So what are the important elements of making such arrangements work?
1) Strong rhythm, with foot, audience participation, and chordal or other rhythmic techniques on the harp. The whole body is engaged in keeping the rhythm.
2) Harp is carrying some melodic load, with repeated riffs, counter melody, or some variation of the sung melody.
3) Harp is following / suggesting chord changes to support the sung melody.
Here is someone I haven't seen mentioned on here...there several videos of him doing solo open mics (do a you tube search for James Supra)
Here is another guy with a lot of solo youtube videos.
I think confidence in your vocals is the main requirement.
The other thing I'm seeing is that it helps when you adjust the timing so there is a good feeling of call and response between the vocals and harmonica.
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Yes, FMWoodeye, I agree, great thread idea. Also we will all learn something here as soon as we jump in and try our hand at this. It aint easy that is for sure.
Wow! Thanks all for posting these examples. All inspiring. Keith Dunn is great. And Bonny B. I was wondering there is "slide harp." I would like to flatter these guys in the most sincere way I can think of...
It's about as minimalist as 'vocals' go, but Deford Bailey's Fox Chase is, in my opinion, a great example of harp and vocal working together. He uses the vocal like a rhythm line. (Lot's of Fox Chases sound like the singer is just throwing the lines in to make it a fox chase, not because they fit musically.)
Here's a recent one from Jon Gindick. I hear him keeping the beat in his playing, improvizing around the melody, and doing fills in the sung verses. Pretty nice arrangement, I think. What do you think?
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Last Edited by mr_so&so on Aug 20, 2013 9:51 AM
