I saw Kim Wilson last night for the first time at the Jazz Alley here in Seattle. I saw him do something on a diatonic harmonica that I've never seen before. I think I can figure some of what he did out, but thought I'd post here and see if I could find out if anyone on MBH knows what he did to get these sounds. Here is my description of what I saw as best as I can describe it.
During a significant amount of time in an instrumental song Kim played a continuous upper register note (5 or 6 hole maybe) while simultaneously playing a rhythmic melody on lower register notes. I can do tb splits and can do a melody playing octaves, etc., BUT how does one have the breath control to appear to play a melody out of one side of their mouth while playing a suspended note out of the other side of their mouth at the same time!? There were times while he was performing this technique that seemed like he was using circular breathing as he held the sustained notes for quite a long period of time while playing the melody as well. It was down right amazing to see. Let me know if you know how this was done - thanks! ---------- snakes in Snohomish
You can vary the size of your tongue block and the width of your mouth opening to move around among different holes on one side of your mouth while maintaining a single hole on the other side of your mouth. Howard levy has a tune that he plays this way as a show-off thing. From your description it sound like Kim is doing something similar.
Or he could be keeping one hole continuously open in one corner, while alternately applying or lifting his tongue from other hoes, without ever disturbing that hole that continues to sound a sustained note.
For techniques such as those, the only breath control you need is an adequate supply.
I actually steal the premise of this as part of a break in an original solo tune. It isn't as hard as it sounds - at least compared to what Howard Levy and James Conway and Carlos DelJunco do with literally droning and playing a melody at the same time.
If this is what you're thinking, I can try and explain it...really, what Kim is doing here (Sugar Blue does this too) is way cool. If you can nail your octaves and tb proficiently, you really just let some air pass out of the side of your mouth whereas you'd typically let your mouth/lip block it off.
The other trick that is sorta cool too is creating a higher note by tightly cupping a responsive harp. You can be blocking 6 down and hear 7 sound without playing it. I gave a poor description, but Pat Missin talks about this. I just do that for kicks, but the sorta two-sided playing Kim does I do all the time. I am not nearly as good with the more complicated drone/melody stuff although I've tried to get it down for hours.
Like that damned Conway character. He does a drone like a bagpipe and keeps it going whilst running a melody over it. I sat next to Huemann at the Sacramento SPAH and just marvelled at how Conway was able to do that.
That is it HarpNinja. His technique was even better last night. Thanks for sharing the del Junco bluemoose. That was the same technique I believe. I need to keep my day job... ---------- snakes in Snohomish
It isn't that hard if you can do tongue slaps. You just have to practice letting the other side of your mouth slip some air through.
He is blowing and drawing the whole time - the note separation comes from the tongue slaps. Maybe try holding an octave split and then wiggle your tongue on one side. One side of my tongue stays in close contact to the comb while the other side does teh slapping. ---------- Mike VHT Special 6 Mods Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
@HarpNinja: That's a fantastic video. I love those long extended one-chord improvisations. That's where a jazz approach enters what he does. Endless variations, change-ups. He's got Sonny Rollins' endless energy.
From harp-l and The Iceman circa 2003- Through studying all these resources and in my interviews and just hanging with Kim, I find that he has a tremendous momentum approach to the craft. Kim has told me that he hasn't "planned out" his solos since he used to learn off the old vintage records. He works off the momentum he establishes with his inner groove and his ideas spin out, like meteors caught in the gravitational pull of a heavenly body that circle and are propelled into outer space.
Off course, he has a tremendous quiver full of "idea" arrows that he has collected over the course of his professional career from which to draw upon, but he shoots them off in constantly new and fresh configurations.
The center of his creative universe is this strong sense of momentum which imparts the motion to the ideas. I've developed a concept based on momentum that teaches students to develop their own sense of groove and how to open the door that leads to improvisation.
This is the basis for my upcoming class at Blues Week, if anyone is interested in this area of blues harmonica performance.
I LOVE me some Kim Wilson. That clip has a lifetime's worth of cool points to study. For a solo vamp, it really grooves differently than what one has come to expect from a solo blues performance, which tends to be Sonny Boy inspired or intense riffing at a million miles an hour.
That DVD is super awesome, and IMO, the way blues to roots rock is best presented (super well done stage show...very exciting and engaging).
Kim is my fav, but it helps to have a great backing band. The solo section aside, you can't play like he does if you are fighting the band.
HarpNinja said "I LOVE me some Kim Wilson. That clip has a lifetime's worth of cool points to study. For a solo vamp, it really grooves differently than what one has come to expect from a solo blues performance, which tends to be Sonny Boy inspired or intense riffing at a million miles an hour."
Took the words right out of my mouth. This is how I want to play. Except for that extended break part. I've seen Kim do it - but it gets really old really fast for me. ---------- /Greg
This technique is really not difficult Sounds harder than it is. Of course, to sustain it over a long period of time is the hardest part. I've seen Kim do this type of solo way back in 1992 as part of the Thunderbirds show, so he has had many years to work it up to this level of AMAZING. ---------- The Iceman
As an intro to playing this type of Kim solo, think of the song by the Beach Boys - Ba-Ba-Ba Ba-Ba-ber-a.
This is the basic beginning rhythm. Now, if you full tongue block on the left and play hole 5 exhale, lift the tongue to this Ba-Ba-ber-a rhythm. Relax and get a full 5 hole exhale note nice and strong while lifting the tongue rhythmically.
Breathe the harmonica so you have enough air to proceed for a little while. If you BLOW, you will expel all the air in your lungs when you lift your tongue before you can get the groove happening.
Then try it with 4 hole inhale as your sustained note.
I taught this technique and Kim's solo to my student RJ Harmon when he was starting out. He now plays it quite well and, I understand, is teaching others to do it. ---------- The Iceman
Last Edited by on Feb 03, 2012 12:13 PM
some kid made a video showing off his early prowess of doing the tongue slap thing you speak of. honestly, every time ive heard Kim do it (on video) im less and less impressed. it sounds sloppy, not on the beat, etc. maybe its just the recording. it sounds to me, how i would do it, that hes just lifting his tongue off the 3 holes previous to the one he's sustaining. shouldnt be a problem for anyone who can tongue block and octave.
