> DANDEEJ78: jealous of the Musselwhite/Jacobs cover. Sterling job...
Thanks! It was my first venture into the world of 3rd position, so it didn't come easy. With the help of the "Amazing Slow Downer" I transcribed every note, and then practiced it for about a month before attempting to record it.
Unnecessary detail: Because I've played only in 2nd position prior to attempting to learning the Musselwhite solo, it was difficult to reorient myself into thinking of the 1 draw / 4 draw as the tonic. But I discovered it was easy to think of all harmonicas as "F" harps, because that meant I was in C when playing cross-harp: 1 draw = G, 2 draw full step bend = Bb, 2 draw = C, etc. And so once I pictured all the notes as "fixed," playing in 3rd position became suddenly easy (albeit that Musselwhite's solo was still difficult)--I just kept the notes as "fixed" in my mind and played in the key of G (mostly minor, at least in the middle register). It also suddenly became easy to play in first position (using the "fixed" notes, and playing in the key of F).
> KINGOBAD: Nice work Todd! Keep it up my bro... Nice to hear your progress... Can't wait to hear you at HCH3...
Thanks Danny . . . no promises on continued progress though!
> WALTERHARP: some could have got mad and ignored it.. you took it to heart and became a better player, good for you
Thanks! Although as an amateur, I'm not easily offended when people criticize my harp playing.
> in the older post and the first newer one, i think it is great you found a place with natural reverb.. that is a fantastic way to make yourself sound even better
Whenever I play in a subway or tunnel and then keep playing as I walk out, the sounds just shrinks so much--that experience makes me want to record only with lots of natural reverb. (I suppose it would improve the sound of my amplified playing if I took my Pignose to the subway or the tunnels of Brooklyn's Prospect Park --- but I might get in trouble with the volume, given that I like to record between the hours of 4 and 5 in the morning: the only way to avoid interference from commuters.)
> HARPDUDE61: Your video was also one of the first I looked at on youtube and I thought it was great. Super playing on these videos...Hats Off!
TOO kind: thank you!
> SILVERTONE: Very much improved!!! I am jealous of your ability to accompany yourself. Might I suggest Christo Redemptor as your next video (along w/ an option for backing track only :)
Thanks, and I'll look into Christo Redemptor. Also, piano is my primary instrument: I played professionally in the mid-1980s, pre-parenthood. By 2017 when in theory all my children should be moved out (in theory!) I'd like to gradually return to the professional music world, but my plan is to focus on the harmonica more than keyboards: less technology to keep on top of, much less expensive, and much easier to carry around. (And so much cooler of course.)
Last Edited by on Aug 28, 2011 6:43 PM
Todd...I remember finding this vid a year or so ago and thought "Hey, that's pretty cool". But I was after instructional stuff. So I moved on. A few months later I started looking for vids to work off of, as my playing was improving and I was starting to sound like I knew what I was doing. (Not my words, but from other folks who actually had a musical background.) Anyways...Since I primarily do a gospel blues type of line up, I stumbled across your version of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken". Big difference between the two vids as far as the quality of the harping goes. IMO. I have since "borrowed" your version to work off of as part of my play list. Thanks.
> Groyster1: good luck on your progress Thank you!
> 2chops: I stumbled across your version of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken". Big difference between the two vids as far as the quality of the harping goes.
Thanks ... to go off on an unnecessary tangent about "Will The Circle Be Unbroken," I actually had to simply the harp part down to the barest vocal melody, because (1) the piano arrangement--which I like very much, and didn't want to change (it's not my own)--is very busy, and (2) I originally recorded the video not for my ToddGates musician YouTube channel, but my ToddAllenGates author channel. And the version for that channel also included the lyrics of the song (which is about the afterlife) AND some of my favorite quotes about belief in the afterlife. So between the lyrics + the quotations + the piano, I felt the video was at risk for being cluttered, so I kept the harmonica part as simple as possible.
Here's the original version, taken from my ToddAllenGates channel:
