I think Three Blind Mice was the last of the 'simple' songs I figured out. Something about it kept messing me up long after I had Twinkle Twinkle Little Star mastered.
I'm not sure if I can compete well without a backing track. I do do a mean version of Twinkle Twinkle alone, but my 3Blind is pretty straight forward.
Neat idea though. I just spent a couple hours on an unexpected project but I'll try to give it a shot in the next couple days. Bump the thread if you have to.
I was watching Youtube tonight and I found a twelve tone piano version of 3 blind mice! (You can skip ahead to about the 12 minute mark. It's a long video. Very interesting but only the 3 blind mice part is relevant to your thread. If I was better on the chromatic I might give it a shot.
I don't think I've ever responded to this sort of challenge. In fact, I think this is the first time I've ever posted a sample of my playing -- anywhere.
It's a fun little tune so here it goes warts and all:
Since I didn't have accompaniment I decided to do tracks. I think I have a problem with some parallel movement in a couple spots because I'm tongue blocking octaves. I'm not sure what you call the style of ending where all the instruments sort of wind down like they don't know how to end. I do it deliberately sometimes. I don't know what about it catches my fancy, but I like it. I did a little panning and turned the tb octave track down for the first pass, but mostly it's just layers.
Dropbox has been making some changes in how they allow you to share files. See if the straight link works. If not, I'll try making a quick video for YouTube.
Cool. Now I can hear it. It sounds old fashioned and oddly pleasing. I like the ending. ---------- Tony Eyers Australia www.HarmonicaAcademy.com everyone plays...
Thanks for the compliments, fellas. Tony, I'd like to take credit for really complex tongue work, but my version isn't that complicated. I did three runs -- first just TB'ed with slaps, 2nd with splits and the last with just chording and a little brush with the tongue for articulation.
I like what you are doing there, Nate. I can't figure out what you're up to with your tongue. Can you describe it for us?
Michelle, it's multi-tracked! Let's me cheat. But, I think on the first track (the one centered in the middle left/right) I tongue blocked octaves on 'three blind mice, three blind mice, see how they run, see how they run, and then switched to pucker (or at least I did on one try. I gave it about 3 shots and I'm not sure which one I used- on one take I tb'd that whole track).
Mostly though, it was just recording multiple tracks. I'll export them out individually later. Couldn't perform it live without a couple other harpers, although maybe Howard Levy could.
Thanks for that explanation, Nate. I admit you had me tongue-tied trying to do dat. :^)
Reminds me of an old story about the blind jazz piano prodigy and virtuoso Art Tatum. As a youth he learned to play on a player piano by playing along with the rolls his mother bought him. One roll was particularly difficult but he persisted until he got it. Only later did he learn that it was a duet that he was mimicking!
Ah. I remember when trying to learn how to bend, this was the go-to work-out on the dreaded 3'' and 2' bends! That and the Batman theme tune on the 2 draw bends.
Very nice. Love the vibrato at the end, the squeak likewise. Now to get all of this going at once... ---------- Tony Eyers Australia www.HarmonicaAcademy.com everyone plays...
I could not embed this without it autoplaying, even though I had autostart = "false" Does anyone know how to correct this?
Last Edited by STME58 on Jun 25, 2015 12:41 PM
What a show! The first variation sounded baroque. The remainder a harmonica history lesson. ---------- Tony Eyers Australia www.HarmonicaAcademy.com everyone plays...
Thanks Michelle. I'll bet it was throwing in the minor harp that caused the question about how this was done.
Section 1: Low F harp, 1st position middle register. Inspired by but not up to the level of what Tony started this tread with.
Section 2: Low F harp, 1st position middle register. Play arpeggios around tune notes and keep it moving (all 16th notes). This was inspired by the variations in my Arban's brass method book.
Section 3: F minor harp, first position middle register. Nearly the same breath pattern as section one but with liberal use of chords. The minor harp really changes the character of the sound. It also tends to make harp players who are not familiar with them think, “how the hell is he getting those sounds out of the harp?!”
Section 4: Low F harp, 2nd position low register.
Section 5: Low F harp, 2nd position low register.
Last section: Low F Harp, 1st position. Played the way Richter intended it, chords on the bottom, melody in the middle. Finale inspired by but not up to the level of Buddy Greene's William Tell Overture.
Nice version. I like the vamping while the melody is going. This is a tongue blocking skill I don't possess.
The style is distinctly old fashioned, and I suspect would have fitted into a circa 1920s Australian harmonica contest. These events used to fill large halls on a regular basis ---------- Tony Eyers Australia www.HarmonicaAcademy.com everyone plays...
Tony: Thanks for the feedback. I bet I could empty a large hall on a regular basis. Your version is very pretty. I can see a lady and her young swain skipping around to your music. (BTW. We missed you at AHPN. Along with Rubes and Steamrollin’ Stan and Dane.) Michelle: My approach is similar to yours. I like that organ grinder-ish sound. Nate: Nice use of layering. You’re getting that rounds effect. Rontana: I tried accessing yours twice but no joy… ? MindTheGap: Great work. I also liked the squeak! STME58: You’ve obviously put a lot of thought into it. Just goes to show that it is good to be a musician as well as a harp player ?. I like the bluesy bit starting around 2 minutes.
It’s interesting seeing different players’ takes on the same song. Lots of food for thought.
@Bronze Wailer: Yours is probably my favorite rendition. As to mine, I'm having a bit of difficulty with some of the settings on Sound Cloud (it's being obstinate about obeying my every whim and demand) ---------- Marr's Guitars
Over a decade's experience designing, building & playing Cigar Box Guitars
I have really enjoyed this thread and all the contributions. It’s great to hear all the different takes/styles on this simple well known melody.
I have had fun recording three mice, one fast, one medium and one slow….All blind.
I’ve forgotten a great many important things in my life but for some curious reason I have held the following silly verse in my head for countless years….finally I have a chance to share it.
A trio of highly diminutive creatures to the order of mammals called rodents devoid of the utility of their sight. Perceive the manner in which they scamper orientating themselves upon the agriculturists spouse, who severed their rear appendages with the use of a keen edged kitchen utensil used for slicing. Did you ever perceive such an unusual occurrence in your existence as a trio of highly diminutive creatures to the order of mammals called rodents devoid of the utility of their sight.
Re an album of harmonica nursery rhyme versions, I kind of did that a few years back. It's where I dug out "Three Blind Mice". You can hear the other tunes at HarmonicaforChildren.com
Any other versions out there? Newbies are welcome. ---------- Tony Eyers Australia www.HarmonicaAcademy.com everyone plays...
