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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Short Stuff, tracks tonality and harmonica pos!
Short Stuff, tracks tonality and harmonica pos!
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Dox
41 posts
Dec 02, 2017
1:40 PM
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Hi,
I'm studying 2 pieces of Short Stuff: "Always There" and "Let's straighten it out".
I've not harps with me now, only a digital piano (on the phone!! hahaha).
I need some advises about tonality and harmonica use:
"Let's straighten it out" seems to me in FMaj and the tone of the harp seems high, I don't think it is Bb in second position. It use the VIMaj a lot so may be it's played with a Eb harp in third position.
"Always There" seems more difficult to me. I think it is in Gmin and, again, Liban like to linger on the VI, but this time is VImin. Again, the tone of the harp seems high, so a harp in F played in third position seems a good idea but play well the VImin in this line is very difficult and I don't think Liban use that. May be a 5th position? So again an arp in Eb?
What do you think?
Thanks, bye!
Last Edited by Dox on Dec 02, 2017 2:11 PM
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ridge
718 posts
Dec 03, 2017
7:18 AM
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Dox,
Surprised nobody else has offered any help. Maybe they are hoping you find the answer from within!
Just listened to both of the tracks you mentioned. Thanks for introducing me to Short Stuff.
Let's Straigten it Out is played in 3rd position on a C harmonica.
The basic outline of the main riff is ( ' = half step draw bend / " = whole step draw bend )
-5 -5 -4 -4 '3 '3 -2 -2
-4 -4 "3 "3 "2 "2 -1 -1
Of course there are more embellishments and accents with the way he attacks, slides into / out of notes, and bends into / out of notes as well as hand-wah effects and use of octaves (playing 1 and 4 inhale / exhale) for fuller sounds.
Always There is played on a C chromatic harmonica. I thought he switches harmonicas at the end, but additional listening convinced me otherwise. More details in my next post.
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Ridge's YouTube
Last Edited by ridge on Dec 04, 2017 4:00 AM
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Dox
44 posts
Dec 04, 2017
2:28 AM
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Hi ridge and thanks for your tips!
Damn, in effect I say FMaj for "Let's straighten it out" which is the relative-maj of Dmin :D I'll try the third position on C harp asap.
I'm not chromatic player and I really don't know this type of harmonica, but I was a doubt "Always There" isn't played with a diatonic. Anyway I'll try to find out how to play this song with a diatonic harp...5th position in Eb harp can be a right way in your opinion?
Thanks, bye
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ridge
719 posts
Dec 04, 2017
3:57 AM
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Dox,
You're welcome. Your analysis on the first song is right, but you just needed a little advice on harp choice.
For a little more info on the second song, Jim is using a C chromatic harmonic. The song is in Cmin (I think). For a substitute you can use a Bb in 3rd position for fairly easy layout. He does hit a sharp 5 as a passing note in one of the phrases (at about 30 second mark in the song) which would be 6 overblow on Bb. Still you can manage most of the rest of the song besides that.
You could use an Eb, but you would be in 4th position. This could definitely work, and when I try it sounds closer to a chromatic harmonica. The drawback here is you need to hit the 3 draw whole step bend more frequently and it will sound a sour if your intonation isn't great. I'm finding it to be a bit cumbersome initially. On the other hand the sharp 5 in 4th position is the 5 draw.
Lots of choices. Explore them all! Have fun studying.
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Ridge's YouTube
Last Edited by ridge on Dec 04, 2017 3:59 AM
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LFLISBOA
11 posts
Dec 15, 2017
1:01 PM
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Is there a place where I can download Short Stuff "Talk is Cheap" album? I think I havel most of Jim Liban material, but is missing this album. Thanks in advance
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Dox
69 posts
Dec 15, 2017
3:56 PM
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LFLISBOA, unfortunateley I've not found this album to buy...
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