Ian
377 posts
Oct 23, 2016
3:43 AM
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Yo!
Has anyone got any good licks that move between the upper and lower range of the harp?
I've been experimenting more with the upper octave recently but in general I tend to find that I'm either up top or down low and don't mix them up enough.
Edit... Apologies for the typo in the title, is there a way of fixing that out if interest?
Cheers
Last Edited by Ian on Oct 23, 2016 3:46 AM
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MindTheGap
1843 posts
Oct 23, 2016
9:48 AM
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Ian - I fixed your title.
As for the licks. That's was a bit of a quest for me - you mean in 2nd position I guess? I reviewed what everyone does, and it's actually quite tricky without overblows. The most common thing I found is to use a blues scale up to 6B, then switch to pentatonic to take you up to the top. I found more descending licks than ascending - my fav is Walter Horton's 9+ 9 8 7 6 6+, I can't remember the tune offhand. Charlie Musselwhite does similar things but often with a trademark 9B 8B, bent to substitute for 9D, 8D.
There was a really nice example from Huey Lewis on a high key harp, but it's gone from YT I'm afraid. Again, it was a figure on the pentatonic notes available in the top octave.
If you carry out your move during the IV chord, then you can make merry with all the blow notes, which I do like as they don't get much of an outing otherwise. You've got a freely available arpeggio of the IV chord on those notes just by run up the notes, and when you are the top you can bend them too.
If you move on the V chord, I think you can move from a nice wailing 6D on the draw notes and end up on 9B.
But for that seamless sounding bluesy run - the kind of thing we hear from Adam, you need those overblows.
Not massive help I expect, but it's what I've found.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Oct 23, 2016 9:55 AM
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Ian
378 posts
Oct 24, 2016
4:29 AM
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Thanks man. Yes, 2nd position. Yeah it's a tricky one isn't it.
The seamless bluesy runs are I suppose what I'm angling for! (who isn't?) At the moment all I seem to get that sounds half decent are licks that are accented by high bends rather than something slick and organic.
The Overblow on 6 is the only one I can pull out of the bag with any degree or reliability.
Which overblows would you say are needed for this to take shape?
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Killa_Hertz
1829 posts
Oct 24, 2016
4:30 AM
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I suspect your right MTG. The over blows are probably the secret to unlocking the upper octave. To the blues anyhow.
I'm pretty crap when it comes to the upper octave, i would like to learn more aswell.
That Horton luck is a good one.
Another one i use sometimes in 3rd positon. (Another thing I'm not great wuth) is 8 7'+ 6dwa (or scoop/ 6' bend to held 6) then i repeat it with slightly different timing and hold the 6 with hard vibrato. Maybe ill try to post a sound clip. But that's really all i got ... lol.
Guess it's time to learn to OB.... LOL
Edit: Ian your post came out while i was typing i guess.
That's a great question. Which Overblows are the most important.
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Last Edited by Killa_Hertz on Oct 24, 2016 4:32 AM
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Ian
379 posts
Oct 24, 2016
4:31 AM
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I should add that part of what's spurred me on to this is after playing my LLF and LE harp.
On the whole I don't actually like the sound of the high notes on a harp, but on the low key harps they sound great up top.
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Ian
380 posts
Oct 24, 2016
4:33 AM
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Posted at the same time there killa, thanks for the input. Sounds like we are on the same page with the top end to some extent.
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Killa_Hertz
1830 posts
Oct 24, 2016
4:33 AM
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I agree. I used my low harps to learn to blow bend. I love playing up to on my life harps. Wish i could put it to use thought. ...lol.
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