Hi Everyone -
Welcome back to my second series here on Sonic Junction. This one really has me excited, since we are taking a look not only into some seriously important blues harmonica techniques, but it is also a stylistic study of one of the greatest blues harmonica players ever - Big Walter Horton! This tune features many of Big Walter’s trademark sounds, textures and attacks, and we will dissect some of the coolest and most important blues harmonica techniques out there, including tongue-blocked shuffle rhythm playing, tone-shaping, blow bends, and a dramatically distorted 3 draw.
I know you’re gonna dig this one.. Enjoy!
- Dennis
Topics and/or subjects covered in this lesson:
Blues
key of E
A Harp
Big Walter Horton
Dennis Gruenling
Dave Gross
Horton Shuffle
Print Chords & Tab
A Harp in the Key of E
Loop 0:00 Introduction to Horton's Shuffle
Loop 1:51 Whole Song (All 10 Choruses)
Loop 1:51 Intro and First Chorus
Loop 2:19 Second Chorus
Loop 2:40 Third Chorus
Loop 3:00 Fourth Chorus
Loop 3:20 Fifth Chorus
Loop 3:40 Sixth Chorus
Loop 4:00 Seventh Chorus
Loop 4:20 Eighth Chorus
Loop 4:40 Ninth Chorus
Loop 5:00 Tenth Chorus and Ending
Comments
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Nicer touch with your breath control here, very good. Sounds much more in control and nuanced! Good work.
I would suggest next thing to work on would be more subtle control of bending. Some of the bends ar e great, while others are hit too hard and tend to go flat sometimes (this whenever harmonica players bend too hard). Overall GREAT JOB!!
Thanks Mr.dennis... Of course I'll practice
If Dennis will allow me to comment ....
Sounds GREAT to me!
Dennis knows how I play and he will understand that, even though I'm not a "traditional style" player, I'm a little jealous of how good you sound at this style.
Larry "The Iceman". Check out my youtube channel : G harp monday
One year later:
Thank you Dennis ! Will work on it..
Still not perfect but hope i´m on the right way...
Definitely on the right path...good job! Nice work with that. Softer breaths and running some of the notes together more smoothly (softer breaths will help that) will get it even closer, but I know thats easier said than done haha...real nice job with this! Thumbs up
You've got some pretty cool tone goin' there, and that sometimes is most of the battle! Crunchy
I revisited Denise Gruenlng's Horton Suffle and felt the need to record this after a lot of work. My playing is far from perfect or near to Dennis's playing but I learned a lot trying. Thanks Dennis!
Joe in White Plains.
Thanks Joe! I'll be looking for it here. Keep blowin'!
Hello,
is there a backing track of this song?
Thx
Dennis, great to have you back! You've got a lot of BWH all packed in there...made me dig out my "Offer You Can't Refuse" disc. Should be fun to work on.
Thanks Paul! Yea, those recordings of Big Walter (with Robert Nighthawk) on that record certainly inspired this tribute to him. That is some of his best playing on there, although the recording quality isn't great.
nah welcome back to you!!!
top stuff mate!!
Thanks - glad to be back here!
Good to see you back.
Thank you kindly! I'm excited about this one.
Wow. Dennis captured the spirit of Big Walter on this one.
Thanks Larry!