Fearlessly playing in 5th position, Charlie works some speed ideas based on the harmonica layout and hits some "wrong notes", especially over the IV chord. This is probably the only time when I hear those wrong notes and it doesn't matter to my ears, as he is blazing a trail through 5th position.
The concept is bigger to me than the notes played within. ---------- The Iceman
Last Edited by The Iceman on Jun 30, 2015 10:51 AM
Around 1:38 he bends Blow 8 too flat a few times - not so much wrong note as out of tune. A little later he plays a line that descends from Draw 6 through the D minor 3rd position chord (or the Flat-VII minor chord, including the rather discordant F in Draw 5) and into the G chord in the bottom of the harp - the Flat-III chord. Mostly it's not so much wrong notes (except, possibly, that F) as a matter of outlining chords that belong to a different key. Almost like he forgot for a moment that he wasn't playing in second position and just fell into a habitual run.
Charlie used to play way more outside than this in the early 1970s. He seemed to go looking for the weirdest sounding notes, and I can remember non-harmonica non-jazz people in the nightclub looking at each other in bewilderment and making that little index-finger-cycling-beside-the-head, "this guy's nuts" gesture. =========== Winslow
"Mostly it's not so much wrong notes (except, possibly, that F) as a matter of outlining chords that belong to a different key"
Outlining chords that belong to a different key may be experienced as wrong notes to most. Not wishing to tit for tat re:theory explanations.
Charlie once emailed me talking about a new position he was toying with. He described it as starting on 3 hole inhale as his root note.
Many of us here know that this is 6th position.
He told me he doesn't know the theory behind it, just that it sounded good to him and wanted me to help explain why. I did my best, but his head is not into theory, just what sounds interesting to him. ---------- The Iceman
Last Edited by The Iceman on Jun 30, 2015 1:52 PM
Sugar, Charlie, Butterfield, even Little Walter, have all played wrong notes (or licks that outlined the "wrong" chords) on records. So it it right to change what they played, or it it correct to copy them exactly. Almost always, I'd let your ears be the judge. Playing major over minor chords almost always sounds bad, though. =========== Winslow
Is it right to change what they played or is it correct to copy them?
That is one of the ideas I was trying to address.
Most of us here and I am just guessing, learn to play by trying to replicate what we heard on records Or perhaps live.
Most of us do not have a degree in music, we have to do the best we can with what we have.
If something is played on record We just figure it must be right, after all; these big time blues singers are raking in the cash with multi million dollar contracts, surely they are playing all the right notes.
Up to a certain level of understanding, it is a good idea to first try to copy what they play. This can be a good education and may even "trick you" into understanding theory eventually.
Once you copy what they play, discover why some of it sounds wrong, weird, or whatever.
Once you do that, you can then decide if you want to change what they play. ---------- The Iceman
