I don't disagree about the blues comment of yours. In fact, I am in agreement. If you break down today's pop you have formulated music whether it be country, rock, or R&B. More of the most popular music (with the exception of Adele) is done more on computers than with humans. It is SO over-produced and mathematical. Hell, most people can't pull it off live.
Look at the current top 100. Who stands out as someone who is a stellar musician using stellar chops?
Take a band like Maroon 5...one of the last popular rock acts. They have to guitar players who totally wail. Their ability as guitar players is greatly compromised to produce more radio friendly music.
The point I am trying to make is that when trying to deal with popular music, being a stellar musician is often a low priority. Case in point, the most popular harmonica clips on something like YouTube (by views, not relevance) ends up having next to no harmonica and what does have harp isn't nearly as impressive as what some of this forum can do...
People don't buy music right now. They buy feelings. Either sell out and make music people want to hear, or do your thing and hope it works. If you play harmonica, I bet you have a hard time doing vanity gigs and getting crossover appeal.
I 100% believe you can fake it and fool an audience. Meaning, you can put on an act and gimmick. Whether that is worth it to you or not is up to you. Also, you better be a good actor. Most people who try to fake it don't totally sellout and so it doesn't work.
At the end of the day, if ego is what is driving your desire to play - the quest to make it big and be popular - then you either cave in or accept the fact that not everyone will be into the music in your heart. Playing the music you love by no means promises success commercially.
His "Britain's Got Talent 2008" audition video has ~9 millions hits which could explain why his other videos have traffic.
Notice that the one originally posted is from Edinburgh Fringe - which is something that can't be explained in words. I couldn't stand the harp in the video in fringe video, but in the audition I think that it's better. (I have to admit that I couldn't watch all of the harp in fringe video - I sort of feel embarrassed for him watching the 2nd half of that.)
Anyways - thanks for exposing me to something new.
@isaac I for one am glad you post stuff like you do!
Everyone just posting about little Walter and Walter Horton is just boring to me. It's not what's happening now! I have a hundered blues CD's at home. What I envision as a way of someone getting some attention with the harp is: playing funky quick percussive hook riffs and get a good rythem going that isn't to slow/bluesy and let a rapper rap to your rythem! NOT TO A LOOP! (OK I'm bashing here) I'm just giving MHO. When you set a loop and sit back your not part of it anymore. Anyone interested in any of this stuff Rapp Dub, it's all about making it interesting. Interplay between people (wheather its Dub and harp or Rapp and harp) is the key. That all gets lost looping unless your a One Man show! That's different.
OK down from the soap box. Anyway playing along with Dubstep would'nt be very difficult I think. It's really just setting a little rythem to go along with the Dubber (LOL) playing solos and periodically returning back to your rythem part. 12 bar blues progressions would probably work very well because of the deep grove it sets. All in all some of this stuff is cool and will probably evolve as did Rap. 30 years ago Rap was a guy scratching a record and another rapping. 40 years ago it was a guy on a street corner in Philly or New York. Now it's a big deal with a full band and dancers!
If you are trying to bring harmonica to the younger generation(s), I don't think the "just add rap" solution will work. I don't think it really ever does. At most it will a be a cool little diversion: people will listen to it, think "Oh, neat!", and then go back to the actual music.
If you want the harmonica to be used again, you will have to reinvent the sound, just like it was for the blues. You can't just sprinkle harmonica onto something else or something else onto harmonica and make it work.
Adam asked. "can you explain why it's so popluar?"
My answer: =========================================
It's about the beat.
do you hear what I say?
It's about the beat.
It'll make you sway
It's about the beat.
it's no mystery
It's about the beat.
it so plain to see.
It's about the beat.
can you feel the groove
It's about the beat.
it'll make you move
It's about the beat.
you can feel it strong
It's about the beat.
it wont steer you wrong
============================================== So can we learn something from this that we can put into our own playing????? Adam has a similar sound when he does a chugging groove on his new CD to the Sanford & Son Theme. I suggest that a series of variations on that chug could be a step in the right direction.
---------- HarmoniCollege March 24, 2012 theharmonicaclub.com (of Huntington, WV)
@Bugsy Rap/Hip Hop is by far the largest money making music of our time! Sprinkling Rap over harmonica? I'm not talking about the average blues player that doesn't know how to change the attack of a note. Playing snappy percussive notes in simple little hook riffs (taking the place of the computer generated drums) repeatively then short solo's when he breaks. I think it would work with that type of music.
I was watching some beatboxing on youtube the other day a guy called eklips from france. I was looking for inspiration on doing it busking but adding harp to it. some of the songs he did in the hour long set using a loop pedal would definately lend themselves to harp and its easy to get a good bass sound from a octave pedal.
As a 19 year old male, I can see how the video in the OP might be a draw. I do dig dubstep, but only when it's interesting. I agree that the representation of dubstep in the video is somewhat tongue-in-cheek. One of my best friends is a dubstep dj, and, coming from someone who dabbles in the creation of electronic music, I can tell you that it's a very hard thing to do well. It requires a very advanced understanding of music. The best dubstep draws on a wide range of musical influences -- I honestly believe that Skrillex is pretty terrible, BUT I've been in many the club where his songs/remixes play and people go crazy. He makes it filthy -- they're calling his genre of dubstep 'brostep' now. Interestingly, the original generation of dubstep music took a far subtler approach -- I've heard that it was partly inspired by the feelings people get when they hit a k-hole on ketamine. There are definitely dubstep songs where the harmonica would be a great fit. One of my favorite dubstep acts is called 'Koan Sound,' and they're reaaaaalllllyyy funky. People are starting to talk about them:
I like some of the stuff done by Pleasurekraft and Flux Pavilion, as well. In fact, one of my goals is to get my friend to sample the opening vocal 'croon' in Howlin' Wolf's 'Moaning at Midnight' and make a dubstep song out of it. I then plan on overdubbing it with some harmonica tracks. If it pans out, I'll post it up here, of course. I actually did attempt one a while back, but all that taught me was that I was (and am) really terrible at making dubstep. Bass modulations and all that are wayyy out of my league.
Also, Isaac: I have friends who krump, or who used to krump, and I'm pretty sure it was a thing before dubstep was. The two are separate in their growth, to my understanding.
Also, to anyone who is interested: I've got a few dormant electronic tracks lying around, with lots of abnormal syncopation. There is at least one that I don't think I have the skill to play to. Any takers? They're all 4/4 at 120 bpm, I believe. Actually, it'd be cool to make it a challenge for multiple people -- I can even do the mixing and mastering for you. Let me know, and I'll give you my contact info.
That Roxorloops clip is unbelievably good. That boy is a master percussionist. I DO get why that clip has 10 million hits! If I were a beat-boxer, I would be very, very afraid walking onto a stage to do battle with him. He is completely relaxed--cool, in the classic sense. Whew! He's a bad boy. I'd like to see him on the streets of Harlem.
Last Edited by on Jan 21, 2012 6:21 AM
@tf10music: Yes, you are quite correct in that. I associate them because I actually discovered Dubstep via Krump. As a 32 year old, I defintely came to the party late, but I like all things dance, and when I discovered Krump, mostly the music that I heard them dancing to was what I discovered to be Dubstep... I'm sure that there is a lot more to the development of both art forms that I simply missed and don't know about! :)
@chromaticblues: First: Thanks! Second, I fully agree with you about the loop thing. That video of me and the rappers was like that simply because of equipment issues. I only had one mic with me, and so in order to do anything *with* the rappers, I had to lay down a loop. It's hard to hear in that clip, but I was playing acoustically while they rapped too. It just couldn't really be heard by anyone! In the future, I will always bring two mics with me out busking in case of such eventualities! ---------- == I S A A C ==
Adam, I asked my 19 year old daughter for a quintessential example of a dubstep tune. She rolled her eyes and said "I'm not really a fan, but try Bass Head by Bassnectar."
My 16 year old is a big dubstep fan, and on an exchange in Germany this year. I'll ask her for some examples that include international artists. Meanwhile, here's Bassnectar:
