Hello everyone I apologise to everyone and the moderator if this is not the way to do this I am new to Harmonicas and brand new to this forum so greetings from a Brit leaving in south west France Got myself Blue Harp in C and D and working through Gussow stuff like a mad man Trying to learn Crossroads and bought the Tab for it so hard work but on course But I also want to bye bye bird it’s my first sight of a Harmonica being used like that and I was captivated So my post is a hello everyone and Where can I find Tab for Bye Bye Bird on a really dirty Low C Thanks moderators for hosting this forum and for letting me on Thank you Andy
Last Edited by dunn.andy on Jun 03, 2018 2:40 AM
Hi Andy, greetings from North East of France ! I am myself relatively new to the harmonica (about 2 years of serious learning) and also picked Adam as my main inspiration. You can find good free lessons on Bye Bye Bird from Tomlin : https://www.tomlinharmonicalessons.com/?s=bye+ye+bird
plus you may find a few other tutorials after some "googling".
This tune is also a favorite of mine and I bought a Low C Rocket from Hohner to play it. I must admit low keys have a very particular and addictive sound !
Salute Christian Thanks for the suggestion, I already have Tomlins Bye Bye Birdy, it’s a little poppy for me but I am using it as a staring point. Will check the net for additions and modifications but thanks for pointing it out. Merci my friend 34240 Lamalou-les-Bains France Andy
Last Edited by dunn.andy on Jun 04, 2018 2:40 AM
Hi guys and welcome to this forum! I've been around for a lot of years both here and as a player. I'm in the USA.
I've had a Hohner 364 for many years, it's a 12 hole model with extra low notes, like what Sonny Boy II played on a lot. It's an ok harp but I just got a Suzuki Manji in low C that I like too. Hohner is making good harps these days as well. I also have a low D, Eb, and F. All have a place in my gig kit. There are some songs which just NEED that low end!
Adam is a very good guy. He is a much more technical player than I am. A good man to learn from since he's actually a college level teacher as well.
There are a lot of good and great players here, and newer guys and gals as well. I hope you both stay around, ask a lot of questions, and get totally buzzed on playing harp! ----------
I have two great PAID sources for you to learn this style:
1) Go to Rick Estrin's lessons on Sonic Junction. Check out his video for "Getting Out of Town." This website costs about $20 a month, but you can check out two lessons for free to see if it's what you want. Look at his videos for the First Chorus and see if you like it.
2) Dave Barrett has a great tab and video series that he calls "Sonny's Bird" at bluesharmonica.com. This is, bar none, the most complete, accurate tab I've seen for it. However, this is another paid site (also around $20). Also, I think that you have to unlock this video by going through his Levels of Achievement. Maybe you can email him and see if you can somehow get around that? Maybe he'll sell you the tab directly?
---------- Marc Graci YouTube Channel
Last Edited by Mirco on Jun 04, 2018 12:22 PM
I do think that SBWII was recorded performing the number several times and each performance is different in various ways. So any tab may not relate to a particular recording especially well. Which is not to say don’t use a tab. Just stay open minded about the possibility of different approaches.
As mentioned above SB used a Hohner 364 in C which is a real ‘low’ tuned harp, not like a lucky 13 or Hohner SBS 365 which both are more like a standard range harp with an extra low Octave tacked on the low end. The song would lay out rather differently if you were using one of those
You're right, SuperBee, that it was performed different ways every time. I met with Dave Barrett personally for a few lessons about it, and he explained to me about the different versions and how his tab actually pulls from all the different versions. He tried to put together something representative of the song and taking the most signature parts. Dave's version is 10-12 choruses long, if I remember.
So you are 100% right that the tab does not relate to a particular recording. However, if a guy learned the Dave Barrett version, he'd be able to pull off playing in the Sonny Boy "Bye Bye Bird" style pretty well.
---------- Marc Graci YouTube Channel
Last Edited by Mirco on Jun 04, 2018 12:26 PM
Jbone Thanks for the welcome and advise I am rubbish but putting in the hours so I am getting slowly better. Got My wife has orderd my Hohner Low C so when that gets here I will get stated
SuperBee I have seen maybe three different versions but I am sure there are more It’s the one I think filmed in England ( I think) That I like the best
Micro x 2 Will check both of those tutors out but I have seen Dave Barrett stuff and like his approach I am not aiming for not perfect copy of one recording It was the style, the feel, the grunge of those performances
Schaek - will do
Thanks to all above appreciate the suggestions
Last Edited by dunn.andy on Jun 05, 2018 1:41 AM
As SuperBee mentions, Sonnyboy performed a lot of variations of the song. This is a nice a version, and there are a lot of little things to be learned by studying it...
Andy, we all started from the same place. In my case I had few resources to help me along. Stubbornness took me a long way. These days you have some great people to help you along, if you are determined and patient. I've seen guys go from "rubbish" to pretty good players in 6 months.
I wish you the best. This can be a tremendous journey. ----------
Appalachia That is the one, my favourite version This is a genius at work Thanks for putting it up
Jbone I do nothing put play Harmonica, it’s become very addictive, thanks again for the encouragement
The David Barrett won’t be working out for me He wants me to start at the beginning Lesson one, mod one I have expained I am 5 months into this and about put in between 160 & 190 hrs , he insists . So that won’t be happening as I am a big fan of Adam approach and teaching method . I have a couple of Tabs , so I am going to start with those and mess with them and dirty them up a bit and see how that sounds Thanks again
I love this song! I just bought a Seydel Low Tone 1847 in Low C, PowerDraw tuned and half-valved.
It really does have an addictive Growl.
Interesting idea... take Wammer Jammer, and use the Amazing Slow Downer app to bring it down to 50%.... then listen to Bye Bye Bird again. Lots of familiar licks in there!
The studio recording on Chess is mostly on a Low C (he breaks out a regular C harp for part of it). But the live versions were mostly on a Low D. =========== Winslow
Just following up on SuperBee's comment, about the different layouts...
A standard Richter Low C has draw notes, holes 1 to 6: D3 G3 B3 D4 F4 A4
A Lucky 13, SBS 365, or Seydel Solist-12 in C has draw notes, holes 1 to 6: D3 G3 B3 D4 G4 B4
So did I understand correctly, that Sonnyboy played a 12-hole Echo Vamper (same as 364) which was tuned in the first way (standard Richter low tuning)?
Last Edited by AppalachiaBlues on Jun 12, 2018 3:39 AM
The SBS didn't exist until Sonny Boy had been dead for over thirty years! And the Lucky 13 just came out a couple of years ago.
The 364 in Low C that Sonny Boy played in the US on the Chess studio recording, and the British model Echo Vamper (same as the 364 but available in more keys) in Low D that he played in Europe were exactly that: Low C harps and Low D harp. The first ten holes tuned exactly like a regular C or D, just an octave lower (plus two extra holes on the high end that he never played).
After watching this video I decided to buy a low C and learn this song,I got a Seydel low tone!! this is the first low tuned harp I have ever used in 25 years, well all I can say is....it's a different animal!! I have played it for 3 days solid and seem to of tamed it, well today I picked up a standard C and it seemed so easy the bends were like butter!! So I would say if you ever want to sharpen your chops use a low C work a few days.....and I love the low growl.
Last Edited by Fingers on Jun 18, 2018 12:40 PM
Thanks for the all the advise, got a Homer Thunderbird in a Low C and it’s the most amazing sound. Working through an amalgamation of Tabs and adding stuff of my own, just having fun with it. Not sure how true to the original I am but I am having a ball
Last Edited by dunn.andy on Jun 20, 2018 5:37 AM
Found what I want Liam Ward has it all on 2 U Tube Lessons for free He goes by the name of LearnTheHarmonica.com He had lessons and Tabs for verses 1 , 2 and 3 Its not the same SBW11 version that I was after He has worked on the version from Bring it on Home And it’s spot in n for me So thanks again for the advice, just thought I would share where I had got to Oh I am playing it on my newly arrived Hohner Thunderbird Low C and sounds amazing, even if I say so myself Cheers girls and guys