The thrill is definitely not gone. I can't believe how much fun I'm having playing harp again. My wife thinks I'm addicted and do you know what, she may have a point. I'm totally immersing myself in all things harp related from picking up myriad tips on this forum (I mean Greg's recent info on Mics and Bluesmoose's MBH Webrain are worth the entrance money alone - what do you mean I haven't paid yet?), practicing relentlessly (oh and now I've got to learn to TB) to buying new harps, to tinkering with new harps (then throwing those ones I've buggered up away) no just kidding I actually think I'm just beginning to get the hang of it. I have just managed to setup a new Marine Band Deluxe to be nicely playable after a lot of time spent on it!
I'm looking back at my song collection and enjoying some old classics and in particular Paul Butterfield. I really enjoyed playing 'The Thrill is gone'. I find it quite an hypnotic piece. I've loosely followed Butterfields intro then improvised through the rest of the song.
I am playing this on the MBD before I fixed it up and it's a little unresponsive at times especially in the quieter sections.
Just wanted to share it anyway.
My perspective of playing harmonica:- In the words of Isaac Newton ~ ‘I seem to have been only as a boy playing on the seashore and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me’
@AV8R - Thanks, I found a good website with some quality backing tracks at www.guitarbackingtrack.com. There isn't a huge collection here but they are generally good and they are free! The songs have varying degrees of backing from a spartan drum track to Drums, base, and Rhythm and sometimes lead and vocals.
I got 'The thrill is gone' backing track from this site and pretty tasty it is I think:-
Most of my backing tracks are crappy free midi's, but it doesn't seem to matter too much when you lay a harp over them, unless they are way too cheesy which midi's often are.
You might find this shocking but I actually bought and downloaded a song the other day that I'm about to work on!!
It might be worth starting a new thread to pool resources on this subject, in case it's lost here.
Would anyone else like to share their source of Backing Tracks, because it is a great way to practice?
Oh and another thing I found on YouTube was this guy's channel and very good it is too for blues fans. He's got some great blues number here.
This is one of the few backing tracks he has posted
'Born in Chicago' @ http://www.youtube.com/user/silasouren#p/a/u/1/XNfn6gciEZk
Last Edited by on Nov 15, 2010 12:17 AM