jonlaing
315 posts
Aug 10, 2011
10:41 PM
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So I'm trying to learn a song by my favorite band. "Brooklyn" by the Youngblood Brass Band. It's going pretty well, the song is in Cm and I'm in 3rd pos on a Bb harp. I'm at a point in the song where there is a pretty killer sax solo. I'm playing the whole thing an octave higher than most of the band because... it's harmonica. However, I'm at a point where the sax does a run that would start in the middle octave and then ends up an octave or two below the lowest note on the Bb.
So my question is, if you were transposing this solo into harp, how would you go about tackling that? Would you grab a lower harp and continue the run, and play the low parts on a different harp (I guess a LF would probably work)? Would you make something up akin to what's being done down there but on a different octave? Or would you just say fuck it, and use that time to be creative and make something up?
Thanks,
Jon
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Micha
202 posts
Aug 11, 2011
3:37 AM
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Doesn't a sax have only 2.5 octaves and you 3?
If it doesn't fit into 3rd position, you're only option would be to change positions...
Although that might be difficult to do on a Richter tuned harp...
(And that's EXACTLY the reason why I don't play Richter anymore. It frustrated me too much to be able to play only harp music)
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Micha
203 posts
Aug 11, 2011
3:40 AM
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But to comment on the options you suggest yourself.
In my humble opinion:
- changing harps in the middle of a phrase would not only be confusing for yourself, but even more for the people who are watching you.
- Be creative and improvise is an excellent idea. Just try to find something that sounds good to you.
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hvyj
1656 posts
Aug 11, 2011
8:44 AM
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Using 2 harps so you can change harps on the fly isn't that tough. you just grip them in between the fingers of your left hand with the palm and holes of the harps facing you at an angle as you cup the mic. Then you tilt your hand to move between harps. You can also use 5th position (Ab harp in C minor) which gives you a little more room in the low register, and still enables you to get major sixth by bending draw 4.
But, why would you want to copy a solo note-for-note instead of inventing your own? i suppose learning someone else's solo may be good exercise, but most accomplished soloists never play the their own solo on a particular tune the same way twice. Also, there are some things you can do on sax that can't be done on harp and other things that can be done on harp that can't be done on sax. if I were you, I'd use the recorded sax solo for inspiration and come up with a solo you can make your own.
Musicians that play covers are a dime a dozen. Musicians that make a tune their own by giving it a unique interpretation are much more interesting to listen to, IMHO.
Last Edited by on Aug 11, 2011 9:13 AM
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Honkin On Bobo
716 posts
Aug 11, 2011
9:30 AM
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"Musicians that make a tune their own by giving it a unique interpretation are much more interesting to listen to,"
Completely agree. And sometimes the tweak doesn't even have to be major for it to become your own (though it can be).
Friend of mine burnt a CD for me which had this slowed down groovy version of Devil With a Blue Dress that blew my mind (he didn't label the CD and I pulled it out many months later so I don't know the band - not Mitch Ryder).
Basically, I like cover bands....but I hate tribute bands (especially when the band being paid tribute to is still around).
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jonlaing
317 posts
Aug 11, 2011
8:51 PM
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@hvyj I'm not an accomplished soloist, but I would really like to be, and there were a lot of things that the sax player was doing that I really dug, so I'm copying for now, to then expand upon later for my own uses. Imitate, assimilate, innovate.
It seems like the general consensus is that for the parts that are too low for the harp, just find something different that works.
Thanks guys.
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