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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
How Hard to Play? Butterfield Lights the Way
How Hard to Play? Butterfield Lights the Way
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MindTheGap
483 posts
Jan 14, 2015
9:33 AM
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I've always found it difficult to work out how hard or soft to play. It's not easy to work out what people are doing, particular in recordings, over the internet and when an amplifier is involved.
BBQ Bob often writes here that many people play to hard, but then people seem to value a very strong sound that does indeed sound like they are blowing/drawing pretty hard. Some of those classic recordings seem to me to have a refined harmonica sound - does that come from soft or hard playing?
Over Christmas I listened to Paul Butterfield Teaches Blues Harmonica Master Class, Sessions with a Legendary Player. One of the first things he does is encourage students to play very gently to get the good sounds, and demonstrates it by continuing to play acoustically with a gentle, tremulous vibrato.
When he does hit a note harder, you can really notice the difference. And when he applies the same thing to amped playing later on in the CD, it's transformed from gentle into his punchy, insistent sound.
It's different from other tuition CDs I have in that the recording is up close and not very processed so I think you can a better good sense of how much force he's using.
Lots of other interesting things in the book CD too, but I found this aspect especially good.
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barbequebob
2816 posts
Jan 14, 2015
10:31 AM
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What you see is exactly what I keep telling players all the time but too often, the average player can be a total hard head when it comes to this, basically using what I would refer to as the D.A.M. method, or more specifically, the dumb ass macho method of doing things and this shows you perfectly that if you're playing amplified, let the rig (be it an amp or a PA) do the heavy lifting. I saw Big Walter demonstrate this truckloads of times over the years I got to see him live and even more when he played his cover of LW's Can't Hold On Much Longer intro as he played in on his Alligator LP, using one my MY harps (and customs weren't in existence back then), even his SUPER SOFT throat vibrato he used on his original recording of Easy and the average person whispered WAY louder than he was playing that night and every word of that is 100% the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!!!
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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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Rgsccr
304 posts
Jan 14, 2015
11:07 AM
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I saw a great example of what BBB is talking about last night. Steve Bailey, one of the very best blues harp players in the Northwest (really anywhere), was the guest at our jam. He is great at doing what Bob is mentioning here. He brings the band volume down during a song (keeps it reasonable from the start), and plays real quietly, sometimes moving from his amp and mic to a vocal mic, before getting loud again with the band. Creates a real dynamic tension. I have to admit that I forget about this myself most of the time, but it is good to be reminded and it is definitely something to work on as I move forward. I should add that I recently saw the latest evolution of Mark Hummel's Blow-out with Mark, Estrin, Steve Guyger and Billy Boy Arnold, and they are all masters of this technique and use it to great effect.
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The Iceman
2275 posts
Jan 14, 2015
12:55 PM
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Breathe the harmonica.
Don't suck and blow.
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The Iceman
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nowmon
2 posts
Jan 14, 2015
12:59 PM
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"float like a butterfly n` sting like a bee" play like this and you`ll be cookin`. also crack the whip after you slip and slide...
Last Edited by nowmon on Jan 14, 2015 1:01 PM
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MP
3278 posts
Jan 14, 2015
3:23 PM
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I recall a story about Little Walter giving advice to Buterfield as a fight ensued in the club they were in after hours. Butter was one of the hardest blowers in Chicago at the time. Walter advised him to play softer. Walter had one lung at the time. Walter thought it was from blowing too hard.---------
I'm out of the Biz for a while till I get over my burnout. You can try HarveyHarp or arzajac, or just look the page nacoran put together under Forum Search.
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Last Edited by MP on Jan 14, 2015 3:24 PM
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