HarpNinja
3571 posts
Nov 01, 2013
10:31 AM
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You are forming a blues TRIO. You are the harmonica player. Of the three of you, at least one can handle all the lead vocals.
What are the other two instruments and why?
What type of blues would be your bread and butter?
For example, you could have harp, guitar, and drums, but you couldn't have harp, guitar, drums, and bass....only three instruments total.
No cheating and saying someone could cover two instruments simultaneously. However, you could have something like a keyboard player play rhythm with their right hand and bass lines with their left...and you can use whatever technology/effects that are out there.
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
My Website
Last Edited by HarpNinja on Nov 01, 2013 10:32 AM
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Kingley
3248 posts
Nov 01, 2013
10:45 AM
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I'd go for two guitars because then the bass would be covered by one of them and you could do a lot of Little Walter stuff.
Or I'd go for a piano and guitar because they can both cover the rhythm and you'd have way more variety in the overall sound.
Or I'd go for piano and drums, because then you'd have a full rhythm section.
As to the type of blues. I'd play Chicago, West Coast, Texas and New Orleans. That would pretty much cover everything and get an audience going.
I wouldn't use any technology/effects to add instruments that weren't there playing live because in my personal opinion it always sounds like crap when people do that. I'd just keep it simple.
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Tuckster
1363 posts
Nov 01, 2013
11:30 AM
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Guitar and bass- no drums to raise the volume up. You could play a lot of styles as Kingley said.
Guitar and keys would also be good. I've seen Estrin and the Nitecats where the bassist also plays keys. He plays the bass line while also doing fills and solos. I think he has the bass lines programmed in,but am not 100% sure.
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Joe Strouzer
35 posts
Nov 01, 2013
12:17 PM
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Nice topic,
I'd go for harp, electric guitar and beatboxer, get some really heavy modern electric blues on the go. guitar keeps it steady, beatboxer gets the rhythm and can also do sub frequency stuff.
Failing that I'd go in the complete opposite direction, keep it country and go harp, resonator guitar and a double bassist. Double bassist can also do percussive things on the bass. Great trio for street playing!
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www.josephstrouzer.com
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robbert
251 posts
Nov 01, 2013
2:26 PM
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I play with a singer/songwriter on a regular basis. He plays guitar and sings. I accompany on harp, occasional vocals, and incidental percussion. We play acoustic style, but through a good pa. No effects, except a little reverb. We play originals and some covers, but all have a slightly jazzified feel. We are well received at the small local venues we play. Sometimes, we feel we would love to add an upright bass into the mix.
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Jehosaphat
584 posts
Nov 01, 2013
5:22 PM
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Well imo unless you are coming way out of the left field i'd have to say at least one guitar is a given.
If he is good you've got good rythmic backup and a mixture of lead,fingerpicking and Slide.
That covers a lot of blues styles.
So there is only one instrument to choose.
In my case i would be wanting to play a lot of Hill Country stuff and shuffles so to me percussion would be first choice.(ala R L Burnsideish)
Definitely not a full kit drummer but someone who can play a variety of tools from a cajon to nice snappy snare/cymbal.(and who owns a set of brushes)
More upmarket West Coast/Swing style i'd opt for Keyboards given their versitility.
But to me more importantly i'd go for musicians
who are compatible/empathetic over sheer blazing talent
whatever they play.
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Rick Davis
2644 posts
Nov 01, 2013
5:27 PM
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Guitar and stand-up bass. That would be really nice.
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-Little Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
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Frank
3173 posts
Nov 01, 2013
6:35 PM
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Each combination would spark different ideas on how we would approach the songs and since we would be playing blues and jump, as long as we all enjoyed playing together and laying down solid grooves- I would be a happy camper because> that will make my job real easy...so I would be looking for guys who "got off" livin in the pocket - I would'nt care if they played spoons and a wash board as long as they loved holdin down grooves:)
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Jim Rumbaugh
935 posts
Nov 01, 2013
7:19 PM
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FWIW
Pat Misson told me stories about him and a stand up bass player busking in England during the Christmas holidays.
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theharmonicaclub.com (of Huntington, WV)
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Greg Heumann
2438 posts
Nov 01, 2013
8:15 PM
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I'd go with hammond organ and drums; second choice hammond and guitar. The Hammond player has two hands to do rhythm and melody AND FEET to do the bass.
Now finding a good enough player to do that might be tough, but they are out there.
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***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
BlueState - my band
Bluestate on iTunes
Last Edited by Greg Heumann on Nov 01, 2013 8:15 PM
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Jehosaphat
585 posts
Nov 01, 2013
10:01 PM
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@Greg
Now that is strange..my worst nightmare is when i have to share the stage with an organ player..
Where's the room for the harp? They want to play the same things as we do in my experience..
?
(and the bastards know every chord ever invented :)
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lumpy wafflesquirt
750 posts
Nov 02, 2013
2:29 AM
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Man, if I had opportunity to play with *anyone* else I wouldn't care what instruments they played as long as they were decent musicians
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"Come on Brackett let's get changed"
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barbequebob
2372 posts
Nov 02, 2013
10:46 AM
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Bass or drums can do well, but they all gotta be on the same page in regards to the groove and your guitar player HAS to be a good rhythm player. I've done gigs in either combination and you gotta be around people who REALLY know their stuff and not just the soloing aspect because if they can't hold down the groove, you'll sound like heavily over glorified jam hacks and it'll be a disaster.
I've done gigs with organ players and some of them can get really loud, just as bad as any guitarist or an electric bass player can, so it also depends on who it is. However, if the organ player is more along the lines of a Jimmy Smith who played the s**t out of the bass pedals better than most bass players, that's gonna be a good time groove master.
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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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nacoran
7297 posts
Nov 02, 2013
11:53 AM
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Harpboxer with a loop box (I hope that only counts as one), vocalist, bellydancer.
I'm pretty sure you'd kill busking that way.
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Nate
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Rick Davis
2646 posts
Nov 02, 2013
12:24 PM
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Mike, is there much of a jazz scene in Mankato? That might be a good place to recruit your players.
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-Little Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
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2chops
182 posts
Nov 02, 2013
3:55 PM
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An acoustic guitarist and drummer. The drummer would have to be a fairly well rounded percussionist actually. Doing drum kit, bongos, cajon, spoons... to give it variety.
Style would be a mix of delta and piedmont style blues. Guitarist would preferably handle the vocal work. But I could do it if I had to.
Ron
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You Tube = goshinjk
I'm workin on it. I'm workin on it.
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6SN7
385 posts
Nov 02, 2013
4:47 PM
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First choice: Keyboard and guitar
Second Choice: Double bass and guitar
Third Choice: 2 guitars
#3 is probably the easiest for me to source.
#1 would probably give most variety over the course of an evening.
#2 a great double bass player is heaven! Of course, he probably is a jazz guy (thats ok!) and wants the dough (deserves it!)
Last Edited by 6SN7 on Nov 02, 2013 4:50 PM
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Barley Nectar
157 posts
Nov 02, 2013
6:39 PM
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Piano and electric guitar, dixieland, jump blues and swing...BN
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wolfkristiansen
223 posts
Nov 02, 2013
8:26 PM
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Piano/vocals, drums and harmonica. An unlikely combination, but it works for us. I've had the good fortune to play my harp in that setup, off and on, for about 15 years. Sometimes it's a real drummer, sometimes it's a drum machine; at those times we're really a duo (the drum machine doesn't get paid).
The singer/piano player is Karin Ljungh (pronounced "Young"). She sings, plays piano, and writes songs. Here's her website:
http://karinsmusic.com/blues-artists/about
Poke around and listen to what's offered. I think you'll like.
Here`s some samples of the piano/vocal, drums and harmonica combination from that website. The harmonica is mine. There's a (faint) guitar in some of the songs, but other songs are just the trio:
https://soundcloud.com/karinsmusic
Cheers,
wolf kristiansen
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Martin
502 posts
Nov 03, 2013
9:58 AM
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Here´s a guy I know who´s currently playing in a trio w/ a separated keyboard bass.
I won´t comment on the music -- aside from saying that it´s an entierly do-able concept.
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Martic
50 posts
Nov 03, 2013
10:58 AM
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Right now I'm playing in an acoustic trio which is working pretty well:
Acoustic guitar player/singer: he plays rhythm and lead guitar, has a very good fingerpicking and is really skilled with the slide. He tunes the guitar 1 full step down, it gives a depth to the guitar sound.
Electric bassist: he comes from the funk school, so he has a good groove, but he understands when he's playing blues, so he doesn't abuse from slaps and all that stuff. Anyway, slapping some of the notes he adds the percussion.
Harmonica: well, that's me :P
Another setting I'd like to try is guitar, piano and harmonica, like Charlie Musselwhite in one of his live albums.
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Joe_L
2389 posts
Nov 03, 2013
1:29 PM
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Those are great questions. Why would a guy who finds blues limiting ask this type of question?
My answer is based on who is available and willing to do the gig, how much we get paid, the venue and who I haven't seen in a while. It would be one of the following:
Bass, guitar and harp
Piano, guitar and harp
Drums, guitar and harp
Guitar, guitar and harp
What would I play? The same material as I would play anyplace else. Why would I change it?
The piano player would have to have a strong left hand to carry the bass.
Lorenzo Farrell, who plays with Rick Estrin and the Night Cats is a solid player. I would be shocked if he is playing programmed bass lines. He's got a jazz trio project on the side.
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The Blues Photo Gallery
Last Edited by Joe_L on Nov 03, 2013 1:29 PM
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Rick Davis
2649 posts
Nov 03, 2013
1:37 PM
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Mike, do you play guitar? Put the harp on a rack and play solo. Nic Clark learned to play guitar pretty well and now he does some solo gigs.
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-Little Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
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dougharps
464 posts
Nov 03, 2013
8:46 PM
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I have recently played a few gigs with two local guitar heroes in a mixed genre acoustic trio. Locally there is a reasonable market for two and three player acoustic acts, though if I want this to continue I need to get better at booking gigs that pay what these guys are worth.
One player is really good at playing bass lines at the same time he plays guitar chords and solos. He can switch to mandolin as needed, and sings and harmonizes vocally well. He is a better singer than I am, but he likes the songs I have chosen. He prefers not to front a band, even though he is quite capable of it. A decade ago I played in an acoustic trio with him and a female singer fiddler. I have done duo gigs with him as well.
The other guitar player can switch to dobro as needed, and sings some, too. Both have been in multiple bands in their lifetimes and each of them have toured in big name bands. They are both guitar players who are recognized as among the best in town. I have known them both for years from their various local bands, and have learned a lot from them.
I am a lucky guy as they appreciate my harp and singing and enjoy the gigs. This has allowed me to follow the advice of playing with musicians who are better than I am.
If the one guitar player were not so good at keeping bass lines going while playing fantastic guitar, I would probably look at a bass player for the third member of an acoustic trio. With harp, bass, and guitar you could also do electric gigs, and if needed, add a drummer for bigger electric gigs. You could play acoustic duos with the guitar player when that is all that the pay would support. This would let you be flexible in booking gigs.
I think that a good doghouse bass player can carry rhythm fine without a drummer in an acoustic band and in low volume electric bands.
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Doug S.
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BigBlindRay
203 posts
Nov 04, 2013
4:38 AM
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Guitar and Drums all the way if you want to rock out.
The important thing is to remember that in ANY trio or band - whatever - EVERYONE is responsible for keeping solid Rhythm. I cant stand players who rely on someone else to be the time keeper.
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Big Blind Ray Trio Website
Big Blind Ray Trio Facebook Page
Big Blind Ray Trio on Bandcamp
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kudzurunner
4352 posts
Nov 04, 2013
4:46 AM
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Aha! Great question--and the answer, I think, depends heavily on what sort of gigs you're looking to play.
For bar gigs, guitar and drums. If there is a possibility of having dancers, drums will definitely be a plus.
For restaurant gigs, guitar and bass, or guitar and piano. No drums.
For busking, it depends on whether noise is potentially an issue. No full drumset, obviously, but a snare, small kick, and one hi-hat or ride cymbal is great.
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HarpNinja
3574 posts
Nov 04, 2013
5:46 AM
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@Rick
While this post has little to do with my current reality, there is not a jazz scene here. I have an acoustic and will probably start taking lessons once hockey ends for my son.
I started thinking about this while updating the music on my iPad when I came across some of Chris Michalek's trio stuff. Being this is a blues forum, I thought I'd apply this hypothetical to blues.
I looked at the local music calendar this week too. A lot of duo's and trio's. I thought it was humorous that a group called Tombstone Trio actually does most their shows as a duo. The guy who fronts that band used to play with two other local bands that also downsized (and he was the odd guy out).
There is another local group, the Murphy Brothers, that, I guess, were huge overseas. They used to play as at least a 5 piece in clubs. Evidently, they just do an acoustic duo thing now and save the full band stuff for festival season.
Most the places within an hour of here that would support blues, would prefer a paired down acoustic version. I can't remember the last time a full blues band played down here.
***We do have an active metal scene. No one is making money doing it, but they gig a lot. Country related bands are the only people doing full shows around here for about $100 a person - but those clubs have their own sound systems.
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
My Website
Last Edited by HarpNinja on Nov 04, 2013 5:50 AM
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HarpNinja
3575 posts
Nov 04, 2013
5:53 AM
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I think while I'd prefer guitar and drums, it would make most sense to have guitar and bass. Stage volume would be lower and you'd have a hair of flexibility with the guitar then.
Keys would be awesome, though. They offer a lot of flexibility
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
My Website
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harpwrench
712 posts
Nov 04, 2013
6:21 AM
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You'd look good in a cowboy hat Mike. From what I've heard my wife listen to on the radio, that's all it takes to call it country anymore.
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The best you know is usually only as good as the best you've had.
Spiers Custom Harmonicas
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HarpNinja
3576 posts
Nov 04, 2013
6:40 AM
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Right...country anything is going over huge. It is also a genre that allows for real instruments to take leads and play fills.
*Most* the "country" bands that come to town end up doing about half current country and half bar rock.
Nowadays, I wouldn't even need a cowboy hat...just a flannel shirt and trucker hat. Every "new" full band here locally that I can think of is country. Most have average musicianship at best, but they have rowdy friends.
That was one of the biggest knocks early on with one of my bands. We would have people show up in good to great numbers, but they didn't spend money (drink a lot).
I did do some jobbing for a current country band a year or two ago. While I wouldn't listen to that music on my own, it was very fun to play. Lots of cool chord changes and grooves.
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
My Website
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Joe_L
2392 posts
Nov 04, 2013
4:59 PM
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This may sound stupid, but why don't you play music that you like? Part of musical delivery involves passion. There is no reason to play music you don't dig AND if you don't dig it, it will show in the performance.
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The Blues Photo Gallery
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HarpNinja
3581 posts
Nov 04, 2013
5:42 PM
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Joe_L,
A couple of times now you have twisted my words in this thread. Being that the first incident has nothing to do with this post and feels like you're trying to corner me, I will continue to not reply to it.
I find it odd that you are implying I would have played without passion, especially since you weren't at any of the shows. I got to play fun music that was challenging on harmonica when that instrument wouldn't have been expected normally. I got to play some big stages with big crowds with talented musicians who were fun to hangout with.
If you reread what I actually wrote in my unedited post, I said I wouldn't listen to it on my own...not that I didn't like it. In fact, most of it was great music. I just don't choose to explore a lot of contemporary country on my free time.
Limiting myself both as a participant and listener makes me feel closed minded.
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
My Website
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Joe_L
2393 posts
Nov 04, 2013
6:10 PM
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I'm not hassling you or busting your chops.
I view the instrument as a tool to express your music. If your music is a combination of a multitude of genres, that's cool. My point is you've got to play the stuff that moves you. Life is far too short to do anything else.
I believe that passion is an important part of one's artistry. I didn't suggest that you played without passion, nor have I questioned your credentials.
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The Blues Photo Gallery
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