Hi Guys, I've got an unpaid gig coming up in June at a Jubilee Street Party. It's our Queens 60th year on the throne and a lot of us throw parties in the streets on these types of occasion.
Anyway I've made a short compilation video of my rehearsing and just wanted your opinions please. I still have the problem of not sounding bluesy and lately I've found I'm running out of melody ideas and repeating myself. Trouble is I'm playing throughout the whole backing track and there is nothing else to give the harp a break and I'm not into singing.
Your thoughts and ideas would be much appreciated. Many thanks.
Oh, although it's a rehearsal video it's also being used on a forum to generate a bit of interest for the day.
Sounding a lot blusier to me, tooka. Huge difference in your playing, I'd say! And that goes for each clip.
I know exactly how you feel with the jam tracks - I find it very tough to sustain ideas, usually because I end up playing too busily and end up on a treadmill of what next, what next? Also, I think jam tracks can get a bit boring - they don't react to dynamics, they don't pick up on your ideas and feed them back to you - they don't even make mistakes, which would at least make them feel alive. I try and make my own jam tracks more and more - the musicianship is infinitely crappier but at least I can put in a break or alter the volume or make a mistake that might lead to another idea.
Random tips on how to keep your playing fresh (mostly stolen from Gary Smith, Rick Estrin, Dave Barrett and Adam):
Stop playing - leave space Play the bassline Play repetitive horn lines One verse, play long notes. Play short ones the next. Ditto with volume - play loud, then soft One chorus, only use holes 1-3. Next chorus only use holes 4-6 and so on. Play single notes one chorus, octaves the next, chords the next... When it feels like you should play, don't. When it feels like you shouldn't play, do. One chorus, play with a lot of hand wahs Use repetition one chorus - repeat the same idea throughout the 12 bars.
...hmm. Much easier said than done. I've just realised I tend to forget all this far too often when I'm playing. In fact, I'd love to see this list extended - I need to have something like this printed off and in view when I next play to a jam track!
Did you normalize your volume? It seemed like when you were playing 'loud' you were playing at the same volumes as before, and you didn't get much distortion break up. You might also bend a little deeper on the wails and slide up to the note you want. Maybe a little more swing to the rhythm. Also, you need to develop a look on your face when you are really wailing that shows you are in pain! Then people will know you have the blues. You might throw a few double stops in to dirty it up a bit.
"I've found I'm running out of melody ideas and repeating myself. Trouble is I'm playing throughout the whole backing track and there is nothing else to give the harp a break and I'm not into singing."
Have you looked at any of David Barrett's books? He does a great job of breaking the blues down inregards to phrasing. He usually uses the Little Walter song, "Rocker" as an example.
Playing a solo isn't nearly as hard as improvising a whole song, which in general, may not be a good ides when playing out.
If you take tunes like Juke, by contrast, there are certain elements that make it work - I always think of William Clarke at this point too.
Classic blues instrumentals often have themes and hook and laid out structures.
Try to visualize a 12 bar blues. Each set of 12 bars has three main chunks (let's call them A, B, and C, which each being four bars). When creating a solo or instrumental, you can think of how many 12 bar progressions you have and how many sets of three within each progression.
So for anyone turn, you have to play over A, B, and C. You can repeat A three times...play A twice and something new for C, etc. Lots of combinations.
On the tune Juke, LW plays his A lick over B and then plays a new lick over C.
To play an instrumental, you can use some math and target tones to give you a framework to work off of.
For example
Progession 1 can be A repeated 3x to establish a theme and melody of the song that you can come back to at any time.
You might then play:
Progression 2 AAC starting on one draw Progression 3 AAC starting on two draw Progression 4 ABC starting on three draw Progerssion 5 AAA on 4 Progression 6 AAA on 5 Progression 7 Main theme
The point is, you have to have some structure along the way to not 1.) riff the whole song 2.) create an actual song and not just a jam 3.) forget what to play.
Listen to classic blues harp instrumentals and you'll see the ABC patterns within each progression all the time. IMO, what makes them great, usually, are establishing a theme and using REPETITION in a good way. There are often full progressions that are just one or two notes.
***A, B, and C are different riffs for every progression. Let's see if I can tab an example.
Progression 1 (AAC)
A (bars 1-4): 2" 3' 2 2" B (bars 5-8): 2" 3' 2 2" C (bars 9-12): 3" 4+ 3' 2 2" 2
Progression 2
A 4 4' 4+ 3' 2 (ABB) B 1-4 4' 4+ 3' 3+-6+ C 1-4 4' 4+ 3' 3+-6+
Progression 3 (ABC)
A 6+ 5 6+ 6ob B 7+ 6ob 6+ 6ob 7+ C 6+ 5 4 4' 4+ 3' 2 2"
Progression 4 (ABA)
A 4-5 trill to 4'-5' trill B 1-4 1-4 C 4-5 trill to 4'-5' trill
Totally agree with Mike on all of that. It was only when I tried to figure out Big Leg Mama that I realised there were about 3 or 4 choruses in a row of practically nothing but variations on the 4 draw. Repetition made it hang together though.
Thanks a lot guys. Quite a lot there to take in. @Michael Rubin - you are spot on. I think jodanchudan summed it up with, "I've just realised I tend to forget all this far too often when I'm playing". Yes, why is that. I'm fine at practice but once I get "in the groove" so to speak all the theory just evaporates.
I think I've made some progress but not as much as I thought. I thought five years would do it but looks like it will be ten.
Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll be copying and pasting and trying to instill it into my mind.
Try saying one day "Today, I will not play 1 draw 2 blow, 2 draw, three draw together." then don't and find other ways.. Find another way to get off the 1 draw. It seems like when you get on the 1, you don't have a lot of options to get out of there, you do that same string to get out. Otherwise it's fine, although a few octaves and chords would add flavor. The notes are bluesy notes, the things you do are bluesy, so I imagine it's frustrating for you - you said some people said you don't sound bluesy or something, because your hitting bluesy notes. What could be blurrier is the tone and maybe cadences, pauses, rests, etc. but mostly tone. I dont hear a lot of throat resonance. I would work on opening up the throat.
Also, if you play fewer notes you will repeat yourself less. By that I mean there are places where you could hold a root or fifth out or something. Play simple lines, then open up when needed at the same time using volume dynamics.
I think if you can change colors like that, the licks won't matter much. I've been spending some time on the lower part of the harp lately and have become enamored with phrases ending on a one-hole blow. Nice playing, overall. You have to remember that playing for the lay audience and playing for other musicians, especially harmonicists (new word) are two different things. Harp players may sneer at a four-hole draw wail or a two-hole shake, but audiences love it. Try a growl (or snore) on a two-hole full-step bend or a three-hole bend. I call it "cheap-trick harmonica," but people like it, and it gives you time to think if you're in a situation where you have to play a loooong solo.
Last Edited by on May 16, 2012 5:45 PM
Hey John, nice playing - no critique here, just want to know how you made your video with the background. If it's to in depth, you are welcome to just point me to a web page that explains it, Thank you!
Hi Frank. I use Magix Movie Edit Pro editing software which comes with various tools to manipulate the video. I used a green background when recording me playing. When you combine it with another video file in the background you can make the green go transparent and it reveals the background video. It's called Chroma Key. I expect other video edit software has this or something like it too. You don't have to use a green background, you can elect any colour to go transparent but because green and blue are the opposite of skin tones, that's what most people use. I made my background green screen from some green curtains that I bought in Ikea. Hope that helps.
Cool, I have to experiment with that - I know your an Artist as well as Musician and you did a good job on that video, I'm inspired, thanks for the hints...
Last Edited by on May 17, 2012 7:02 AM
