Slow blues improvisation in the key of F. Harp is a hohner marine band deluxe in Bb, second position. Backing track is "we need to talk blues" by Lawrence Fritts.
I recently visited a harmonica convention with a workshop about using different scales in different part of the song to keep things dynamic. Here I start in major pentatonic and then go to blues scale and switch between the two. I went with the title of the backing track and thought of it as a dialouge, the major pentatonic belonging to one voice in the conversation and the blues scale part to the other.
I also acquired a sweet-ass microphone with a CM-element from -74 that had been imported from Greg Heumann's http://www.blowsmeaway.com/ at the convention and it sound really great even though I'm just using my Iphone with a Peavey ampkit Link and the ampkit-app from agile partners as amplifier.
Mixed in audacity.
Love comments! There's quite a few misses and not enough energy/speed/variation in some parts but as a whole I think it sounded ok. I need some serious time practising with the microphone as there are a lot of cool effects that's just not available acoustic (and vice versa, of course)
Sounds great - I like mixing those scales, too, but even more dynamic. And my tone is even cleaner, to bring out the best in those single notes. But you have a great tone, esp with that new mic. Congrats!
Thank you, Duke. I just love the "amp effects" out of the mic and just crank all the dials to have it crackle for now :). The newness of that will pass and I'll settle with a less dramatic sound... Or buy a new mic!
I tried changing up the scales more dynamically buy it always ended with just sounding like I just hit all notes all the time. So I put them in different choruses instead. I Need to practise playing restraint, I guess. ---------- Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
The playing is good, but the vocals need commitment, you can tell you're not believing in your voice and that will always sound weak, just go for it believe you can sing like a champ and I tell you the difference will amaze you.
Thank you, tf10. How goes with your (alternative) musicmaking? I still listen to that Ovide on a rocking horse sometimes...
@ geordieBM - Yup, problem is I have tried that approach... It usually ends up sounding very bad and people wincing slightly :) . I'm thinking if I keep at it I'll improve (?) and then can really sing out... Or have Tommy sing instead ;)
I'm always on the look out for songs where you can use both scales. Recently, ZZTop came out with a new song "I Gotsta Get Paid" and sounds like they use the major for the chorus. Check it out - would love to know if it fits your tastes, too. I use a Lee Oskar Melody Maker to play along - the Melody Maker makes it easier to do the major scale. ---------- Duke Berryman - Chicago blues, harmonica, guitar
@ Duke - Cool song. I hadn't heard it before. That's one very dirty lo-fi rocksong.
I don't think they use major pentatonic scale. Sounds like minor pentatonic in A mostly but a keychange somewhere in that. Have to analyze further... The intro and main riff goes something like 6+ 6+ 5 4 4+ 3', 6+ 6+ 5 4 4+ 4 or variations of that on a D harp...
Which part do mean is the chorus? Time markers? ---------- Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
You're right, it's not really the chorus, but the breaks when it sounds like they're going into another key. Those are the parts that sounded major to me, and where I like to change it up. I mess around with the song every once in a while, but haven't really cracked it yet. But that intro riff is fun. ---------- Duke Berryman - Chicago blues, harmonica, guitar
Very nice! Man, I love that sound you are getting with that mic. Its kind of unbelievable that it is just going into an app on your iphone. Makes me wonder why I waste so much time setting up mics trying to capture my sounds haha. Nice playing all around. You have some very choice phrasing in there. Thanks for sharing!
@asilve3 - Thanks a lot! I was very pleasantly surprised with the sound. I have used a modern sm57 with that app before but it don't even come close! As for the phrasing; I haven't used major pentatonics for improvisation at all before so there's no old ruts to slip into. I think some phrases sound a bit akward but it kind of fits since its a "talking blues".
@ duke- As for gotsta get paid, this is my analasis the song is in A. Minor pentatonics will do. In the bridge the key changes to D. I think he uses a minor pentatonics scale but I'm not entirely sure. Cool song!
