stinkbomb
8 posts
Nov 01, 2020
8:38 AM
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Hi all
I am just wondering if everyone has a favourite low harp tune they like to play solo at a jam. Apart from Sonny’s bye bye bird, and Kim Wilson’s 9 below zero has anyone got a good old tune that sounds great on a low harp. Oh I’ve practicing one called ‘Did you see my baby’ by a chap called Guy Davis which is very Sonny Terry like and great too, check it out. At my local jam I always get invited to do a solo but I think I’ve done bye bye bird too many times now ??. Stay safe cheers Ian
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jbone
3271 posts
Nov 01, 2020
2:47 PM
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We do RJ's Love in Vain in G in the duo. Especially when amped this is a great 3rd position song with a low F. As for at a jam I don't know if it would fly.
We do San Francisco Bay Blues and Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out in C so I do the harp work on a regular Bb. St. James Infirmary in Am for 3rd in G on a 12 hole chromatic. Same with Gershwin's Summertime.
We've written and recorded several originals with low harp parts, one in low Eb, one or two on low F. One or two in low C.
This URL is to our YT page where our videos are. Feel free to check it out and adopt anything there for ideas. Best of success to you! https://www.youtube.com/feed/my_videos
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Last Edited by jbone on Nov 01, 2020 2:50 PM
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Sarge
809 posts
Nov 01, 2020
3:01 PM
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Rabbit in a Trip Snare using low C harmonica
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Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
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Cotton
125 posts
Nov 02, 2020
7:47 AM
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I just bought a low F# Lee Oskar. My usual harp is a Golden Melody but I wanted to play along with a friend on "The Mystic". He plays it in Db. Due to the cost of a Thunderbird I bought a Lee Oskar low tuned. They are regular price. I really like it. Even has a slightly enlarged lower cover to make room for the reeds. I like it enough that I plan to buy a few more in other low keys.
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dougharps
2190 posts
Nov 02, 2020
9:20 AM
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To me a Low F# is a must have if you plan on filling out your set of harps in those less often used keys (B, F#, C#/Db, and G#/Ab). The High (or regular) F# is far less useful to me than the Low F#. I like to have options for which key and positions I choose on a given song, so I have many harp keys in both higher and lower pitches.
When guitar players tune down 1/2 step the pitch of a Low F# harp is very similar to the sound of a regular G harp. The higher pitched F# harp is very shrill. I have a High/Regular F# I haven't used since getting a Low F#. A High F# is similar to a High G with regards to limited utility, but those shrill harps could be used for fast bluegrass playing.
I have used my Low F and Low D fairly often when playing out. I switch between low and regular pitched harps depending on the specific music, often using high and low harps in the same song for different purposes.
My Low C has a nice sound, but I have seldom used it at a gig. My Low Eb and Low E harps have hardly been used at gigs either.
For 3rd position playing using a D harp for Em I usually choose the Low D for the more mellow sound.
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Doug S.
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