1) Special 20's are better than Marine Bands for getting an amped tone.
2) Full length covers are weird, man...
3) The 6 OB is the only one most of us will ever need.
4) I think that the three hole draw, and all its bends, is where most of the magic of the diatonic harp is at.
5) Correlate to above: I could just play on the three hole draw for days, man! (and sometimes, I do!)
6) The only good Jazz was made in the early days. ;)
7) Seriously, though. My favorite Jazz is those old styles they used to call "Gutbucket" and "Jungle Music". I like it because it still had a heavy dose of the Blues in it. Why don't more modern Jazz musicians play that way?
8) Did I mention I've been watching that Ken Burns documentary on Jazz? Gotta love Netflix!
9) I used to HATE Hip Hop and Country. But that was before I realized that there is a difference between pop music and art music, regardless of genre.
10) I can't stand going to "Blues Jams", but I do like to "jam" on the Blues. Paradox?
11) I still don't like learning or playing "the harp part" to songs that already have one.
12) Playing on the street has fundamentally changed my outlook on music, my understanding of what it is to be a musician, and the way I judge a person's character.
Yeah I agree about blues jams. Most of them suck!!!! There's one where I live and it is terrible! When I lived in Nashville there was one at a bar called the Boardwalk. That was good mostly because of the guy that ran it. People in Nashville called him the Blues Nazi, but I understood what he was doing. He played favorites. If you were good and went often he would get you up early and often. Ofcourse he didn't tell anyone that's how it worked. After I figured it out I asked him about it and he just smiled! Anyway I'm sure there are some good jams in bigger cities. As far as OB's go. Try playing in first position. Then think about what notes the OB's are on the 4,5 and 6 blows. They are all the minor notes. A little run I do to practice this is: play the 4 blow OB it, but try to bend it up like a bluesy bend. Then do the same on 5 then 6. This is the exact opposite way everyone teachs OB's, but I think it sounds bluesy and doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. That is the blues way of doing it. Ofcourse if you want to play chromatically you have to be able to hit them on there own. To each his own on that one! I also agree with you about SP 20's. I do like to bend the flaps in with a hammer though. It makes them louder and a little more focused. Now if your talking amped tone. A Marine Band from the 60's has the best tone out any and every harp I have ever tried!
Last Edited by on Feb 05, 2012 2:00 PM
If you want to enjoy playing at blues jams, here are some helpful tips.
1. If you don't sing, start singing and learn a couple of tunes.
2. If you don't know how to lead a band, figure it out. It isn't hard.
3. If you do 1 and 2, pick simple songs. 12 bars and. 1-4-5. Think Jimmy Reed. No breaks. No explanations of tunes.
4. Expect the worst. Sometimes there will be train wrecks, sometimes things will work out.
5. Learn the players and find out what their abilities are. Sometimes, this happens the hard way. Don't expect a drummer who can't play shuffles to play them. If you are playing with a SRV clone, don't expect him to him to become Robert Lockwood Jr. Work with them. If you try to make everyone sound good, the experience will be less frustrating.
6. If you can't do any of the above, learn some of the leaders or other participants tunes. If you work with others, you might find it more rewarding.
7. What are your goals at jams? Mine are simple. Socialize with friends. Work on some new tunes. Get some experience on stage. Develop improvisational skills by thinking on the fly, since I don't know what will be tossed my way, if I am not leading.
8. Be nice and approachable. If you are knowledgeable and people ask questions, share you knowledge. If you want to learn, ask questions and be humble.
Finally, just remember this, if you think the players suck and aren't any good, there are probably people who feel the same way about you. ---------- The Blues Photo Gallery
"I still don't like learning or playing "the harp part" to songs that already have one."
One more thing, if you're at a blues jam with this attitude and someone picks a song to accommodate you as a harp player, what do you think their attitude toward you will be? Think about it. There are a few options. Most of them are not good.
I have been hitting a jam regularly as of late. I have made some great connections and have gotten to use gear I'd probably never buy or be able to buy. Heck a couple weeks ago I was jamming through a harp king.
Jams are great for trying something without it being a real gig. Sort of an absolution for screwing up on something. I'd say I have learned s fair bit by attending jams but then again I haven't been playing amplified harp long enough to not learn fast.
Last Edited by on Feb 05, 2012 12:35 PM
Well, dang! Comments are turned back on! This was supposed to be just talking, and no one replying! ;) I suppose no conversation stays just one-way for ever! lol!
Jams just ain't my thing. I did one once, and it was fine... It's just not what interests me, either as a player or an audience member. But I see why folks like going to them...
The thing that get ME going is playing with one or two other like-minded cats, or on my own, and trying to make our own songs... That's all! :)
good post chroblues. and of course good rambling at the front end isaac! i "grew up" at jams. it's where i developed chops and learned technique and got to practice stuff i was learning at home. sort of a free pass to learn my place on a stage etc. i ran a jam one season and i was something of a nazi. on the list, in order, no favorites. i pist off some people but they either quit coming or toed the mark. want to play early, come sign up early. other than that roll the dice! i absolutely despise the bring your buddy up policy i see often over many years. i know sometimes it's what a club owner wants but i think most times it eliminates opportunity for lesser known musicians. which can be bad or can force a player to up their game. definitely learn to sing whether or not you like jams. a jam is also a good place to try out your voice past a point. vocal power is material choice power. a singer fronts the band. i like to co-lead a band mostly. i lead a while, then the guitarist or keys or whoever lead a while, etc etc. i would likely never have learned to sing if necessity had not reared its head and i'd not had a jam to try my voice at (albeit late after most everyone had left). i do my best to help newer harp guys along. i figure they will never catch me if i keep learning, and they will appreciate and pass on what i can give them. i will go as far as inviting a new guy out to sit in when my duo is playing out someplace if they have reached a certain point. i really like doing harp duos like that. i would not have learned much about any of this if it had not been for jams, but they are different in these times and in this city. my diabolical plan is to win the lotto and move someplace where there ARE no jams and hardly any blues musicians and start something. i know, good luck. ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
As far as jams go, 85% of the open jams are not gonna be truly satisfying and I seldom ever bother with them because far too many of the players want to be harp hero, guitar hero, etc., and things like crappy rhythm section people who can't keep a groove together, guitarists who can't/won't play rhythm, no one paying attention to dynamics are far too often the norm, and as you get better as a musician, you tend to less like want to be surrounded by that because, to be BRUTALLY HONEST, if you surround yourself with crappy musicians, you will ALWAYS sound like crap regardless of how good you are (or believe how good you are).
Most people who go to open jams bitch and moan about the so called special invite/snob jams bitterly, but the thing they FAIL MISERABLY to understand is that, unlike open jams where they let anyone get on the bandstand (and there are many people playing in the jams that really aren't ready to be on the bandstand in the first place), the special invite/snob jams have, as a genral rule, an 50-80% HIGHER level of overall musicianship and the expectations are FAR higher and you are usually on the bandstand with vastly superior musicians, often times those who are at pro or near pro level quality in playing. Now most jammers think MISTAKENLY that this level means you play better solos, but that is only a SMALL part of it, and the stuff these players pay NO GODDAMNED ATTENTION TO AT ALL, like p;ayers with good time, undestanding of very basic theory, guys that can play rhythm, keep a groove together without screwing up the time and/or the dynamicsm, paying strict attention to EVERY SINGLE DETAIL of what's going on around you, knowing how to count off a tune and not screw up the time in your count, knowing when to shut up entirely, all of which are EXTREMELY important, and those are things a really together musician MUST HAVE and the solos first/everything else dead last mentality you often see at most open jams is the dumbest mentality to have.
Like it or not, when you find yourself surrounded by crappy musicians, you're doomed to make crappy music, and in open jams, you're far more likely to run across this, but at the same time, in those situations, the expectations are 80% LOWER than if you were in the special invite/snob jams and even more so, playing in a pro gig situation. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
One of my pet peeves at open mics & jams though is when good giggin' players show up and then spend all nite complaining about the wankers. If you been giggin' that long, you SHOULD be better than alot of 'em If the playin' isn't good, don't join in, or drink a little & chill out. My opinion is that if you know there are always some lesser talented players at the same venue, don't go-- if it bothers you that much. 'n' there's a difference between an open mic and a jam.
I guess I am lucky.....I go to a jam every Sunday night. Great PA...extra amps full drum kit.... and the band that runs it plays rock /and blues. It is attended by some of the best players in the region...AND by people just learning to play in front of others. I was befriended by the Bass player and the Guitar player ( both two of the best in the City) They have encouraged me all along the way.....told me what I was doing wrong and what I was doing right.....Now the Guitar player has encouraged me to take the next step....to learn how to lead the group into the next song.....and even sing..... ----------
Wow! I thought that the most controversial thing in my list was item number 1! It's interesting that, other than chromaticblues, everyone jumped down to #10, which was where I started struggling to find more things to add to my list!
So, what do you guys think about item #1? I'm generally a Marine Band guy. I still think that the Marine Band wins in an acoustic setting, but I have recently realized that the side-vents make it really hard to get a really tight cup. It's just easier to do that with a Spec 20 (or other non-side-vented harp), and it makes for a vastly superior amped tone! ---------- == I S A A C ==
if youre looking for someone to object to your #1, im game. i was in the sp 20 boat for 2 years. heard the difference when i needed a harp in a pinch and sam ash only had a MB. two years of 20's and a MB taught me a few things. audibly. mainly that my 20's couldnt f with this MB. (Much afterwards, my opinion is the same with Seydels) secondly, I could hit the 3 with a lil bit of the 4's and warble infinitely easier with the MB. (recessed comb)can be the only excuse. To me, the only thing I do better on a 20 is hit single notes, nowadays, I sound "beginnery" if I use a 20 ---------- Kyzer's Travels Kyzer's Artwork "Music in the soul can be heard by the universe." - Lao Tzu
blues jams can be enormously valuable, especially for new players or those new to the area who want to make connections. especially when you find a good one, run by someone who really tries to help the newbies along, like the one pharpo mentioned.
but they can also be a trap, and at least for me, one i needed to leave behind at a certain point in my development, exchanging the freeform jam for the rigor of working on material with a real band.
the trick is figuring out whether it's helping you or hurting you, and being ready to leave it behind in the latter case.
Depends on how big your hands are and how you cup. I hold the mic and harp in my right hand despite common practice but I can completely lose a harp in my hands except for the 7-10 which is a thumb blocking. I use that thumb for effects and as a bright switch when needed. The difference in just that slight thumb movement radically can alter tone. When I have it blocked I feel like Dennis hopper in blue velvet.
"I thought that the most controversial thing in my list was item number 1!"
Isaac - This all depends on a person's goals. When I looked at number one, it was purely a matter of opinion. To me, a harmonica is nothing more than a tool to create music. It's sort of like a wrench. I can use a set of Vise Grips or a box wrench to remove a nut from a bolt. Special 20, Marine Band or Big River, to me it is immaterial.
My goal is to make high quality, emotional music with other people in a live setting. Number 10 was one of the few items in your list that resonated with my goals. I focused on that.
The rest was meaningless to me. I hope this helps my motivation in my response. Getting experience on stage with a variety of people has been invaluable to me.
10) I can't stand going to "Blues Jams", but I do like to "jam" on the Blues. Paradox?
Sorry Isaac I have to go here as well
Too much NEGATIVITY about blues jams!
Live music venues are running out! Do you all want to play in the bedroom?
'As far as jams go, 85% of the open jams are not gonna be truly satisfying' BBQ says
Well, yes, playing live is often unsatisfying, but it is living it and playing for the love of it for good or bad, for an empty room, or for a room when everyone is rocking.
#2: BOOOOooooooooo!!!!!! on you. (I like my Promasters.) :) I don't like the extra lump on the "standard" covers.
Last Edited by on May 31, 2012 10:04 PM
I use the four overblow a lot. It's the very first note in "I Will Wait for You" in 4th position. I use it a lot because i play a lot of fourth position on Paddy tuned harps. When I saw you had started a thread about getting something off your chest... since it was you, I imagined something like this... taking a lid off a chest...
2) Full length covers are weird, man......I'm just the opposite. I like the fact that with full length covers, the 1 and 10 hole feel the same as all the rest when playing single notes. If you put the harp in deeply, like myself, full cover plates make better sense.
3) The 6 OB is the only one most of us will ever need. Using the word "most" proabably makes this statement true.
Being able to wail on the 7 od while bending from flat fifth to major fifth in second position has added a new dimension to what I play. Players don't discuss it much her but overblows have a place in first, third, fourth, and fifth postion as well..especially if you use the blues scale.
Street players and OMBs need more rhythmic and chordal chugs etc.... You make a fair statement.
I prefer full length covers, although I've only tried the Seydel Blues Favorite, and I guess technically GM's are full length. I haven't tried any of the Suzukis, which seem to have a different, squarer look, kind of like a Volvo.
Hey Isaacullah, MB's are cool for amped tone too. The SP20's are too small and even though I play LO's (plastic comb) I find the MB's way better. The rest of the list is right on. I do prefer to play with like minded musicians too but damn I miss the band, live shows, festivals, the tension of starting out with yet another new drummer. Not!! Good List! X
I'm never one to argue with those who obviously have a whole lot more expertise than I do when it come to harp playing, but I will comment that in addition to the 6OB, the 7 Overdraw and the 9 Overdraw are very fun additions. The 7 OD is great for those of us that spend too much time up top. I probably play the 4 bend too much and so it comes naturally for me to overuse the 7 OD. The 9 OD is sweet when playing in 3rd position. Both are usually quite difficult out of the box, but can be found with minimal reed adjustment. ---------- Twitter ~ BossoBrewingCo Soundcloud ~ http://soundcloud.com/bag-5
I made this list during the few days that the forum was screwed up and no one could post replies! It was mainly meant as a bit of a joke, but like all jokes, I included more than a grain of truth! Lol! It is really interesting to see how.many responses this little list has precipitated ... clearly I got close to something important and evocative! :) keep 'em coming! ---------- == I S A A C ==
I made this list during the few days that the forum was screwed up and no one could post replies! It was mainly meant as a bit of a joke, nut like all jokes, I included more than a grain of truth! Lol! It is really interesting to see how.many responses this little list has precipitated ... clearly I got close to something important and evocative! :) keep 'em coming! ---------- == I S A A C ==
You liked that so much you said it twice. And just to put it out there, Old things are still relevant. Even threads on this forum. If you build it they will come.
But as I said, MB's are still great for amp'd tone as well as acoustic grooves. It's just the best overall harp out there.
