I believe this is the first 3rd position blues recorded, on an E harp no less! Makes me think 3rd on a D harp for key of E blues is something I should have in the wheelhouse, you almost never hear that done.
I love the sound of this, his tones are so strong and steady.
---------- 4' 4+ 3' 2~~~ -Mike Ziemba Harmonica is Life!
Last Edited by slaphappy on Apr 25, 2018 8:34 PM
Good call. Many bluesplayers appear to shun 3D pos on anything above the A harp -- which is a pity. Myself very fond of E major/minor on the D, but since my only B harp is somewhat "challenged" at the moment, I gladly pick up an E for F# tunes.
It's interesting that Walter plays licks that sound almost like he transposed them from second position licks that he was also playing during that period.
Tonally, I'm reminded of the sound he got on Louisiana Blues.
I have to wonder what led to the choice of F# as a key, though. =========== Winslow
Is it possible that the F# key on the recording is due to tape speed from that era (before digital)?
I know a lot of recordings were 1/2 step off of the original key due to fluctuations in the tape machine - recorded onto tape and then played back a little faster or slower - which would change the pitch... ---------- The Iceman
I had the same thought. The other recordings made the same day (December 29, 1951) are all in E or F (played by Walter in either first or second position) But on the CD issues are often in the cracks between the two keys.
On this one, the pitch is dead on F#, not some random almost or in-between pitch. Does that mean someone took the trouble to "correct" (or at least true up) the pitch on this one but not the others? Or that it really was played in F#? Impossible to know at this distance in time - nobody left to ask.
But maybe there was some esoteric reason to play in F#. Ever notice how label mate Bo Diddley seemed to have a permanently installed second-fret capo on some of his wild-looking guitars in photos from a little later in the 1950s?
Lonesome Day is either an E harp played in F#, or maybe an F harp played in G. Definitely not a D-harp - Muddy would sound a bit chipmunk-like if the record had been sped up enough to raise the pitch two semitones! =========== Winslow
I can´t vouch for this, but I heard that when Muddy met some young guy, British, very much in awe of him who had participated on one of his recordings a few years earlier, Muddy asked, "Well, how did you like it?" "Oh, it was marvelous playing with you -- but I have to confess, those tunes in F# were kinda tough." "What", Muddy said, "you should have told me and I´d just moved the capo ...! Shit."
