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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > My Attempts at Ska Harmonica
My Attempts at Ska Harmonica
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DannyRanch
78 posts
Jan 08, 2017
12:38 PM
Hi Folks,

Been a while since I post here, well anyway I been working lately a lot with a local Ska band where I live, its been really challenging, I been trying to study a lot and to practice but its still difficult to adapt to the genre and style!

Specially when they never give you the chords, sheets to work with or anything. Fellas just say "Do whatever you want as long as it sounds nice"

So this are my first takes on the upcoming studio album

"Al Capone" (From Prince Buster)



I do some fills and a solo, They edited the solo and I don't know if I like it, because the original takes I did were more soulful and the solo was longer, but well.

Mood For Love (Jazz Standard made Ska)



I do a solo somewhere in the middle, they left it the way I made it and I really like it.

On a Live Setting

SKalloween (The Skatalites)



I do some fills, some I like some sound pretty random lol
And a third position solo.
I went all over to a 9 blow bend but I was pretty much getting out of breath and I was unable to hold it as I wanted.

I recorded the solo in studio (was way better) but the producer cut it from the record.

Its my favourite song of those guys so its a shame

Fatty Fatty



This is the only song I manage to play the entire song all the time, doing chords fills a solo and a ending lick on the 10 blow bend that somehow sounds nice (at least to me)

I been listening to really old jamaican ska for ideas in which they used harmonica in the early 50s and harmonicas were playing only chords and repetitive things, (sounded nice sometimes it didn't)

I try that but for some reason it does not work.

On a gig there are probably 13 songs and I play around 6.
My goal is to play in all, some times I join brass section if I manage to figure it out, but most of the time I do nothing haha

Last Edited by DannyRanch on Jan 08, 2017 2:13 PM
grahamonica
208 posts
Jan 08, 2017
1:50 PM
Wow...This is great Danny.Haven,t listened to any ska music in ages. A very refreshing change!Really enjoyed all the tracks...nice version of i,m in the mood. Didn,t think your harmonica would cut through in a live situation,what with everything thats going on,but it sounded great.
Where are you based? Good luck with the album
DannyRanch
80 posts
Jan 08, 2017
6:35 PM
Thank You!

I want to see what happens!
I study a lot of blues material but always end playing only with Ska or reggae bands

I'm located in Costa Rica, well can't fight againts the caribbean influences right? haha
cliffy
245 posts
Jan 08, 2017
6:54 PM
You should definitely say that you play "ska-monica" with your band. I liked these clips.

Hopefully one day your band can do some of Prince Buster's really raunchy songs, like "Big Five", "Wine and Grind", "Wash the Pum Pum", and "Bald Head Pum Pum". Prince Buster has a great way of singing really explicit lyrics in a romantic voice.
Rhartt1234
219 posts
Jan 10, 2017
9:01 AM
I'm a big Ska/Rocksteady fan. Surprisingly harmonica is pretty common.

Here's a tune I wrote for my last CD.
MattP
1 post
Jan 12, 2017
9:09 AM
We always sneak some ska in at our Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers gigs! Here's Bend Down Low by The Wailers

https://soundcloud.com/matt-prozialeck/erin-harpe-the-delta-swingers-bend-down-low-live-fireflys-9-9-16
DannyRanch
81 posts
Feb 24, 2017
5:50 AM
I was able to review that until now.

Thanks for the comments!

Great tracks as well!

Next time I will hope to be able to record amped. Sounds way better than all natural acoustic

Will keep ya fellas updated!
florida-trader
1093 posts
Feb 24, 2017
6:36 PM
I like it!
----------
Tom Halchak
www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
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