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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Learning from a sax teacher
Learning from a sax teacher
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pittman
1 post
Aug 22, 2014
9:14 AM
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Hello from the UK.
I realised some time ago that most harp players learn from other harp players and this could easily impose limits on one's playing.
I have always though that sax is a wonderful instrument and so I went to a sax teacher to see if I could play the same stuff on harp.I had known the guy in question from a long time ago so I suppose he may well have been more inclined to help because of that. Anyway, in our first lesson he told me that Paul Jones (Bluesband) had once shared the score he had written to back a soul band........encouraging news!
Now, for all you folks that do not know or don't want to know any music theory, the rest of this post is irrelevant.
Afterall a sax player is hardly likely to tell you to play 3 draw bent down a full step.
My knowledge is pretty limited but I do understand intervals and I know where and what notes I can get from a C harp so we play everything in G (cross harp) so that my small brain can cope.
Being able to OB is a major advantage as two octaves are available in whatever scale is used.
In our first lesson he taught me his R&B scale and some ways to use it. This G A B D E F G ascending and G F E D Bb A G descending. Interestingly the ascending scale is ( arguably) the one LW used in the intro of Juke.
I have learnt so much from this guy about phrasing and scales that I feel a whole new world opening up before me - modern blues harp?
I will leave it at that - I hope this is of interest. If it is please ask questions etc. Mike.
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Rgsccr
276 posts
Aug 22, 2014
10:11 AM
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Very interesting post. While I haven't taken any lessons from a horn player, I am fortunate in that the jam I go to every week features a trombone/harp player, Jeff Mason, who has been a pro since the 70s. Not only is he very good on both instruments, but I am convinced that his harp playing, which is really different than most of the other good harp guys around Seattle, has been influenced by his trombone playing. I don't know enough to understand exactly what is going on, but I can hear that the runs he uses on harp often mirror things he does with the 'bone. I've asked him about this, and he has played both for so long he isn't really conscious of it. One cool thing he does at times on trombone is to put his harp mic in the bell and play it through his harp amp - generally a Bassman - making it sound like the biggest, dirtiest harp you've ever heard.
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boris_plotnikov
997 posts
Aug 22, 2014
3:24 PM
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Key difference between diatonic harmonica and other instruments,\ is diatonic harmonica have a diatonic layout. And only notes from diatonic scale can sound perfect, while chromatic tone can sound good for bluesy tones or as passing tones. It's slightly different phylosophy, but it's really cool to imitate other instrument's phrasing.
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