Here's a description of the video and an outline of the competition. Please note: There is a cash prize:
The first two choruses of Adam Gussow's solo on "I'm Tore Down," from the album SOUTHBOUND (2012). Gussow is using a stock Hohner Marine Band model 1896 harmonica, key of E, played cross harp in the key of B. The harmonica is being played through a Shure vocal mic fed into a pair of small old tube amps, with a little digital delay added.
This audio clip is being uploaded as part of the first Modern Blues Harmonica "Throw Down With the Pros" competition.
The rules are simple.
1) Create a video or audio clip in which you replicate this harmonica solo as closely as possible--note-for-note, ideally, at a similar tempo and in the same groove.
2) Upload/post your clip to the thread at the Modern Blues Harmonica forum entitled "MBH Throw Down With the Pros Competition #1"
3) Submit your entry by 12 midnight, Central Standard Time on Saturday, March 3, 2012
Gussow will be the solo judge of this competition. The winning entry, selected by Gussow, will receive the following:
--a $100 cash payment (sent via PayPal or as a cashier's check) --free entry (a $175 value) to Hill Country Harmonica 2012 --official recognition by Gussow in the form of a YouTube video and--if the winner attends HCH--an onstage acknowledgment --autographed copies of SOUTHBOUND and KICK AND STOMP
Second and third place, as judged by Gussow, will each receive autographed copies of SOUTHBOUND and KICK AND STOMP. Actually, thanks to Jeff, second place will also win a MARINE BAND PRO PACK (three marine bands in the keys of A, C and G) courtesy of HarpMart,
Last Edited by on Feb 18, 2012 10:43 AM
so- if no one else enters, i could win with my suck playing? even if it sounds like "three blind mice"?
damn generous offering by the professor!
for those of us without the necessary skills- do we wanna start a betting pool? 1st we need to know who all the players will be so we can get some odds up.
I've added a second and third place prize. Nothing big, just copies of autographed CDs.
One final point: If the winner of the competition is somebody who has ALREADY registered for HCH--i.e, has already PayPal'd Jeff the registration fee--we will, of course, refund that person's money.
I'm guessing I better practice my 6OB that i only hit once, when JR showed me how...at least I'm pretty sure I heard one near the end. Fun idea, Adam. This could be really interesting! ---------- Todd L. Greene
Joe: That's a good question. My working assumption is, Yes. But I'm open to the idea of somebody getting all the notes, more or less, but leaving their own individual stamp on it. I'm open to that. But getting all the notes is a top priority.
I tried to get a 6OB on an E harp and it sounded like a mouse being horribly tortured. This will be an interesting contest. For me, Adam's style is particularly hard to copy.
Wow! I like this, straight to the point, no messing. A bit like Blow Your Brains Out for the Big Boys. I tell ya, it's lucky for you guys that I don't have an "E" harp otherwise I'd be filling my wallet with the prize money:)
I'm watching this one very closely. ----------
Last Edited by on Feb 18, 2012 10:35 AM
It's been a while since I've been on this forum but nothing intrigues me like a good contest. Why's everyone complaining about OB's? If I'm not mistaken there's only one in this video...
@ Patrick, yes there is only one OB note and it's on the 4th hole but pshhhht! We don't want to give more clues! I'm going to submit my entry even though HCH 2012 is to far from me... ---------- Youtube
Last Edited by on Feb 18, 2012 12:22 PM
- A Fender Stratocaster American Special - A EHX micro POG as an octaver - A Brunetti Singleman 16 Amp - A Boomerang III Phrase Sampler as a looping pedal
Harmonica gear:
- My dirtiest Marine band in E (very discusting...) - A Bottle O Mic microphone - A BOSS DD-3 delay - A very small Smokey Amp (an amp as big as a cigarette box)
I know, "The will of win is nothing without the will of prepare"... It took me almost all this afternoon to do this video. I have no time next weeks to do that. In order to compensate this lack of practice, I did the backing track with my guitar as a 100% beginner...
Congratulation Dan! Your playing without any backing track is much more clean than mine and your overblow is great!
Good luck to everybody! ---------- Youtube
Last Edited by on Mar 12, 2012 2:56 PM
I haven't watched the above videos yet but will do so soon. I will avoid making any comments until all entries are in.
Only one entry per player, although I have no objection if players upload an entry, then later upload something better and delete the first. That's entirely fair. If the competition proves fierce--i.e., if somebody steps in and puts up a video that Dan thinks superior to his own, it's entirely kosher for Dan to substitute a new video for his current one. At the end of the process, though, one video per person for final judging. I will listen to all of them with considerable interest.
Last Edited by on Feb 19, 2012 2:52 PM
I'm in the middle of studying and learning "Backtrack" so I'll be rootin on those who enter their takes...C,again seems to have some how upstaged Adams version :)
OK, so I'm practicing at home for the first time in. . .well, maybe 4 months, maybe 6. Seriously, I only play in the car, and I only play solo stuff lately, as I really kinda lost the will to play. I haven't been copping licks or learning anything new except working on intonation, more musical 6OB's and the elusive side-to-side "warble" So there's the preamble.
I saw Adam's posting and immediately thought, "Dan Ridgeway or Brandon Bailey will win this, because they have the most uncanny ability to learn and reproduce solos I've ever heard" "OK, so why does it have to be about winning", my brain thought? "Why not just use it as an excuse to CARE again?"
So, I downloaded the tune, hooked up an amp, tried to match the delay and tone somewhat, and started playing along. It's an intricate piece, fellas. Part of the challenge, is going after another person's timing/sensibilities, grace-note choice, and frankly, habits. They belong to the originator, and the subtleties make him him.
For those of you who are intimidated by this game, it's totally understandable. However, I encourage you to give it a go. Playing along with this at full speed, even if you only get 10% of it right, puts you into the right reference frame. It makes you let go of your insecurities, while you try to hang on for dear life, keeping up. That's the sort of free feeling that many burgeoning harp players lack when they perform.
You will undoubtedly pick up something new, as the solo has about 800 licks in it. I've never used the 4OB before, but now I have two licks to add to my bag (the first, wrong one that was still awesome, then what I think is the right one)
So it doesn't matter if you win, or get 93%, or whatever, the fun is just playing along. Forget about slow-downers and perfect tab, and all the overly thought-out b.s. that gets in the way. Trust me, you won't get the feel and even a tenth of the timing if you don't just let go. OK, I need to get back to it. My wife's only going to be out for a little while longer, and I have to go to work tomorrow.
Best, Dan G.
Did I mention I'm having fun? First time in a long time.
Hey Dan, Glad to hear you had fun. I miss you YouTube videos, you're such a nice guy man. Hope you start uploading your videos again and looking forward to your take on this solo.
I know for sure I won't even get 50% right!!!!!!!11222!
Thanks Pedro. I've been too busy being unhappy with my job, but still having to work hard at it. For the record, I've been wasting my abilities for the past year or so. I never understood how the older guys couldn't make time to practice, or weren't totally obsessed with playing harp. I get it now. I still have a few video ideas in the old brain. I supposed I'd be making one today if I wasn't busy playing a certain 45second clip over and over and over and over again. ---------- 12gagedan's YouTube Channel
@Dan Ridgeway Yes you are right, I wanted to do it quickly but it took me 1 hour and a half to put this crazy 42 seconds in my brain... and then It took me about the same time to record this video. Maybe I should have been digest my learning during one night before giving it away so fast...
@12gagedan Thanks for the nice comment on my youtube channel. I look forward seeing your video. I also became kind of a lazy harmonica player since I have one gig every 3 months. So I play mostly in my car or when I'm cooking in my kitchen. I play always the same technical stuffs...boring. I have to find a personal musical project to make me go on... ---------- Youtube
I really want to give this a go. I've never posted a vid, so it's a bit scarey.
The interesting thing about this is that initially I thought 'there's nothing I can't play on this'.
But here's the thing. You've got to play all those licks all in a row for that length of time at full force.
I remember John Mayer talking about SRV's playing. He said you can do it for a few seconds, but to play with that power all the time takes some real effort.
There's also notes in there that I realise I've conditioned myself into avoiding like the 5 draw as I've viewed it as 'sour' sounding. They work here.
Kudos to those who've thrown up a vid this quick. It reminds me of my younger days when I could absorb this kind of stuff.
I'll be posting very close to the cutoff date if I'm brave enough.
One question: Does this have to be in the original key?
I've decided to make my thoughts known throughout this process.
Having never played the 4OB musically before, achieving it at speed, in the context of this solo = significant challenge for me. It's specifically challenging as I debate switching from TB (everything else) for the licks using the OB, or spending more time improving on the OB TB'd. On a Crossover, I think I can get it, w/o changing embouchure. But in a week? On a stock SP20, not so much.
I particularly enjoy Adam's use of 1-4B octave. The way it's interspersed is really cool, yet not predictable.
I also like Adam's punctuation (staccato licks) interspersed with more fluid runs/lines. I think this is part of what keeps his solos interesting. Jason Ricci does this amazingly. It's a question of rhythmic variation as well as varied intensity, varied clean vs. nasty, all of which are key "secrets" to playing good solos. Forgive the thinking out loud, but I'm often asked why someone can't play the blues. Thinking through these elements helps answer the question.
