SuperBee
4218 posts
Oct 27, 2016
6:45 PM
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The Blues Harmonica Collection: David McKelvy
This book is still probably the biggest single edition of Chicago blues harp transcriptions, and since I have it and have used it in learning a few numbers now, I thought maybe a review could be helpful.
For those unfamiliar with the title, a brief description:
41 songs transcribed. 21 of them are Sonny Boy 2, and 13 are little walter (a couple of the little walter numbers are listed as John Brim). The rest are jimmy reed (3), howlin wolf (2), big walter’s (walkin by myself) and Billy Boy Arnold would be the harp on Bo Diddley’s I’m a Man.
I don’t know anything about David McKelvy except that his name is on this book.
Ive tried to learn a few songs or parts of songs from the book:
Ah’w Baby
Blues With A Feeling
Bright Lights, Big City
Checkin’ Up On My Baby
Juke
Just Your Fool
Ice Cream Man
Off The Wall
Rattlesnake
When I decided to learn Ah’w Baby, I found the transcription is for the ‘alternate take’
This is something you will want to be aware of. I find it virtually impossible to just play the piece from the transcriptions. I need the recording to help me make sense of the script, and if you have the wrong recording it usually doesn’t work very well.
I still do not know what the transcription of Checkin’ Up On my Baby refers to. The transcript provides lyrics, which should be a really good clue but I am yet to find the record.
I believe there is an alternate take by SBW2 which was once available on a box set (Charly Box 1). Anyway, it’s not a complicated song to just learn from the record but I’d like to know what the transcript is from.
I backed away from Rattlesnake (too hard for me at the time), Off The Wall seemed pretty good but also a bit hard for me at the time (maybe still).
Just recently I have referred to the book to help me learn Blues With A Feeling, Just Your Fool and Ice Cream Man. A little while earlier (couple of years) I got started with Bright Lights Big City from here, which was really valuable in getting a start on blow bending and using the top of the harp in a blues context, exploring 1st position.
Ah’w Baby was a while ago. I just learned a phrase at a time one Sunday morning. I only ever learned the intro and I make the solo up. But it’s a great intro and includes a really good LW turnaround, which is very similar to the one he uses in Just Your Fool (JYF).
At this point, I want to talk about the actual transcriptions. There is standard notation with harp tab below.
Beware!
Several times (actually more than ‘several’) I have discovered inconsistencies between the standard notation and the tab. In every case, it’s been the tab which was wrong. I dunno if Mr McKelvy did the standard notation and maybe the publisher just hired someone to write out the tab. Sometimes it seems likely though, that the person who wrote the tab wasn’t paying attention. My 1st step now, if the note seems wrong, is to check the note in the standard notation. Every time I’ve done that and found an inconsistency, the note on the staff provides a much better experience.
If you can read from the staff, I’d advise doing so.
Of course, it’s very difficult to write out a harp solo in standard notation or tab and get across all the nuance of the original, but I think the author has done quite well with the standard notation.
One thing which I think is a bit tricky is that the notes on the page all have equal emphasis, but when played, some of them are almost optional. So you may be scratching your head when you look at the written piece, until you notice that there is a note or 2 just breathed on the way to something else. Using a ‘slow down’ application can really help. Once you’ve learned a few numbers using this sort of transcription, I think it gets easier. You become more aware of the complications and how to focus on the important things. Some notes, and their placement, are simply more crucial than others.
I play a few SBW2 things but I have not really tried to learn much of him from this book. It seems to me though, that the author must be a major fan given the number and relative obscurity of some of the SBW choices. So I expect the transcriptions are probably good. I found learning Ice Cream Man and Blues With A Feeling and JYF were really speed along by using the book, although the discrepancies in the tab caught me out with ICM at first. Once I was onto that though, it was quite good.
Last Edited by SuperBee on Oct 27, 2016 6:47 PM
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Killa_Hertz
1848 posts
Oct 28, 2016
5:49 AM
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BEE IM SO GLAD YOU BROUGHT THIS UP!!!!
I have this book and have TRIED to learn songs from it, but just cant figure out the Tab. It just doesn't seem to even be the same song.
This book was actually one of the reasons I started that "How to read harp sheet music" in the MF a while back. But it really didnt get anywhere.
Perhaps you can use one of the songs in there and break down one of the lines in an audio file so that I can try to understand it. It's really frustrating.
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Sundancer
45 posts
Oct 28, 2016
1:19 PM
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I concur with ya both. Checkin up on my Baby is one of my favourite songs, but the version in the book is gobbledegook.
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Killa_Hertz
1853 posts
Oct 31, 2016
4:54 AM
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Yea. Sundancer I couldn't make much sense of any of those songs. I learned Checkin Up on My Baby from the Will Wilde Video on youtube. If you still have yet to learn it, check that out.
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SuperBee
4226 posts
Oct 31, 2016
5:10 AM
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Looks like my earlier post has vanished but anyway, I'd be happy to have a go at breaking it down. I'm kinda flat out at work and then preparing for next gig (Friday) with a band that doesn't rehearse much. So I'm going over solos and lyrics and trying to polish some turds for a couple days but thinking how to try and work through the book. I think it's gotta be a bit visual and use the track, probably with a bit of slow down and looping. So I just have to sort out the camera really then it's on
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Sundancer
47 posts
Oct 31, 2016
4:10 PM
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The Will Wilde video for Checkin' Up On My Baby is a very good one Killa.
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SuperBee
4239 posts
Nov 04, 2016
2:33 PM
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I have been looking at Down Child in the book. Thought I'd just look at the intro for that for a start. It's quite instructive I think. Should be good.
I spent some time with Glen Weiser's book yesterday (masters of the blues harp)
It's interesting. I looked at the first transcription which is a Carey Bell solo for I'm Ready. Second position on an Eb harp. It made me wonder if Glen designed his book to be progressive. Whatever, I really enjoyed my attempt to learn Mr Bell's solo and will keep on with that because it's got some great licks. Just sitting there in a book on my shelf and me ignoring it. I felt like smacking my head.
I think I have the Just your fool book learning done so maybe I'm Ready will be the next little project.
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Mirco
439 posts
Nov 10, 2016
2:07 PM
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There aren't a lot of good blues harp books out there. This is one of the better ones.
I would also ask you to check out "Masters of the Blues Harp: Note-for-Note Transcriptions from Classic Recorded Performances", from Hal Leonard.
One of the two books above-- I forget which one-- actually includes the lyrics and the melody for the lyrics. This is super helpful if you choose to sing or if you want to play out your own solos that build off the melody.
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Marc Graci
YouTube Channel
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SuperBee
4262 posts
Nov 10, 2016
9:56 PM
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It is the McKelvy book which has vocal melodies notated. I'm afraid I do that entirely by ear.
The other book is the Weiser book I mentioned in previous post. I'm Ready is really the only thing I've tried from that book. Oh, maybe not but it's the first thing for which I've used it as primary reference. I have a few transcriptions from other sources and I think I've cross-referenced to Weiser a few times.
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Killa_Hertz
1889 posts
Nov 11, 2016
4:47 AM
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I have a STACK of these type books. I likely have the ones your talking about. I know I have the First one that you brought up Bee.
I bought them all at the same time. Most of them used on Amazon. But when I got them ... I couldnt figure out the Tabs. They are SO heavily transcribed that I find it really hard to follow. Maybe if you walk me through it like a child, I could figure it out ....lol. But other than that, these things are just collecting dust. I would LOVE to be able to unlock all the goodness inside. If you could just find one line and walk through how you would go about playing it, I think I would be ok.
P.S. Nice to see you posting again Mirco. 8^)
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Jeff
187 posts
Jul 09, 2017
6:36 AM
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SuperBee, this morn I had Spotify radio on and LW's "Ah'w Baby" dropped. After I picked my jaw up off the floor, it dawned on me the tab was in the McKelvy book I've had sitting for years. 5 bars in I realized the tab had to be a totally different, more simplified version - THANK GOD atleast Walter deemed that version the outtake alternate!
Pretty disappointed. I know Glenn Weiser has the tab, but he doesn't sell them anymore; only will share them in private Skype lessons $$$. Sigh.
Last Edited by Jeff on Jul 09, 2017 7:23 AM
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SuperBee
4776 posts
Jul 10, 2017
3:43 AM
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Yeah the version in the book is the alternative take. It's still quite cool I think. I have a Billy Boy Arnold record which was made in England in the 70s iirc, on which BBA plays something similar to the alt take, but it's a bit speeded up. I used to play it that way too but then I played the slow LW recordings to my bandmates and now they only want to play it that way.
I could still go back and study that song. The solo is 'interesting'. I did start to learn it but had to drop it prematurely when more pressing priorities arose. I had opportunity to study with Mark Hummel, and I couldn't pass that up. So I had to focus on downchild (also in the book) and Rocket 88 (not in the book but in Mark's head).
The downchild transcript is pretty good I think, for the intro and fills. But the solo is not right and you'd go crazy trying to match the script to the sound coming through your speakers. I mean, it's right in part, but the trick is to work out which parts.
I will still go and look at the book and think about what I'm hearing and try and play what I'm seeing. If it doesn't sound like the recording, I try to listen more closely. Sometimes I'm wrong, and discover I wasn't listening properly. sometimes I'm right though, and correct my book.
I think it's a good exercise to help you get into really listening and focus on learning songs phrase by phrase. It helps me break things down. Although now I've become quite good at just doing that by ear and playing the track.
Yes, I'm disappointed I can't get glen weiser's LW transcripts too
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Jeff
188 posts
Jul 10, 2017
10:42 AM
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I was able to actually buy Quarter to Twelve off him 10 years ago. That was the song that first peaked my interest in learning harp. Wish I had my small 'grocery list' of track tabs at the time lol.
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