Our next “behind the scenes” footage from the new CD "It Takes Three" is my original blues harmonica instrumental “Blow! Blow! Blow!” You’ll notice that I’m reading from sheet music. This is my blues science experiment where the entire song is based on the first lick. Though we use repetition within a chorus in the blues (known as Chorus Forms), there’s never been an instrumental written based completely on the first lick… until now! Every lick in this song is directly related to the first lick presented. The lick is played: backwards (retrograde); upside down (inversion); backwards and upside down (retrograde inversion); twice as fast (diminution); slowed to half speed (augmentation); used in pieces (fragmentation), transposed to different chords (sequences); and many other transformative tools. If you would like to learn about these techniques and see this song broken down, check out my complete lesson at BluesHarmonica.com (Improvising Study 11).
The CD will be released May 2nd, 2015 at the Granada Theater in Downtown Morgan Hill, California (event posting below). Musicians are Kid Andersen (Guitar), Mike Phillips (Electric and Upright Basses), Marty Dodson (Drums and Hand Percussion) and Steve Lucky (Piano).
After this release event CDs will be available for sale at major outlets and full transcription set will be available for purchase at BluesHarmonica.com. Those interested in the making of the CD, from inception to recording (over eight hours of instructive footage), subscribe to BluesHarmonica.com to see this detailed Recording Study series.
Thanks to volunteer cameramen Marc Graci, Gleidson Sousa and John Rafferty. ---------- Sorry for any misspell, english is not my first language.
Slightly strange but I guess I missed the point. He's playing the pentatonic scale (a la Juke) and playing various relatively uninteresting licks based on it. Don't get why this is "new" as it's been done a gazillion times before. If someone can enlighten me, please. R
Last Edited by Little roger on Apr 09, 2015 12:54 PM
@ LR .. was hearing the same .. don't know what makes it a "first time for an instrumental to be based on the first lick" ? Maybe the first time to be put to paper .. composed to read ?
Last Edited by mastercaster on Apr 09, 2015 10:09 PM
I really respect Davids Harp playing,i mean he is one of the best...but why the emphasis on having a chart in front of him to play a relatively simple tune. Have to say though i will be buying the CD he is putting together sounds great
Interesting concept, but ultimately not exactly as Dave described...
"Every lick in this song is directly related to the first lick presented."
About half way through, Dave starts to move away from that first pentatonic lick and uses ideas containing notes outside of the original 5.
I attribute this to the reality that the pentatonic ideas become somewhat static and predictable to the ears of the listener (and Dave himself), so he has to break out of his self imposed prison before he goes insane - at least for a moment or two.
What Dave is doing is known as theme and variation, something explored to the Nth degree by Classical composers, as well as those few that can really develop a coherent blues solo on diatonic.
Since Dave approaches the art of improv from a solid intellectual and slightly pedantic mind set, it is no surprise to see him using a chart in which all the variations are thought out in advance and the solo sounds more structured than inspired.
It appears to be an effective teaching tool for those that like his personal approach.
Can't fault his tone or feel, though. ---------- The Iceman
Can't wait to buy this plus it's new Gary Smith stuff and that's the stuff you gotta watch!
Is there a beef with Dave Barrett :-0 I think he is a great player, I know he ain't reinventing the wheel and don't really think of him as an artist like some others I like but man, he has some chops!!!
Dave Barrett says: "After this release event CDs will be available for sale at major outlets and full transcription set will be available for purchase at BluesHarmonica.com. Those interested in the making of the CD, from inception to recording (over eight hours of instructive footage), subscribe to BluesHarmonica.com to see this detailed Recording Study series."
Iceman says "Since Dave approaches the art of improv from a solid intellectual and slightly pedantic mind set, it is no surprise to see him using a chart in which all the variations are thought out in advance and the solo sounds more structured than inspired."
Dave is a very, very good player and his execution is technically perfect. Personally though I like to hear a little bit of 'living dangerously'. To me little mistakes here and there make a piece more interesting and more 'human'. I have one of Dave's albums and it's a superb example of harmonica playing. Although for my taste it does tend to sound too clinical in places. Having said that of course I'd love to be able to play half as well as Dave can. Dave has superb tone, great phrasing, a ton of licks and great musical sensibility. Something I'm sure most of us strive to achieve. I'm sure his latest project will do well and I'm glad we have him around for many reasons.
I hear what you're saying Kingley about perfection. I also like to hear an edgy, riskier approach to the music.
I suppose the object of the exercise is to create a teaching/learning tool which illustrates his points. It seems to do this admirably. It may have less to offer for those who have mastered all these techniques already.
I have just dipped my toes into his free lessons. His approach seems very systematic and comprehensive. Some of the players who have done his course have come out sounding awesome. I guess he represents the extreme order/organized end of the teaching spectrum.
I am currently following some of Rick Estrin's lessons on Sonic Junction, which have a more perhaps organic approach, for the want of a better word. I find that suits my character a bit better.
What impressed me the one time I met David was how many of his friends from his life as a martial arts instructor had shown up at the gig. The words "balance" and "discipline" shimmer when you're in David's presence. It's possible that balance and discipline, important as they are--and invaluable in a master teacher--might work against one's ability to deliver what I'm tempted to call the crazy sh-t. I think that's what Kingley and Iceman are touching on, and I won't deny that I know what they mean.
I think I may just go get drunk and play some crazy sh-t right now.
Dave is fully capable of improvisation and he could play fresh licks every 4 bars. He did this, I think, as an exercise to support his teaching, one element of this is how to build a tune through the use of "chorus forms" and to demonstrate that you can go along way by playing with a simple theme.
To generalize this one tune to his overall abilities is rather silly. ---------- *************************************************** /Greg
Hope no one thought I was trying to stir up sh*t about some posted comments above. I just think Dave Barrett is a sh*t-hot player who has some undeniable great chops, but as this is Modern Blues Harmonica I guess he wont impress some folks so to each their own I guess! Watch out or he will karate-chop you!!!;-)....that's a joke BTW.
I for one was not being critical on Dave's talent's .. he's a very talented musician and has made considerable contributions to the music I love ..
What I was observing, is his business Ad / Promo that this tune is a 'First of it's Kind' ..
Quote "there’s never been an instrumental written based completely on the first lick… until now! Every lick in this song is directly related to the first lick presented."
That is a very … that is a Very Unique and Intriguing claim to Promote/ Advertise .. it catch's folks attention , This is the quote/claim that caught my attention ..
To promote it as a First .. that's a very strong statement/ claim .. in business promotion it could be the most influential business statement made ... that statement I have a hard time with .. and as Iceman in his dissection of the tune has cleverly and clearly imo pointed out .. he does deviate off the theme …
Tall Poppy Syndrome = jealousy … I don't think myself , or the others here that have been a bit critical are jealous of his skills , on the contrary … I for one am always happy to know that the instrument and music I love and has been so much a part of my 57yrs. , will live on in future generations, makes me very happy ..
An honest evaluation of his Advertising claims, Not his playing skills is subject to evaluation… and his claims are a bit misleading ….
Last Edited by mastercaster on Apr 11, 2015 8:36 PM
on the tramp groove clip at the deli i thought it would be a good idea if the harp laid out while the saxophone soloed giving it a little "air" same with the guitar solo. the harp had plenty of choruses
Nice stuff by David. I have always liked his teaching method, very solid on technique and short on artsy fartsy stuff . Sometimes the whole art of creativity is another excuse to start drifting and noodling around, rather than learning. I don't have a problem with "dry and academic" as David does it because it is written down and easy to follow.
A friend dropped me a note about your conversation. Thanks to everyone for your input… this is fun to read.
I’ve been playing the head of this tune for a number of years and then came across The Unanswered Question by Leonard Bernstein (six-part video lecture given at Harvard University in 1973). In this lecture Leonard analyzed a composition where every part played was a transformation of the first phrase presented. I studied these techniques in college and thought it would be a fun project to write a blues harmonica instrumental in the same vein based on this head. I did this for my own growth and amusement. I have some students that love songwriting, so I decided to take the time to write out the process for them and notate everything as I went. I shared this with them and the students on my website and it was a fun project.
When I decided to put this CD project together I wasn’t sure about including the tune, being so academic, but part of the premise of creating this instrumental was to test if a blues song could be successfully constructed in this way and still be valid among other songs that are primarily improvised. It’s fun to read your comments… some of you think it was successful and others don’t… cool.
The first lick of the tune happened to be constructed of the major pentatonic scale… it wasn’t constructed to be so, it just was… and thus by the nature of this project, the use of the major pentatonic scale become thematic for the song as a whole. The solo after the break section uses the blues scale. The transformation here is that it’s the opposite of the major pentatonic scale (technically the minor pentatonic scale is the opposite… but I was going more for the opposite of light… bluesy).
I’ve catalogued and analyzed over a 1,000 blues harmonica instrumentals. I’m not aware of one written based on the first lick like this… if there’s one out there please let me know, I want to hear it! I stated, “there’s never been an instrumental written based completely on the first lick.” Out of context this sounds like ALL music instrumentals… but I was talking about blues harmonica. Should I say, “there’s never been a blues harmonica instrumental written based completely on the first lick”? I’m happy to change the wording if it’s misleading.
Thanks again for the input, this is fun to see your reactions.
P.S., if any of you would like a transcription of the tune and a PDF of the analysis I wrote out for my students, drop me an email from one of my sites and I'll be happy to send it your way.
P.P.S., the video clip of me playing the tramp groove is embarrassing… I was a bit excited and played horribly out of time (not listening to the band). Not my best moment… but oh well, I played it and have to own it!
like 6sn7 says... great project. Now we/you know it can be done. Congratulations!
btw. You were marvelous!!! It was real fun listening to you and Corey jammin at the Kona Brewery restaurant and bar, in Hawaii Kai. Good stuff. You were killin it!!! as usual..Corey, too. Corey is amazing. Plays guitar and harp....both really well. Next time u in town, give me a headsup!..or just drop in. The Mojokane Blues Wednesday gig, at OnStage Drinks and Grinds, 802 Kapahulu ave. Honolulu, Hawaii. (plug) Makin good memories is where it's at. All sorts of local, and mainland, bluesmen and blueswomen, show up to wow the crowds. Aloha's, Mojo
*the invite extends to all the Blues Forum chaps, and chapettes, as well.
Though, this may best be for another thread...sorry to hijack this one... ;-)
---------- Yes, there are blues in Hawaii.
Last Edited by Mojokane on Apr 13, 2015 1:27 PM
I remember from music classes years ago that fugues kind of do this. They repeat the theme, transpose it, play it backwards and upside down, on top of itself, inverted, perverted, and all that good stuff.
I thought the instrumental in question sounded really nice. I liked even more the Dave/Gary/Aki horn section tune that someone here posted awhile back.
Looking forward to the release of this album...and kudos to Dave for his very civil and non-defensive attitude.
David Barrett wrote; ''P.P.S., the video clip of me playing the tramp groove is embarrassing… I was a bit excited and played horribly out of time (not listening to the band). Not my best moment… but oh well, I played it and have to own it!''
He is of course being a bit modest, he was blowin' up a storm! However, good musicians are often their own worse critic!
i agree some great stuff there. his excitement is contagious there is a certain youthful exuberant quality that shines thru as grandpa used to say.... "if you are smiling, you are doing it right" grandma was always smiling, he must of been doing something right.
