i doubt we'll use this track (theres a 'more proper' recording from the session) but i quite like the harp tone i was getting so just sharing for the sake of it.
ive only just started singing this and always used to just play the harp as i felt in the moment but am copying Jr wells here because i've just been studying what he did and i love the phrases he came up with for this so i'm still a bit hooked on playing that.
anyway, i messed up the vocal and ended up making it go too long but fwiw, here is my band having a crack at It hurts Me Too
Brave man to become a singer so late in the game....I wish I had that courage...
Only suggestion I have for the harmonica playing is to spend a bit o' time on that 2 hole second inhale bend and play with floating that note just about a foot off the floor rather than pushing down on the floor...otherwise, the rest is good harmonica playing in the service of this song. ---------- The Iceman
@Iceman- I began really working on singing in my late 30's, and in my 40's I got a few vocal lessons so I could keep from blowing out my voice halfway through a gig. I was generally a late bloomer as far as live performance anyway. The "good" singer in the band quit just before we were to play our first gig and I "had to" step up. I found that open mic/jam night were a good place to try songs out vocally. I don't know your age but really, I doubt it is ever really too late. Hope this does a bit to encourage you. ---------- Music and travel destroy prejudice.
John, I can’t think why you would getvthat error. Others seem to be able to play it so I’m thinking the problem can’t be with the file or the link. But I don’t have any suggestion for what it might be. I’ll keep thinking though.
Thanks Iceman, I’ll pay attention to that. ‘Brave’ is an interesting comment re the singing. Should I put a question mark after saying ‘thanks’? I’m not quite sure. In this country if someone says ‘that was brave’ it’s like a nice way of saying ‘you’re not up to it, but good on you for having a go’
To clarify, I introduced this song to the band but the guitarist wanted to play it in E for whatever reason and I couldn’t sing it there so I handed it to him.
He quit the band 5 months ago. My repertoire only ran to 2 sets so when replacement guitarist was found and we were looking for songs to expand the repertoire I remembered this song. Took it to A where I have a much better chance at it.
I have been trying to play harp on this tune (not in a band) since 2000. I used to listen to the Peter Green version back in the early 80s and loved it, which stayed with me a long time. I remember sitting out on the balcony of my Brisbane hotel room back in 2000; my wife had just been telling me over the phone about my 2 year old daughter’s trip to the doctor that day and I had to stop thinking about that...I found myself on the balcony trying to play hurts me too. The first time I effectively used the technique of distraction to stop myself from worrying about things I can’t control.
Thank you Nate, BronzeWailer, JBone, Karlyn3 and Jim for taking time and kind comments.
I’m looking forward to hearing the ‘proper’ recording from this session.
Losing a member from the group after 2 years is a blow and it’s taken a while to fully realise the extent of the blow. At first I just thought about the repertoire, finding a replacement and getting him up to speed while also learning some new songs myself; the departed member had styled himself as leader and sang half the numbers while also owning the PA and dictating all the marketing. We sorted the PA but it’s taken me a while to realise I can’t pitch the band to venues without a new publicity package. Photos, video, audio. So that’s what we’re working on now. But the summer season is pretty much a loss.
Choice notes. Octaves in my favorite places. Harp tone: agreed, it was nice. I did hear some processing that was not as round/vacuum/across the grid curvy as I want. I only bring it up because that's some of what I hope we do here.
Hi, Littoral. Thanks for listening and comments. By ‘processing’ do you mean something from the equipment? I’m plugged in to the Sonny Jr 2. It is via a pedal board but with everything in bypass ie all pedals are switched off (all Lone Wolf stuff which claims ‘true bypass’)
The recording on this one is just the basic zoom H1 and then all the processing involved in getting it from there to here.
SuperBee your singing is fine. I never sang other than the odd karaoke outing until I started playing harp seriously in 2010 and busking from 2011 onward at age 50. My first busking partner always told me "not to sing" whenever I tried. I did 95% of the singing and 70% with my next two busking partners. Took over three years of weekly singing lessons because Jim Conway told me the singing aspect let down a lot of blues bands. He says he lacks courage to sing even though his voice is pretty good in my opinion. So seize the singing and run with it, I say. I sing while I'm riding my bike and do a lot of work on my weaknesses every day. I have been asked to lead blues jams and gotten some nice comments on my signing, so the effort is worth it.
BronzeW, thanks man. Ive noticed you do more singing these days.
For me, ive always been inclined to it since i was a little kid, and my first musical endeavours were all about singing. But i started to have doubts about my ability when i was about 20. Probably earlier than that actually. I remember recording myself and feeling horrified when i heard the playback, i may have been only 14 at that time.
But i was 23 or 24 when i lost all confidence about it and i only started stepping up again at a very safe private jam about 8 years ago. Since then i noticed my voice getting better and i do think harp and vocals strengthen each other in some ways, improving relative pitch and breathing. Ive never had a singing lesson. I keep contemplating it but just haven’t done so. I really do think Jim is correct and i have said the same thing myself.
Bee, believe in yourself. You have a solid foundation for sure.
I do believe singing and harp complement each other. I think my tone is better since I started singing, because I have learned how to relax and open my vocal equipment.
I have often wondered why pacific island folk sing so well. Is it genetic, or because they sing in church every week from when they are babies? I believe 99% of the population could sing if they got into the habit.
Bee, believe in yourself. You have a solid foundation for sure.
I do believe singing and harp complement each other. I think my tone is better since I started singing, because I have learned how to relax and open my vocal equipment.
I have often wondered why pacific island folk sing so well. Is it genetic, or because they sing in church every week from when they are babies? I believe 99% of the population could sing if they got into the habit.
SuperBee, ok, no reason for processing then, except my phone. As fanatical as I am about such things I don't always remember how hopeless a phone can reproduce good sound. I just got an amplifier that will Bluetooth, and great speakers. Having it, especially for YouTube, has been a glorious discovery. I did that and the Sonny stands out sounding great. Now I want to play the tune asap. My duo does it and it's one of the few places where I like to do the upper 1st position blow bends. It's a fun chance to blow off mic and the audience can still really hear it.
Hmm, I can’t see it on the iPhone. It’s fine on th iPad and I think also on the iMac and the HP laptop
Soundcloud is an app I’ve never really used much. I have used it but never found much appeal in it. I used to use Dropbox before the started messing with it. Box has the neat ‘embed widget’ which allows me to post easily but that’s kinda pointless if folks can’t access it.. I can’t do HTML code off the phone anymore. Maybe I will look at Soundcloud. Or something else
