wolfkristiansen
270 posts
Mar 22, 2014
2:02 PM
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Some of My Favorite Harmonica
None of these favorites showcase Modern Blues Harmonica, i.e. overblows and overdraws. But the players below, in these songs, have taught me something one way or another.
1, "Nature" by Howlin' Wolf-- Wolf is playing in first position. Matthias Hohner's harmonica was designed for playing in this position. Did he ever imagine the beautiful, soulful vibrato that could be produced while playing straight harp? Probably not. I listened to Wolf's vibrato, and resolved to get it while playing in first position.
2. "My Babe" by Little Walter-- Walter's solo is perfection on blues harp. The first four notes consist of draw 1-2-3-4. Four notes, sliding up the harp, played in a controlled rhythm. That's what caught my ear. Instead of da-da-da-da, it's da-DA da-DA, with the last note cut precisely short. This solo taught me to be precise-- time the start of a note, AND its endpoint.
3. "Blues With a Feeling" by Paul Butterfield-- This Little Walter song was revived by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 1965. It's here because of the bluesy stab of sound that starts the song. When I play, I often try to start the same way-- grab the audience's ears with the first notes and don't let go.
If anyone else has some favorite harmonica, and feels like saying why, add to this list!
Cheers
wolf kristiansen
Last Edited by wolfkristiansen on Mar 22, 2014 2:03 PM
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DukeBerryman
259 posts
Mar 23, 2014
1:59 AM
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I like the back and forth with Buddy Guy. I like the wail. You gotta be able to wail like this and still hit the right note. I've never done a note-by-note copy of another harp player's music but I've spent a lifetime trying to wail like this and do it on point:
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DukeBerryman
260 posts
Mar 23, 2014
2:12 AM
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Here's a good song to study - make every sound you hear. You don't have to do it note-by-note but you want to be able to recreate every sound:
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DukeBerryman
261 posts
Mar 23, 2014
2:25 AM
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This may be the greatest blues jam video ever shot. It's got everything: hot band, crowded bar, drunk guy getting up in front of singer, lady bumping the camera, and a drop dead performance from Billy Branch. This is the only thing I want to do note-for-note. If you can play like this... well, you're Billy Branch.
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DukeBerryman
262 posts
Mar 23, 2014
2:41 AM
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Here is a great educational video by Junior Wells. We learn the correct attitude and approach to playing blues harp:
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DukeBerryman
263 posts
Mar 23, 2014
3:11 AM
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I can't explain this one, just a great harp cut:
When The Levee Breaks from Dread Zeppelin on Myspace.
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The Iceman
1551 posts
Mar 23, 2014
8:44 AM
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Anything by this guy...here's an early live recording in which you can hear the origin of so many of his ideas that he would later develop more comprehensively as time went on...
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The Iceman
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