound mean they have good acoustic tone?
----------
Call me J
|
Kingley
3644 posts
Jul 28, 2014
11:15 AM
|
Yes. If a person doesn't have good acoustic tone then all the amplification in the world isn't going to make them sound good. On the other hand a person with good acoustic tone can make the most mediocre of gear sound reasonable.
|
Little roger
8 posts
Jul 28, 2014
11:38 AM
|
Good acoustic tone is a SKILL. It takes practice. Having it is important.
Playing through an amp is a SKILL. It takes practice.
Playing through a PA is a SKILL. It takes practice.
One should not assume because you can do ANY of the above that you can do the others well.
"... The same is true of Jason Ricci, Rick Estrin, Rod Piazza, Kim Wilson, Paul Butterfield, Andy Just, Steve Guyger, ... and RJ and Musselwhite and Hummel and .." - They ALL sound fine through the PA and ALL of them perform sometimes with nothing but. But when they do their own gigs? Every single one of these guys uses a tube amp. And they use BOTH during performance.
Got to agree with Greg here. You have to practice these things. But, if you have a good acoustic tone, you are more than half the way there.
I have played with RJ on many occasions and we did a two-harp tour with my band a couple of years ago. He just used my set up, which at that time was an old biscuit (fat bottom mic) through a 64 Princeton. Great sound. He also played acoustically, of course. Now he is pretty much using one of Greg's Ultimate mics through an amp. He believes that people react better to the more acoustic sound, less distortion (and he loves the fact that you can hammer a nail in with that mic so he doesn't have to worry about the element dying on him half way through the tour). But to be honest, he sounds fairly similar with all variations - it's just how he sounds, maybe less distortion or bass or treble etc, but fundamentally the same. That's just how it is with players that sound good acoustically. See Big Walter, Little Walter, Bill Clarke etc..... Something to aspire to.
I used to be a gear head and still love mics and amps. But now I'll play through pretty much anything, whatever is there. Does it matter to the player? Maybe. Does it matter to the audience (if you have the chops)? No.
Best
R
|
Frank
4945 posts
Jul 28, 2014
12:38 PM
|
Try this experiment, it works every time...
--------------------------------------------------
Play something great acoustically,
then play the same thing again with amplification...
the great playing is louder :)
------------------------------------------------------
Play something poorly acoustically,
then play the same thing again with amplification...
the poor playing is louder :)
------------------------------------------------
|
kudzurunner
4817 posts
Jul 28, 2014
2:53 PM
|
I agree with Greg 100%. I should also note that it's possible to have fine acoustic tone but not have very good tone in certain amped-up situations. I'm in that category. Since I moved away from big ball mics (Astatic, Green Bullet) a long time ago, I don't do particularly well with them. This is arguably a weakness in my whole "thing," since if I sit in with a band on some other player's rig, chances are very good that he'll have that sort of mic--and I won't sound as good as I'm capable of sounding. Which is why, in that sort of situation, I almost always choose to play through a vocal mic. Strange but true. Since such a sit-in often means that I'm singing as well as blowing harp, this works pretty well: I'm controlling the band's volume to some extent, and when I solo, the harp through the vocal mic gives a loud (if uncompressed) sound.
|
jnorem
465 posts
Jul 28, 2014
4:50 PM
|
So…what advice would you guys give to beginning or even intermediate harmonica players who need to work on their tone?
I've heard my playing plenty of times, on recordings made in a lot of different circumstances, mostly recording studios, and to be honest it always sounded like…a harmonica. So I really can't say if I have good tone or not. I do like the way my amp sounds, though, especially with my new mic.
----------
Call me J
Last Edited by jnorem on Jul 28, 2014 4:56 PM
|
timeistight
1625 posts
Jul 28, 2014
5:19 PM
|
Some good tone tips from Lee Sankey here:
|
jnorem
466 posts
Jul 28, 2014
9:37 PM
|
I'm kind of surprised that for all the guys here talking about how acoustic tone is so important, only one person has come forward with any advice at all on how to develop it.
I'm assuming that everyone who stresses the importance of good acoustic tone HAS good acoustic tone, no? So where's the mentoring?
----------
Call me J
|
DukeBerryman
404 posts
Jul 28, 2014
10:49 PM
|
@jnorem I played by myself acoustically for about 20 years before I started blowing thru mics and going to jams. I spent a lot of that time imitating the sound of amplified harp. I'd play acoustic along to songs with amplified harp. I basically didn't know any better.
75% of my practice is acoustic - the mic and amp only come out for fun. Just makes me louder and cooler sounding. So try practicing acoustic all the time, and start faking the sound of a dirty mic'd amp. I developed a fantastic growl in the back of my throat that can imitate any tube distortion.
|
jnorem
467 posts
Jul 28, 2014
11:44 PM
|
I did that too, Duke, well not for 20 years but I didn't have an amp to play through until I'd been playing for a couple of years.
A boy and his harmonica, that's all. Isn't that how everybody starts?
But I still couldn't tell you if my acoustic tone is any good.
----------
Call me J
|
Libertad
267 posts
Jul 29, 2014
12:16 AM
|
I think that one of the myths of this site is that people think that tone is unimportant. Every now and then someone says 'there are people who refuse to believe that the acoustic tone and chops of the player is what makes the biggest difference'. But really guys, come on...... those people don't really exist do they? I have never met one.... Its obviously important and most people on here are interested in improving their playing so they are not going to argue the point!
|
Kingley
3645 posts
Jul 29, 2014
12:43 AM
|
Libertad - I have met loads of people that believe that it's the gear that makes players sound great and not their acoustic tone. Just yesterday I was talking to a friend of mine who has dabbled with harp for over twenty years and he was banging on about how he needs an amp to sound like the stuff on his records. Even when I pulled out a harp and played along to some stuff and proved to him that it's the you and not "the gear" that makes the sound. He still refused to believe it. Saying to me "Well you sound good because you're good (his opinion not mine), but why don't I sound like that then?"….My answer was simply because he didn't practice enough. I experience the similar things almost every week at a singers night I go to. All the other people that play some harmonica often ask why they can't get the depth of tone that I get and say things like "Oh yeah well the difference of course is that you use that special mic". Even when I put the mic down and play acoustically in front of them, they are still skeptical and refuse to believe that I'm not trying to hide something from them. Now my tone is mediocre in my opinion, so imagine what they would think if they stood in front of someone who really did have great tone.
|
blueswannabe
484 posts
Jul 29, 2014
1:16 AM
|
Most PA mics also sound very good. I agree we over-emphasize gear on this forum but I think gear does matter and it's part of the fun. Different gear means different shaping of the sound. But acoustic tone is the key to getting a good base before that sound is shaped to our liking.
In my last two gigs I played into the PA because I was in a hurry and didn't have time to set up gear. But I do roll off the highs and increase the bass, and will keep the middle slightly to the left of middle. I use a tight cup which is not difficult with a vocal mic.
|
Frank
4948 posts
Jul 29, 2014
7:51 AM
|
One way to analyze if you have good acoustic tone is this...
Learn the song where a respected established Pro player is exhibiting what you believe is good acoustic tone...
If you believe when you play that your ears are hearing similar tone to how the Pro is presenting acoustic tone -
Then you have taken steps in the right direction towards breaking the code to good acoustic tone.
So find Pro Players that you personally find have the tonal acoustic qualities that you find exciting and pleasing to you -
Learn to match these players acoustic tonal attacks and then you can use this understanding and knowledge that you have gained for your own musical endevours and improvisations -
And now you will feel a lot more confident that you have good acoustic tone - since your acoustic sound is developing Pro qualities about it :)
Last Edited by Frank on Jul 29, 2014 8:12 AM
|
barbequebob
2662 posts
Jul 29, 2014
10:42 AM
|
Having great acoustic tone is an important fundamental for good playing regardless if it's amplified or acoustic and every great player I've met over the years who had great amplified tone ALWAYS had good acoustic tone to begin with.
Most of the old masters I ever met were anything BUT gear heads and some time ago when there was an a gear argument about Big Walter Horton and what he was doing on his classic instrumental Easy and I mentioned that in all the times I saw him (which was quite often) well before he got on stage, he never messed with the tone controls, I probably shocked many gear heads posting on this forum and probably thought I was totally full of s**t, but it was the truth.
When you have players in a jam session only going thru the PA, the one good thing right off the bat is that they're all on equal footing and you can tell right away if they have their acoustic tone and chops together or not and there's nothing they can use for a crutch and all of their warts are fully exposed with no place to hide.
I do not fear going thru the PA at all and have never bothered to use some of the things so many players seemingly think they need to use to sound good and often times, I won't even have the sound guy chance a damned thing on the PA at all, just go up there and play and don't go thru 10 tons of BS. Players who get to the point of over dependency on gear are usually those who never took one damned bit of time getting their acoustic tone together and just don't want their weaknesses exposed.
I've shown other players over the years how I needed FAR LESS stuff to sound good but gear heads can't get their minds wrapped around that. Many of those same gear heads can often make some of the greatest gear on the face of the earth sound like absolute garbage because they lack good acoustic tone.
So many of them have their amps with all the tube swaps, and this and that at a point where everything is so overly compressed that there's no dynamic touch from breath control or anything else and it all sounds like the world's worst one trick pony.
----------
Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
|
jnorem
469 posts
Jul 29, 2014
11:35 AM
|
Yeah, we get that, Bob. So how does one go about getting great acoustic tone?
----------
Call me J
|
barbequebob
2663 posts
Jul 29, 2014
11:51 AM
|
The first thing and the one thing most players completely ignore is developing good breath control. Players who have a tendency to play with too much breath force are always going to have horrible acoustic tone and won't be playing resonantly, and what happens is that by playing too hard, they place heavy emphasis on the odd numbered harmonic overtones, which to the human ear, sounds thin, tinny and downright harsh, which is what you DON'T want to hear.
----------
Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
|
jbone
1713 posts
Jul 31, 2014
4:21 AM
|
For me, in the first few years, I only played acoustic. Eventually I got to come up at a jam and blow through a vocal mic, which was set for vocals. Somewhat thin usually since I had not so much depth in my style.
I got an amp and mic and it was solid state and low z, and my tone did not improve.
Got a tube amp and Shure 520D, and yes, sounded better. BUT I used that rig as a sort of camouflage, didn't improve much for a while, depending on that warmer tone to sound good and even great.
I ran into the wall of volume. Small harp amp, big guitar and drum and keyboard sound, back to the p.a. mic so I could hear myself. About then is when I began to study guys who used whatever was handy and sounded really good.
Back to the shed. Find more depth and nuance. Learn about the air column and how to utilize it. Slowly things improved.
Bigger tube amps, tweaked for harp. More shit to drag around as well.
Some years ago I let the big amp go and got into a more duo mode, and use 12 watts now. Or no watts. There are times where an amp is a detriment to pleasing an audience, where the total organic acoustic sound is plenty. We do more busking and cafe gigs these days.
We're at a point now where a drummer and bassist are going to add to our sound and allow my guitar gal to stretch out, so it's time to amp up. BUT we got smaller amps! 5w Champs. Why? For the breakup. So between the Silvertone 12w 1482's and the 5w Champs we can be heard a little over the drums and bass. And there is a certain power in a small tube amp, a good feeling that spreads out into an audience.
My quest for a time was for the ability to be heard on loudass stages. The necessity was to sound good through the p.a. It's just not always possible to mic a small amp or carry a big one, so the compromise has been to sound great with NO amplification at all, and to sound great into a p.a. mic tweaked a bit for harp. My voice and a harp's voice are 180 degrees out so this can be an adventure unless I have 2 mics and channels, which is also not always do-able. Compromise.
The mandate is then, sound good to great on both vocals and harp. Make it work.
Part of my acoustic tone is about depth of breath and part is about hand effects and proximity to a p.a. mic in those cases. It does add a variety to one's playing that helps one round out.
The guys on that first video are real pro's and they obviously accommodate each other, it's not a head cutting deal, but a cooperative effort to do a great show where everybody wins. That's what I strive for.
----------
http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000386839482
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa7La7yYYeE
|
The Iceman
1878 posts
Jul 31, 2014
4:45 AM
|
how to get good acoustic tone?
Discover how little air you need to move to get your maximum volume...you'd be surprised how most try too hard.
One path - get a steady note happening as quietly as you can. Learn to sustain it for 20 - 30 seconds.
Next, create the note and slowly bring up the volume - again over 20-30 seconds.
Spend a bit of time on this. Eventually, you should start to understand minimum effort for maximum sound.
----------
The Iceman
|
kudzurunner
4828 posts
Jul 31, 2014
4:52 AM
|
I agree with you, jbone, on every count. Your post reminded me of my own quest for good amped tone--how I, like you, moved from small amps to much bigger amps (at one point I was carrying TWO Fender SuperReverbs!) and how I then slowly slid back to smaller amps. These days my go-to set of amps is a Premier Twin-8 and a Kay 703 (12 watts and 5 watts, more or less) for bigger rooms and the Kay plus a Masco MU-5 (5 + 5 watts, more or less) for smaller rooms, restaurants, etc. I'm in a duo, like you, and I just love the tone of smaller amps cranked up. The compression and sustain that they add makes my job as player a bit easier. They're more responsive and less inclined to overwhelm my audience with directionality issues (i.e., they don't drill you on-axis).
|
1847
2019 posts
Aug 01, 2014
7:54 AM
|
you are both missing the boat,
what happened to respecting the blues?
what is needed is 2 harpkings
not smaller amps.
what happens if joe bonamesa shows up,
and wants to sit in?
are you going to tell him no?
for smaller gigs you just
put a clear sonic amp shield in front of the amps
problem solved!
clear sonic
----------
i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
Last Edited by 1847 on Aug 01, 2014 7:58 AM
|
Joe_L
2493 posts
Aug 01, 2014
1:15 PM
|
A vocal mic and PA is the great equalizer. If you've got a good sound through a vocal mic, you'll sound good through anything. It never bothers me to play through a vocal mic.
----------
The Blues Photo Gallery
|
atty1chgo
1050 posts
Aug 05, 2014
6:30 AM
|
This video reinforces kudzurunner's main point:
|
1847
2023 posts
Aug 05, 2014
1:49 PM
|
so what i take away from that interview
is walter played thru a tube pa,
and also it is likely he used a jt 30
with a crystal element
----------
i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
Last Edited by 1847 on Aug 05, 2014 1:51 PM
|
barbequebob
2671 posts
Aug 06, 2014
10:28 AM
|
Back then, along with Green Bullet mics, JT30's were all standard mics used for vocals and many house PA's in Chicago were still using them until the late 60's and crystal mics were very commonly used. The Shure PE55 was the first dynamic as well as the first mic using a cardioid pickup pattern back in the early 50's and those were extremely expensive back then plus all PA's were hi-z at the time. Until the introduction of the Shure Vocal Master sometime in the mid to late 60's EVERY PA was made of tubes and the last all tube PA was the Fender PA-100 back in 1984.
----------
Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
|
Joe_L
2501 posts
Aug 06, 2014
11:45 AM
|
"Yeah, we get that, Bob. So how does one go about getting great acoustic tone?"
Try this:
1. Get a recording of a player with great acoustic tone.
2. Get a recorder. (They are cheap.)
3. Play of portion of a song from the recording artist.
4. Play what they just played and record it.
5. Listen to the recording that was just made.
6. Does it sound similar tonally? If so, quit. If not, go to step 7.
7. Alter the shape of your mouth, your breathing technique, the amount of air you put through the harp and the shape of your hands. Return to step 3.
Keep the recordings and remember what you did, you might stumble across something interesting along the way.
Playing and/or practicing a lot helps, too.
OR
You could just get a mentor.
----------
The Blues Photo Gallery
|
1847
2028 posts
Aug 06, 2014
12:57 PM
|
Players who have a tendency to play with too much breath force are always going to have horrible acoustic tone and won't be playing resonantly,
i tend to play forcefully
i also posted a clip of my playing,
perhaps i am delusional,is my tone horrible?
----------
i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
|
