roadharp
89 posts
Jun 26, 2012
10:14 AM
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Hi guys what do you do when the jam or band is playing funk or r&b what do blues guys do horn lines or what do you switch mics to get a cleaner sound. Play 3rd position just asking . Thanks.
Last Edited by on Jun 26, 2012 10:15 AM
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roadharp
90 posts
Jun 26, 2012
11:29 AM
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Ya superstion or we want the funk or anything James brown . Will do
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timeistight
659 posts
Jun 26, 2012
12:00 PM
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Adam does a OMB version of Supersition; I'd copy him and play the riff if there was room. But the horn parts are cool too.
We Want the Funk I'd probably try to cop a horn part, or maybe just sing along: "We gonna turn this mother OUT...".
James Brown tunes I'd look for something real simple that'd lock in to whatever the bass and guitar are playing. Or maybe just warble on a chord.
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barbequebob
1957 posts
Jun 27, 2012
8:40 AM
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In my own experience working in a band that did some funk tunes, including James Brown, it was also a band with horns and what I did was become part of the horn section so go with the horn lines, but when you learn them, don't just learn the notes themselves, but also the rhythm and dynamics of the horn lines as well because it is extremely important or it just comes off as mindless riffing that doesn't work with the groove and feel of what's going on. BTW, if you were doing a jump blues, actually a very similar advice works as well, and in both cases, it means you just can't be listening only to the solos, which is something too many harp players are notorious for doing. In both funk as well as even jump blues, often times the lines are going to have a very percussive quality that's VERY important to get or the line could wind up sounding like mush.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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MN
153 posts
Jun 27, 2012
8:46 AM
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Beyond what BBQ Bob said, I'd just add that for 9 out of 10 funk(y) tunes, I'll go to third position. Not saying that's right ........ just what works for me.
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HarpNinja
2537 posts
Jun 27, 2012
8:52 AM
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I would play mostly 3rd with a clean rig and lots of effects on my leads. Mostly, I'd just copy the horns, though.
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
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barbequebob
1958 posts
Jun 27, 2012
10:09 AM
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I've done funk oriented in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd position as well, including 3rd position using a country tuned harp.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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GamblersHand
369 posts
Jun 27, 2012
10:37 AM
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For major scale funk tunes I usually (probably always) use second position. Partly because I'm a much better 2nd position player but also because I like the punchy sound you get on the 2 draw tonic, and the roll offs onto the 1 draw. My style for funk is to provide percussive counter-rhythms and use phrasing and space rather than anything too melodic... probably just playing to my limitations though
Also the funk songs I tend to play on - Superstition, Miss You, Some Kind of Wonderful, Whatta Man, etc are more on the blues side of that spectrum
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roadharp
91 posts
Jun 28, 2012
9:07 PM
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Ok guys thanks for the tips.
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