I practice your mantra to play softly, but it's good to have the reminder. Also your advice to go easy on that 4-hole bend lest we blow out the reed seems particularly appropriate for this chorus.
You may want to think of a rubber band in your head. Rubber bands usually last a long time, as long as they are not stretched too far beyond their capacity. If you stretch it just far enough as you need, it will hold something together or you can shoot it just far enough. If you stretch the rubber band too much (and keep doing this) it will eventually fatigue from too much pressure and break eventually. The only difference is in how much you push it. This may be a good analogy to keep in mind when you are bending!
Yeh, I was feeling like a total spazz for about two days but it's starting to feel natural now. Got me going back and listening to Big Walter too. What amazing tone and attack.
One of the biggest challenges for me on this piece is breath control. Keeping all that rhythm going keeps filling me up, even though there's a mix of in and out. It's easier to see where you're breathing on the slo-mo's. Is that reliable for the full speed?
Yes the breathing is KEY. But keep in mind, it's all about relaxing and not using so much breath. You only want to use as much breath as you need to make the sound. You do not ever want to play harp acoustically loud, at least 99% of the time you don't. Keep that in mind 😎
Around 15:30, you're demonstrating the last four bars of the chorus and you say, "let me get the timing right" and do it again. On the first "mistaken" time, you're on the 4-chord, coming in after the 3-hole slightly bent, slightly distorted and playing the 2-hole draw early, ahead of the down beat. It sounds cool, even though that's not what you intended. I think you swung it, yeh?
You got it! The articulation is so important whether for chords (in this rhythmic context) or for single note articulation while TB'ing. Basic technique, but super important and essential to playing cleanly, and with a "sharp" attack.
Terry, I've been playing with both approaches you describe with the same thoughts about the ease of having to switch from puckered to TB. Maybe we're being too picky but aside from the technical ease or one or the other, they don't sound quite the same, right? With the puckered approach I hear more of the notes, with the TB approach it's more percussive.
Here's a thought on the swing question. When you hit that 2-5 draw chord it falls on the upbeat. You could play it right on the beat but that sounds, well, kinda square. Many of the phrases end that way. Is that swinging ahead of the beat? Maybe we'll find out :)
there are many ways to swing ahead or behind the beat, and in every context they differ, but the approach is the same...causing rhythmic tension by playing before or after the beats (or before or after where the listener expects to be played or felt).
I have lots of questions but I'll try to keep it tight. On the basic, 1-chord rhythm where you do the Tut-ti-Tut-ti articulation, are you drawing on 1 and 2 with your tongue off the harp then clipping if off with your tongue? You really have that Big Walter sharp, clipped attack and I'd like to get it right.
At some point I want to understand the whole ahead and behind the beat swing rhythm better. I suspect I'm doing it sometimes but it would help to recognize exactly what it sounds like.
Yes, your tongue is OFF the harp to do the rhythmic chording, and I am playing holes 1-2 mainly, sometimes 1-2-3. But it is not "Tut-ti" it is "Tut-tut" that clipping comes from articulating the end of each beat...so make sure the "t" is at the end as well.
This sounds like a real getting down to basics lesson. When you say, "The best way I know to improve your timing is to work on playing rhythm," and then you design a set of lessons to do exactly that with a really fun piece that also gives a load of really cool licks to learn, I say that's why I keep subscribing to this site. I've spent the week working on getting the first three choruses wired into my brain and starting to work out the notes and phrasing. Really looking forward to getting into the details.Best,
Thanks Bill! It is getting back to basics in a way, because your timing and sense of rhythm is a basic musical foundation...but very few players work at it and get good at it. It is SO important not just if you want to play rhythmically, but because everything you do musically (at least in this type of music) is based around a groove. And to play in the groove, or swing ahead or behind the beat, means you need to have a good sense of timing and rhythm which really comes from working on playilong in time rhythmically. No way around it.
I've learned a lot from this piece, improved my technique by working on it and just really enjoyed it. The phrasing is so interesting. Sometimes the rhythm is the same but the notes are different, but there are also many different rhythmic variations. When you said there was a whole world on the 3 hole draw you weren't kidding and this piece has so many incredibly expressive examples. My TB bends have taken a big leap forward from working that 3 hole.
I may have some other questions but for now I just want to say thanks and I hope you're back soon.
Hi Bill - I just did it to check out how it's happening, and I think you're correct. More importantly, what you did is the way to learn. Become an aural detective - listen carefully and then make small adjustments in your oral cavity or with your embouchure or with your breathing - trial and error - whatever produces the result you're looking for.
When you hit the four chord with that 1-hole blow the tone changes as that rhythmic kind of pulsing vibrato swells. Are you sort of moving the sound from back deep more to front of your mouth. I think I can kind of get the tone that way. Or am iI hearing tungsten?
I couldn't resist. It reminded me of a story I read about Sonny Boy Williamson when he played in Europe. He said something like, these guys over here want to play the blues so bad, and they do. Seriously though, it's endlessly fascinating how so much of the feel and emotion of this music comes from sounds that don't fall on a tuned piano.
Hi Bill - I had to check, but no, I don't do all that in one breath. I exhale (stealthily) after 2 bars. I move the harp slightly away from my mouth for just long enough to inaudibly expel the air.
This was the verse I wrote you about back when you first put up the performance. I've been working, working on those 2 and 3 hole TB bends. This week is dedicated to the vibrato. Sometimes when you give something a rest you come back to it in a little while and it's better. The next verse goes back to worrying the 3-hole so that's my plan. I've got the triplet thing on the vibrato but it doesn't have that smooth pulsing sound you do so well. When I play one hole, especially the 2, I can get a suction in my throat that makes my whole head and ears vibrate. Not so easy with multiple holes. I'll be curious to see where I can get in a week.
Hi Bill - You'll get it - All it takes is focus and repetition....it also helps if you're a little bit OCD. The main thing is, just stick with it and don't get discouraged. Have a little patience - put in the time and you'll get it.
I agree completely that your "quotes" fit seamlessly. It's a beautiful tune and a great set of lessons. I played it, at my best so far, for the first time this weekend with a piano player. So much fun. My 2 and 3 hole TB bends are actually beginning to feel right. Thanks for all the feedback and encouragement.
I think Woody Guthrie said that amateurs plagiarize but artists steal shamelessly. I prefer the idea of quoting. Seems like a much more respectful way to borrow an idea. The first quote really has the sax feel, especially the little diddly-da in the middle of it. Amazing that we can just Google an artist and a tune and there it is.
Musical quotes can be fun and useful. The ones I used here just naturally popped out when I was coming up with the song - They seemed (to me) like they fit the piece perfectly and seamlessly. I think that "seamless" probably should be the rule-of-thumb when employing quotes - except in cases where you're specifically looking for a humorous effect (eg. I've heard that when a good-looking woman would walk in front of the bandstand, Charlie Parker would often quote the song "A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody") - Anyway Bill, I hope you're enjoying this series of lessons - Feel free to ask me anything, anytime.
Sorry Bill - I meant to tell what they were and I guess I got sidetracked. I apologize. I actually did name them though, in the Sonic Junction email lesson description.
Ok, so the second lick in the verse is from the Clifford Scott sax solo in Honky Tonk by Bill Doggett and the very next lick, the lick on the IV change, is from Scratch My Back by Slim Harpo.
I love this whole song but I think this is my favorite verse. Sounds like Louie Armstrong, worrying those three hole bends. It really helps when you slow it down to hear just how worried they are.
Hi Bill - Thanks for the Louie Armstrong reference. He definitely represents the stylistic roots of what I was trying to go for in that verse. There's a whole world of that kind of stuff in the first three holes.
I practice your mantra to play softly, but it's good to have the reminder. Also your advice to go easy on that 4-hole bend lest we blow out the reed seems particularly appropriate for this chorus.
Thanks,
Bill
You may want to think of a rubber band in your head. Rubber bands usually last a long time, as long as they are not stretched too far beyond their capacity. If you stretch it just far enough as you need, it will hold something together or you can shoot it just far enough. If you stretch the rubber band too much (and keep doing this) it will eventually fatigue from too much pressure and break eventually. The only difference is in how much you push it. This may be a good analogy to keep in mind when you are bending!
Yeh, I was feeling like a total spazz for about two days but it's starting to feel natural now. Got me going back and listening to Big Walter too. What amazing tone and attack.
One of the biggest challenges for me on this piece is breath control. Keeping all that rhythm going keeps filling me up, even though there's a mix of in and out. It's easier to see where you're breathing on the slo-mo's. Is that reliable for the full speed?
Thanks,
Bill
Yes the breathing is KEY. But keep in mind, it's all about relaxing and not using so much breath. You only want to use as much breath as you need to make the sound. You do not ever want to play harp acoustically loud, at least 99% of the time you don't. Keep that in mind 😎
Hey Dennis,
Around 15:30, you're demonstrating the last four bars of the chorus and you say, "let me get the timing right" and do it again. On the first "mistaken" time, you're on the 4-chord, coming in after the 3-hole slightly bent, slightly distorted and playing the 2-hole draw early, ahead of the down beat. It sounds cool, even though that's not what you intended. I think you swung it, yeh?
Around 15:30?
Dennis,
Thanks for the clarification on both the rhythmic chords and the question about swinging. Spot on!
You got it! The articulation is so important whether for chords (in this rhythmic context) or for single note articulation while TB'ing. Basic technique, but super important and essential to playing cleanly, and with a "sharp" attack.
Terry, I've been playing with both approaches you describe with the same thoughts about the ease of having to switch from puckered to TB. Maybe we're being too picky but aside from the technical ease or one or the other, they don't sound quite the same, right? With the puckered approach I hear more of the notes, with the TB approach it's more percussive.
Here's a thought on the swing question. When you hit that 2-5 draw chord it falls on the upbeat. You could play it right on the beat but that sounds, well, kinda square. Many of the phrases end that way. Is that swinging ahead of the beat? Maybe we'll find out :)
there are many ways to swing ahead or behind the beat, and in every context they differ, but the approach is the same...causing rhythmic tension by playing before or after the beats (or before or after where the listener expects to be played or felt).
I have lots of questions but I'll try to keep it tight. On the basic, 1-chord rhythm where you do the Tut-ti-Tut-ti articulation, are you drawing on 1 and 2 with your tongue off the harp then clipping if off with your tongue? You really have that Big Walter sharp, clipped attack and I'd like to get it right.
At some point I want to understand the whole ahead and behind the beat swing rhythm better. I suspect I'm doing it sometimes but it would help to recognize exactly what it sounds like.
thanks,
Bill
Yes, your tongue is OFF the harp to do the rhythmic chording, and I am playing holes 1-2 mainly, sometimes 1-2-3. But it is not "Tut-ti" it is "Tut-tut" that clipping comes from articulating the end of each beat...so make sure the "t" is at the end as well.
Hi Dennis,
This sounds like a real getting down to basics lesson. When you say, "The best way I know to improve your timing is to work on playing rhythm," and then you design a set of lessons to do exactly that with a really fun piece that also gives a load of really cool licks to learn, I say that's why I keep subscribing to this site. I've spent the week working on getting the first three choruses wired into my brain and starting to work out the notes and phrasing. Really looking forward to getting into the details.Best,
Bill
ps - Could we get the rhythm track up soon?
Thanks Bill! It is getting back to basics in a way, because your timing and sense of rhythm is a basic musical foundation...but very few players work at it and get good at it. It is SO important not just if you want to play rhythmically, but because everything you do musically (at least in this type of music) is based around a groove. And to play in the groove, or swing ahead or behind the beat, means you need to have a good sense of timing and rhythm which really comes from working on playilong in time rhythmically. No way around it.
Glad you enjoy this!!
Rick,
I've learned a lot from this piece, improved my technique by working on it and just really enjoyed it. The phrasing is so interesting. Sometimes the rhythm is the same but the notes are different, but there are also many different rhythmic variations. When you said there was a whole world on the 3 hole draw you weren't kidding and this piece has so many incredibly expressive examples. My TB bends have taken a big leap forward from working that 3 hole.
I may have some other questions but for now I just want to say thanks and I hope you're back soon.
Best,
Bill
I meant to say am I hearing things. My iPad filled in a word for me.
Hi Bill - I just did it to check out how it's happening, and I think you're correct. More importantly, what you did is the way to learn. Become an aural detective - listen carefully and then make small adjustments in your oral cavity or with your embouchure or with your breathing - trial and error - whatever produces the result you're looking for.
Hey,
When you hit the four chord with that 1-hole blow the tone changes as that rhythmic kind of pulsing vibrato swells. Are you sort of moving the sound from back deep more to front of your mouth. I think I can kind of get the tone that way. Or am iI hearing tungsten?
Thanks
I couldn't resist. It reminded me of a story I read about Sonny Boy Williamson when he played in Europe. He said something like, these guys over here want to play the blues so bad, and they do. Seriously though, it's endlessly fascinating how so much of the feel and emotion of this music comes from sounds that don't fall on a tuned piano.
My version does indeed sound pitiful :)
Aw, Come on Bill - You know what I mean, right?
I was hoping you'd say that!
:-)
I prefer to think of it as a goal-oriented growth mindset, but it definitely has the look and feel of an affliction at times.
Do you do those first three draw chords all on one breath? I think I have to work on my yogic breathing.
Hi Bill - I had to check, but no, I don't do all that in one breath. I exhale (stealthily) after 2 bars. I move the harp slightly away from my mouth for just long enough to inaudibly expel the air.
Hi Rick,
This was the verse I wrote you about back when you first put up the performance. I've been working, working on those 2 and 3 hole TB bends. This week is dedicated to the vibrato. Sometimes when you give something a rest you come back to it in a little while and it's better. The next verse goes back to worrying the 3-hole so that's my plan. I've got the triplet thing on the vibrato but it doesn't have that smooth pulsing sound you do so well. When I play one hole, especially the 2, I can get a suction in my throat that makes my whole head and ears vibrate. Not so easy with multiple holes. I'll be curious to see where I can get in a week.
Thanks,
Bill
Hi Bill - You'll get it - All it takes is focus and repetition....it also helps if you're a little bit OCD. The main thing is, just stick with it and don't get discouraged. Have a little patience - put in the time and you'll get it.
I agree completely that your "quotes" fit seamlessly. It's a beautiful tune and a great set of lessons. I played it, at my best so far, for the first time this weekend with a piano player. So much fun. My 2 and 3 hole TB bends are actually beginning to feel right. Thanks for all the feedback and encouragement.
Hey Bill - Congratulations on the tongue blocking! It's gonna be well worth the effort!
I think Woody Guthrie said that amateurs plagiarize but artists steal shamelessly. I prefer the idea of quoting. Seems like a much more respectful way to borrow an idea. The first quote really has the sax feel, especially the little diddly-da in the middle of it. Amazing that we can just Google an artist and a tune and there it is.
Musical quotes can be fun and useful. The ones I used here just naturally popped out when I was coming up with the song - They seemed (to me) like they fit the piece perfectly and seamlessly. I think that "seamless" probably should be the rule-of-thumb when employing quotes - except in cases where you're specifically looking for a humorous effect (eg. I've heard that when a good-looking woman would walk in front of the bandstand, Charlie Parker would often quote the song "A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody") - Anyway Bill, I hope you're enjoying this series of lessons - Feel free to ask me anything, anytime.
I give up Rick. What are the first two quote?
Sorry Bill - I meant to tell what they were and I guess I got sidetracked. I apologize. I actually did name them though, in the Sonic Junction email lesson description.
Ok, so the second lick in the verse is from the Clifford Scott sax solo in Honky Tonk by Bill Doggett and the very next lick, the lick on the IV change, is from Scratch My Back by Slim Harpo.
I love this whole song but I think this is my favorite verse. Sounds like Louie Armstrong, worrying those three hole bends. It really helps when you slow it down to hear just how worried they are.
Hi Bill - Thanks for the Louie Armstrong reference. He definitely represents the stylistic roots of what I was trying to go for in that verse. There's a whole world of that kind of stuff in the first three holes.
Thanks.