SonnyD4885
140 posts
Sep 29, 2011
5:35 AM
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i want to know When or When not to play harmoinca either on stage how do you (PICK YOUR SPOTS) how will you know when or where is the best spot to put a solo
when do you play under the band is it just something you get with time or timing i just don't know? please help me i went out and jammed with a band and couldn't tell if it was me or them.
Last Edited by on Sep 29, 2011 3:36 PM
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tookatooka
2512 posts
Sep 29, 2011
5:40 AM
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Hi Sonny, good to hear from you again.
Good Question.
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kudzurunner
2712 posts
Sep 29, 2011
5:45 AM
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It depends whether a singer is part of the proceedings. If there's a singer, your job is generally to fill the spaces between the singers phrases and to not play, or to play at much lower volume, when the singer is singing. Sometimes the guitar player assumes that "fills," as they're called, are his job. You should clarify before you play who is taking the fills.
You solo only when the singer asks you to take solo. You may want to clarify before the song whether your solo is one chorus or two choruses.
If there's no singer, the band is playing an instrumental. In that case, things function roughly the same way they function in a jazz combo. Everybody, including you, plays the head, which is two choruses of a blues, or the standard two choruses plus bridge plus third chorus of a pop song. Then each soloist, in turn, takes a solo. The members of the rhythm section (drums, bass, guitar, piano) all play during those solos; the horn players, including you, solo first; each member of the rhythm section takes a solo; then everybody comes back in and you play the head. Except on the head and your solo, you don't play a note--UNLESS there's a riff-section of the song where all the horns that AREN'T soloing play riffs behind the soloist. In that case, you play.
Unless you've spoken in advance about who solos in what order, you look to each other for cues.
Last Edited by on Sep 29, 2011 5:46 AM
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toddlgreene
3356 posts
Sep 29, 2011
6:11 AM
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Ditto what the good doc says...
Someone onstage is the leader-it may be the singer, a guitarist, bass player, keyboard player, whatever-but someone calls the shots. You need to develop eye contact with that person. It's not an out-of-line question to ask one of the players who the leader is. You'll get nods or someother signal to do your thing, and looks that can kill if you've crossed the line, stepped on another's solo or the vocals. Communication is key, even when it's unspoken.
Welcome back.
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Todd L. Greene
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SonnyD4885
141 posts
Sep 29, 2011
6:21 AM
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thanks
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Tommy the Hat
350 posts
Sep 29, 2011
8:24 AM
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Welcome back Sonny.
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Tommy
Bronx Mojo
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Joe_L
1483 posts
Sep 29, 2011
10:27 AM
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How do I pick my spots?
It's easy.
If the tune is familiar or I know it, I play what fits. That amount is subject to change based on the song.
If I'm not familiar with it or I don't know it, I will lay out and try to identify something that will fit. If I can't think of anything to play, I won't play anything.
How do you know what fits?
You spend a lot of time listening to music and absorbing it. If you are playing Blues, do your homework and listen to a lot of Blues. Listen to more artists than just the people that recorded for Chess, although that's a great starting point.
If it's a tune with a singer, always play under the singer. When you are listening to a song, pay attention to the recording mix. When you see live music, pay attention to stage dynamics.
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The Blues Photo Gallery
Last Edited by on Sep 29, 2011 12:13 PM
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Tommy the Hat
353 posts
Sep 29, 2011
11:33 AM
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I'd like to address this part of the question.
" how will you know when or where is the the best spot to put a solo"
I'm no pro and I can't be exactly sure what Sonny means by this. But if I take it as it is written then I would like to take a shot at giving an opinion. Just in case this is what he is getting at.
I think a lot depends on what type of music for one thing. I'll address blues in this case. "where to put a solo" is diactated, as far as I know, by the 12 bars (or 10 or 8 or whatever). There's a turnaround, a new verse of vocals or a solo by a new instrument etc. Your spot is your spot in the break between verses, but "where it goes" is always the same. Between verses after a turnaround at an agreed upon spot where the vocals take a break and another instrument isn't taking a solo. If you know the song, then it is a familiar pattern, the solo goes where the solo goes. But the bars guide you.
That may not have been your question though.
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Tommy
Bronx Mojo
Last Edited by on Sep 29, 2011 11:34 AM
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Matzen
344 posts
Sep 29, 2011
12:08 PM
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David Barrett has a great book that you might want to look into called "Blues Harmonica Accompaniment Playing":
http://www.amazon.com/presents-Harmonica-Accompaniment-Playing-School/dp/078667637X
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Joe_L
1484 posts
Sep 29, 2011
12:15 PM
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"how will you know when or where is the the best spot to put a solo"
You put them where the band leader or singer tells you to put them. If you're the band leader, you pick your spot. If you aren't the band leader, you may not have a spot.
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nacoran
4689 posts
Sep 29, 2011
3:24 PM
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Welcome back. Good question. :)
If you write your own songs you can play whenever you say you should play! My band recently went from a duo to a quartet. I'm having to work out when to play myself. When I play my lower harps I'm competing with the bass. When I'm playing my regular harps I'm running into the ukulele. It's meant we've had to rearrange some of our songs a bit, maybe add another run through the chord progression to give everyone a place to shine.
When you are covering the classics or jamming with a band where you haven't worked every song out beforehand, you have to follow Doc's advice.
My band has some songs where I play the whole way through at full volume. We have some songs where I only play a couple bars. Some songs I try to harmonize with the vocals. I want to work up some call and response with the bass and uke players. :)
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Nate
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Joe_L
1485 posts
Sep 29, 2011
4:21 PM
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Here's another resource for you.
Go to David Barrett's Harmonica Masterclass youtube channel. Watch the artist interviews. You can learn a lot from the stuff he provides as advertising. Quite a few of the interviews contain information on what they listen for when the hear another harp player. Additionally, some of the interviews will provide some helpful tips on how to work with other musicians on the bandstand.
http://www.youtube.com/user/harmonicamasterclass
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The Blues Photo Gallery
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garry
122 posts
Sep 29, 2011
4:24 PM
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play less than you think you should. don't play over the singer or anyone else's solo. when you get the nod, your solo will be all the more impressive if you haven't been annoying people beforehand.
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KingoBad
949 posts
Sep 29, 2011
5:55 PM
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Jinx, do you mean wail? I suppose a whale WOULD bring the house down....
Just "wailing" will get you kicked off stage or perhaps never invited again. You can do whatever you want in a solo act, but playing with others is a different ballgame. you better listen and pay attention on stage.
I would listen to JoeL on this one...
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Danny
Last Edited by on Sep 29, 2011 6:00 PM
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JInx
77 posts
Sep 29, 2011
9:39 PM
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You got that right, sho nuff Kingo. Don't be overblowin unless you really can make it sing>but In that case, go nuts!
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JInx
78 posts
Sep 29, 2011
9:56 PM
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I mean yeah, within reason. Make everyone sound good.
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Joe_L
1488 posts
Sep 29, 2011
10:20 PM
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' I would listen to JoeL on this one...'
Kingo - I've always thought you were a wise man. Great Hello to you, my brother.
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Kingley
1662 posts
Sep 30, 2011
12:49 AM
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I agree with Kingo. Listen to Joe L. The man knows his stuff.
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SonnyD4885
143 posts
Sep 30, 2011
5:07 AM
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i've been reading all your posts and it has been very helpful in ways and I have watched dave barretts videos and the one I like the most is mad cat how he talks about playing with walter horton and how he learned.
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nacoran
4692 posts
Sep 30, 2011
9:06 AM
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To emphasize how much difference in style of music makes, check out Brendan's latest thread.
Facebook
He never comes up for air, but the lead swaps back and forth, and it even gets shared from time to time.
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Nate
Facebook
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Steamrollin Stan
52 posts
Sep 30, 2011
9:59 AM
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Gary Primich, youtube, 'Slap your silly'.
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