Never been force fed anything - just my own personal experience... :) I might give a note/s or a phrase "MORE breathe" to give it more dominance - but, it is still a light breathe...not forcing the note in to submission so to speak. Here is a song, that appears I am blowing hard - but trust me if I would of taken the mic away from the harp you would of heard how light I was actually playing.
I've never seen James Cotton live, just listened to some of his recordings and seen some videos. For me, after reading this thread and its commentary, I believe that it is time to absorb some of Cotton into my own playing. I've been wanting to shift gears for awhile now, and now seems like the right time with the right legend.
@Frank That was pretty good! I'm at work and couldn't listen closely and I don't have expensive speakers hooked up to my computer at work, but yeah that was good! You were very much under control and knew where you were going. Honestly I never heard anything there that made me think you were playing anywhere near hard! You were in control and played smoothly! That's a good thing! The whole thing I was talking about is getting outside the comfort zone and make it obvious your trying to ripp your harp a new one! Most people that are pretty good can't do this! I don't make a habbit of getting into this on this forum because it's a losing battle! I don't want to argue with anyone about it. Everybody does it different and if you play well then who's to say your wrong? You not wrong! I like where you have gone with your playing. It's one of those things that is very obvious when it is done live And your good at it! Like I said I'm sitting in front of a computer. If it sounded like you were playing hard, I didn't hear it. I did like what I heard though! I didn't hear any tongue blocking or octaves? I wasn't able to hear the last part though. It's to noisy here. You and many people disagree with my approuch and that's fine!
Last Edited by on Aug 16, 2012 8:12 AM
There is probably a communication problem Kevin - I'm not sure the written word is conveying what your wanting to express.
Is it possible to site an example, either yours or someone else's playing in order to make things clearer and more obvious?
Like Garry, I am also under the impression that when it appears that a PRO like Jason is ripping his harp a new one - it's his "gear" that is (doing the heavy lifting) while he floats like a butter fly and stings like a bee up and down the harp.
Breathing the harmonica rather than suck/blow gives you a larger pallet of colors and three dimension to your sound. Also, you will not blow out a reed and they stay in tune much much longer.
Cotton is the one example of suck/blow power that works. It is his force of will and larger than life personality that you hear in his playing. ---------- The Iceman
Sorry Frank. I read and post at work and am always in a hurry! Sometimes I go back and read what I post and realize it doesn't make any sense! Anyway no I'm not talking about Jason Ricci or anyone that uses multiple pedals! I'm talking about Harp, mic, amp players that can raise and lower their volume and intensity without using any effects or touching any volume contorls. Most good players can do this, but to do so dramatically and not start messing up is hard! That's what I'm talking about Frank.
jason's point wasn't about not blowing out reeds. he said that playing gently was what made it possible for him to play the very complex stuff he plays.
in my own playing, i have found that often when i'm having trouble with a passage, or keeping up with the music, it's because i'm playing too hard. backing off a little generally solves the problem. i let the amp do the "make it loud" part. that's what i pay it for.
well if a bunch of top players say that cotton is technically fantastic, then regardless if it turns you on, then as a harp player it is probably worth trying to learn why.
Frank, your playing is good. When I have seen Jason he puts so much in he can barely catch his breath when done... he plays standing up to maximize the air flow, and uses all parts of his body. While each note might not take a huge amount of force, it takes power to play that way. My guess it is something like martial arts.. very specific application of force, so arguing that a particular player does not use that much breath force is like arguing that the ninja is not that strong when delivering the disabling blow. The force is strong, just applied very specifically.
Exactly Walter - When I said that Jason floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee up and down the harp, that was a Cassius Clay refererence...Fighter/Ninja - same donut!
Kevin, so your talkin "dynamics" Definitely - that's what separates a COOL performance from one that is MUNDANE...BTW - the whole "off the cuff" song is played TB'd and the octaves start at 1:45...I had to relisten to it, I thought the octaves were in there somewhere - I love em to much not to use them!
It all comes down to something I keep telling players all the time and that's breath control, something too many players never work on. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
That's cool Frank. I thought it sounded good! I just can't tell the difference listening to stuff on this computer. Yeah Frank what you and Walter are talking about goes hand in hand with what I mean. James Cotton played from the bottom of his belly. He is a barrel chested guy also. This part of the reason he had the sound he had. Also when he would get cooking he would start playing harder. What happens is that flatens out the note/notes a little depending on how much harded he would hit it. Now that is something that can be used to great effect! That's the reason I don't agree with the whole light breath stuff over and over. I believe that you guys are correct for the most part, but it is a valueable tool to be able to play hard and not screw up, blow out reeds or make them go out of tune. I like to push the envelope, because the harp does sound different when you bare down on it. Of course you can't play all night long like that, but I do practice overplaying and playing to hard! It's good exercise I think?
Kevin, I think we both have a different view or idea of what a "light breathe" is or means...
I believe one can play *hard* using a light breathe, at least that is my experience.
When I use the term light breathe I'm referring to NOT - (force feeding) the harmonica in a way that weakens tone...
I can have MUCH more POWER when using a light breathe...
You may be mistaking light for weak and that is not the case, in my experience anyway.
Weak breathe is bad…… Light breathe is good...
There is PLENTY of “pure power" in a light breathe because the harmonica naturally responds to it so well...
If I am going to dynamically slam into a note or a riff or phrase - I will still utilize a light breathe but with an added intensity that make the notes sound louder, stronger and more powerful.
That said we are all "individuals" and have are own way of understanding things and doing things when it comes to playing the harp and I fully respect your philosophy on how you prefer to approach playing it!
