mojojojo
87 posts
Feb 03, 2012
6:20 AM
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This is the revised list (18 songs) after some suggestions were made. These are songs where the player stays in the 3rd octave for some time, either carrying a melody or riffing/soloing, not just passing through while doing runs up and down the harp.
1. Carey and Lurrie Bell
Stop Running 'Round G harp
2. Charlie Musselwhite:
Fast Life Blues
3. Jean-Jacques Milteau:
Robert Johnson (title of song)
4. Mike Stevens:
Grumbling Old Man (not blues)
5. Mitch Kashmar:
Dirty Deal,
Knock Em Dead
6. Yazoo Harmonica Masters:
East Virginia Blues
7. Jimmy Reed (more or less all the same high part)
Honest I Do, Little Rain, Honey Where You Going, The Sun is Shining, Down in Virginia
8. Gary Primich
Go On Fool
9. Rhythm Willie
Breathtaking Blues
10. James Cotton
How Long Can A Fool Go Wrong
11. Big Walter Horton
Trouble in Mind, La Cucaracha
12. Sonny Boy II
Trust My Baby
Sorry for excluding some suggestions. Some I didn't have a chance to hear, others were more of runs up into the 3rd octave.
Last Edited by on Feb 13, 2012 12:28 AM
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Frank
152 posts
Feb 03, 2012
6:53 AM
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Don't have any songs to add at the moment - but First position blues is great to really add some serious emotional playing on the high end - especially on some low down slower blues. PLUS you can milk the hell outta that b7th on the low end till it hurts!!!
Last Edited by on Feb 03, 2012 6:56 AM
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WinslowYerxa
170 posts
Feb 03, 2012
8:30 AM
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A few classics -
Jimmy Reed - Honest I Do
Walter Horton - Hard Hearted Woman
Sonny Boy Williamson II - Trust My Baby
Rhythm Willie - New Block & Tackle Blues, Breathtaking Blues
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MP
1997 posts
Feb 03, 2012
10:49 AM
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anyone ever notice that Jimmy Reeds Honest i do sounds like it is in Ab. i have a feeling in is in A or G but the recording puts it inbetween.
i'm not ruling out the possibility of Reed useing an Ab harp, but it seems unlikely.
here's one! Stevie Wonder. Boogie on Reggae Woman Ab...
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MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
Last Edited by on Feb 03, 2012 10:49 AM
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Michael Rubin
424 posts
Feb 03, 2012
11:16 AM
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Jimmy Reed Little Rain (And 100 other songs!)
Cotton How Long Can a Fool Go Wrong
Horton La Cucaracha and Trouble in Mind.
Honestly, I would buy a Reed collection and learn all the high note solos.
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MP
1999 posts
Feb 03, 2012
11:27 AM
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yeah, i agree with mike. one jimmy reed collection is all you need. all the bases are covered and then some.
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MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
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bonedog569
460 posts
Feb 03, 2012
11:47 AM
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I was gonna jump in on Jimmy Reed - but it's been covered. He is playing those high notes in first position if my memory serves - that may or may not be what you want to work on.
My advice - and I'm still working on the upper register after 35 years, - is to take a melody or lick - and work on playing it in all three octaves on the harp. Scales and pattern practce are good too.
A nicely tuned or customized harp really helps work those high bends , draws and overbends. I've got an 1847 in A and G that are easy up there like no others I've ever had, except for my Buddha. It's togher when you have to force it.
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hvyj
2089 posts
Feb 03, 2012
12:57 PM
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Any of the early Sugar Blue albums, especially ANOTHER MAN DONE GONE (MP3 album available at Amazon and on iTunes compiling his first two albums, CROSSROADS and FROM CHICAGO TO PARIS) and BLUE BLAZES. IMHO, nobody plays the high end any better than SB.
But, if you are specifically interested in blow bending Mitch Kashmar is terrific.
Last Edited by on Feb 03, 2012 1:00 PM
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Frank
156 posts
Feb 03, 2012
1:14 PM
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Yes - Mitch Kashmar is the the BOSS DADDY of modern 1st position blues...
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mojojojo
88 posts
Feb 06, 2012
2:46 AM
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Oh yeah, I have that Cotton track. Thanks for Jimmy Reed, Sugar, nd Horton suggestions. It's getting easier all the time, even managed to fall into a few riffs of my own.
Thanks BoneDog. I'm actually getting half-decent at transposing riffs on the fly in the octaves. Mentally it helped a bit to remember that the blow bends up there are like draw bends down there (not the same layout, but that they're on the top).
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I suck at harmonica!
Jakarta River Blues Band
JRB's facebook news and vidz
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HarpNinja
2127 posts
Feb 06, 2012
8:09 AM
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Anything by Sugar Blue and maybe John Popper. Sugar because he plays blues based material and even plays in the top end in multiple positions (not just generic 1st position riffs).
I also say Popper because he plays so much mixolydian in the top octave which works well for blues in 2nd and sometimes 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th.
Eventually, I need to do some vids on this. Yesterday I jammed up there for a solid 30min working on riffs/phrasing around the blues scales in 2nd and 3rd. The upper octave is the easiest octave/note layout for me to play and play by ear from. Now that I figured out that I can fake some valved bends, it has opened a whole new universe of licks/phrases.
I started out playing rock and using that octave as my bread and butter...then I tried to move more towards blues in the other octaves. For the last couple of years, I've been doing more rock again and living up there. With the solo stuff I do, though, I don't play up there much at all live.
90% of the time I pick up a harp to noodle I start up there, though.
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
Last Edited by on Feb 06, 2012 8:11 AM
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Stevelegh
379 posts
Feb 06, 2012
9:21 AM
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Look forward to those vids Mike. I check your YouTube channel every so often for 'em.
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HarpNinja
2128 posts
Feb 06, 2012
9:39 AM
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I am awful, I know. Full disclosure, the only time I get to do those is while the kids are asleep. By that time I am usually in my pajamas too. It is cold here, so videos in my robe and slippers would probably look silly.
I've tried recording while people are up, but much like with phone calls, I get interrupted alot.
Doing customizing videos is easier as I don't have to be in frame, but I've struggled to get a good enough zoom-in with my camera. My wife has a DSLR, and one day I will learn how to do video with it.
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
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The7thDave
270 posts
Feb 06, 2012
10:09 AM
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Here are a couple of Gary Primich songs to add to the list:
"Go On Fool" from Mr. Freeze
"Keep On Talking" from Ridin' the Dark Horse
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--Dave
* BTMFH *
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chromaticblues
1163 posts
Feb 06, 2012
3:33 PM
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Yes I 2nd and 3rd Sugar Blue. I got the idea to play smoothly from one end to the other from Charlie Musslewhite. I won't disagree with the people saying learn 1st position high end, but I think it is VERY important to learn how to play in 1st 2nd and 3rd scale type licks and how to tie the highend to the 1 through 6 part of the harp.
Check out Charlie on Ace of harps and Signature.
Miss Bessie's Barbeque on Signature and the first song on Ace of harps. Two great examples!
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