I've been invited to play harmonica on a couple of tracks of a short Charity CD that a local guitar teacher is releasing later this year.
One of the tracks is crying out for some fills between the vocals; so I'm looking for some good inspiration to base my own fills upon. As I've currently only got a few harmonica players in my music collection I've not got a lot of variation to listen to.
I trust the taste and judgement of my fellow forum members very highly, so hope you guys could post up a few links to your favourites.
Youtube vids, sound clips, tab, your own vids, Or just the name of a player whom you believe excels at these. I really don't mind what they are, as long as they're fills that you personally like.
Last Edited by on Sep 06, 2011 2:43 AM
look into 3rd position playing if you want to add a hornlike quality to fills. works really well with the motown thing as well as swing, jazz, even country. ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
Open the imagination and try filling as if you were a horn player rather than a harmonica player. A creative door may be opened that further expands your vocabulary. ---------- The Iceman
A favorite topic, this is. I LOVE listening to T-Bone Walker to learn horn lines. He translated a lot of them to guitar and I can hear them well in his songs. Delbert MClinton has a bunch of tunes with straight horn lines. Also, I use octaves often when I'm supporting a song -much like a B3.
Slightly off topic, but bugles don't aren't even fully diatonic. It seems you can play any bugle piece with just your blow holes and have a whale of a time. (Sorry, bad pun.) Of course, bugle calls aren't suited for every occasion, but it's a trick you can use to get one particular horn's sound. :)
Check out the many 'brass section' unison parts and extended solos from Lee Oskar with Charles Miller (Saxes/flute) with WAR (1969-1980 era). ---------- KiwiRick http://www.richardshanksart.com
Ditto Rick Shanks' suggestion-WAR-era Lee Oskar is great inspiration for horn line-esque fills. Make sure you listen beyond Low Rider!
EDIT:Also, I dig a lot of work by the Memphis Horns alongside Robert Cray-some really smooth and cool lines in just the right spots. ---------- Todd L. Greene
When I play harp, I'm nearly always a sideman. When I've sat in with bands with horns, I've often just joined the chorus line, standing with the horn section. It gives me a better feeling for what they're doing and allows me to become an extra sax, trumpet, or trombone. Like Lee Oskar, sometimes you double horn parts, other times you can find the 2nd or 3rd chair parts, and of course the rhythmic and occasional melodic fills. I've often added horn lines to songs that never had 'em, and they can sound fine.
Having started out life as a trumpet player, and playing trumpet in a "soul" band, I love doin' that stuff.
Thanks for all you suggestions so far guys. You know it sounds so obvious when you point out that I should look at actual horns as well as the players who mimicked them: but then all the best ideas do.
I haven't had chance to act on any of these suggestions yet as I'm putting off the blues number until I'm happy with the other song, I'm slightly less familiar with the chord progression.
At the moment I'm working up my first position chops for this particular number
Luckily, Knopfler's guitar solos are giving me plenty of ideas as to where to go with this one so far.
Horns and fills will probably be commenced next week, so keep the suggestions coming!
Clyde, bugles, I believe, usually play in Bb. Maybe they experiment with bends too? On trumpet or baritone tuba (the other random brass instrument I've messed around with) it's all open. You never have to depress a single valve.
I have no excuse for 'don't aren't' though. I really need to proofread better. :)
As specified by the Quartermaster Corp of the U.S. Army in 1882, U.S. Regulation Bugles™ are built in the Key of G with a tuning slide that will bring it down to the Key of F.
