So much to love: the groove is so strong. I love all the space and how you keep the groove going. I love that you're singing and playing in that groove (because I'm a singer and the blues is so much about the poetry.) I love that this is a much recorded tune but it's origin is unclear - it's a bit like a spiritual in that way: no known
I'm hearing some Sonny Boy I licks! I haven't thought about him in quite a while. When I first started I didn't listen to almost anything else. I'm looking forward to revisiting that and all the other stuff you've packed into this tune. Thanks.
Thanks. I am always interested in players I have not yet heard but I also feel like the universe of blues harp holds more than I can explore in a lifetime. Plus it's what I really love. Looking forward to the next series.
Man, I'm not really on the up and up with jazz players nowadays. Most of the time I am turned off by their tone, sound, and cramped sense of phrasing. As far as players who are strictly jazz players, William Gallison I really like, and Hendrik Meurkens should be mentioned. I know there are other good ones out there, but I don't follow them much to be honest. However, for someone who plays a lot of jazz and other jazzy/world music, Bill Barrett is my favorite, and comes from a very bluesy standpoint.
This all makes a lot of sense. I recently saw Hendrik Muerkel, a jazz harp player, and he played all single notes. He was great but the wide range of tones, sounds, percussive effects, etc. that you hear in blues playing was totally missing.
Just to clarify, 10th position is the same as 3rd with the button in?
Hi - yes, I tend to agree that with almost all jazz lpayers I hear, the range of tone and expression of each individual note is not nearly as wide as with a good blues player. Not with all jazz players, but with most indeed in my experience. This also goes with the range of techniques used for express purposes as well...but having said that, most blues players can learn a lot from jazz players as far as harmony and melody are concerned.
To clarify, 10th position is NOT the same as 3rd position, unless you DON'T use the button in 3rd position and DON'T play WITHOUT the button in 10th position. If you don't want to utilize the "button" (in for 3rd position, or our for 10th), than they would musically be the same layout, yes. However, they are different once the use of the button comes into play, and I myself use the button quite often. So for me, and technically speaking, they are NOT the same unless you just want to take the "buttonless" approach, perhaps to start out with.
Thanks. I guess listen, as always, is the first principal, err on the side of playing less. There's plenty to work on as a singer and soloist. And lots to do besides playing a defined solo. Always more to learn from LW. Thanks again. I really appreciate your willingness to answer questions.
Yeah, I’d check out Cotton behind Muddy, behind Spann, behind Johnny Young - In a simpler way than LW, he was always able to add cool sounding stuff that wasn’t obtrusive, yet didn’t sound timid.
I was wondering if you could advise me on improving my accompaniment playing. I'm the singer in our group so I don't have to worry about stepping on my own voice. I'm struggling to find effective ways to back up and compliment my lead guitar player. I try to stay on the low end of the harp in general but even then it often sounds like I'm getting in the way. I notice with the Nightcats you often just lay off when Kid is taking a solo and that's my default. But comping seems like a skill worth investing some time to and I'm not sure where to begin. Any good examples to listen to? Does it make sense to practice playing along with recordings and listening for ways to respond to the guitar player?
Good question. To me, Little Walter was the ultimate as an accompanist, in addition to being the greatest soloist in harmonica history. The setting he was normally working in, however - 1950s Chicago blues, lent itself to somewhat of an ensemble approach. He was also able to accompany a vocalist, playing in back of the singer, not only in the holes, and create a beautiful, non-distracting, non-obtrusive counterpoint that that only enhanced and lifted the overall effect of the whole performance. There’s a lot of excellent players around today, but I’ve never heard anyone but Walter consistently do that successfully. I’ve been the front person so long that I never really developed that aspect of my playing as much as I otherwise probably would have. In my early 20s, I worked playing behind Sam Lay, Johnny Littlejohn, and Johnny Young and my general accompaniment approach was simpler, probably more like Cotton than LW. Personally, lacking the imagination, and natural sensitivity to play a lot and simultaneously lift it up, I’d probably opt for keeping it simple, staying mostly out of the way, and employ simple unobtrusive devices - at the appropriate volume - to provide enough accompanyment to maintain continuity and help things develop dynamically, in simpler ways - eg: warbles, simple recurring licks etc. Also (IMO) every song and every part of a song doesn’t need harp.
Hope I can chime in with my .02. Accompaniment requires a delicate balance between opposing elements.... between soft and loud, between repetition and originality. Dave Barrett always told me that a player can play louder if he is playing repetitively. (Think song hooks, warbles, or organ like held notes to add texture.)
I really like this as an example of Walter's accompaniment. Notice how Walter uses textures and held notes behind the vocals. When there's space, he plays more inventively. I'm sure Rick (or other players on this board) have other, better examples.
I can recommend Dave Barrett's "Blues Harmonica Accompaniment Playing", from Mel Bay.
I agree with Robert! I don't know how you measure demand but I hope you'll do more with the chromatic. There's tons of great material on the site for diatonic so it would be great to have more on chromatic.
In one of the posts before this series actually started you posted a cut from a George Harmonica Smith record, "Harmonica Ace". I got the CD this week and was listening to Blues in the Dark. The harp definitely has that chromatic sound to it but the song isn't in D, which got me wondering if he had a chromatic harp in a different key or was just playing a C harp in something other than 3rd position. I was surprised to find that it sounds like he's playing in E-flat, basically just playing 3rd position with the button held down. Do you concur? Is that a common thing for Smith or others to do?
- Yes, it is in Eb, and George plays it with the button in
- Is it common? It just depends on what key the song is, and/or what key the vocalist likes to sing in, if there is a vocalist
- I use several different key chromatics myself, not because I can't play in other positions, but because I like the sound of the chords in 3rd/10th position, and you can't get that chord sound in the other positions.
For blues, no. You CAN play any position you want (a few guys have used 1st position, starting with George Smith...and Charlie Musselwhite, Paul deLay, Steve Guyger, Rick Estrin and myself have used a few other positions, but for that blues sound including chords and chord techniques such as slapping and vamping, 3rd works the best by far because the chords work. In other positions the chords don't really work well (if at all!!). When you hear a blues player play chromatic 99% of the time (or more) it is in 3rd posiiton (or 10th position which is similar to 3rd, but with the root note and similar scale being with the button in).
Since you can't really bend on the chromatic (not to the next musical note anyway) I have to be careful about mentionig and teaching "scoops" on the chromatic since it is VERY easy to scoop/bend too hard and start to fatigue the reeds on a chromatic, or make it not respond at all.
In the first chorus, at the end of part over the 4-chord, you land on the 2-draw but then it kinda swells into a big, low, distorted growl. Are you playing 1- and 2-draw there? That's a super mean sound.
Thanks Bill!! That is a 2 draw, that just swells into a distorted 2 draw - meaning I open up to include part f the next higher note with it (3 draw)...thanks!!
I wanted to say I really appreciate how you approached this first chromatic lesson. There is so much that is new and different, keeping it simple is really helping me get a feel for this beautiful instrument. The size and weight (I have a Chromonika III 16-hole), the feel of the mouthpiece, the round holes, avoiding the ingrained habit of bending and the need to keep a really light touch. The low octave on this thing sounds amazing! Thanks for doing this.
Thanks Bill!! Glad you are enjoying it! Yes, there are many things to keep in mind as it is a different instrument, but so many similarities with technique for the most part. Once you learn some patterns, the chromatic is easier in a way since each octave is tuned the exact same way, but you just need to control your breathing and remember where you are! Have fun with this...
I've been working on playing and singing I'm Ready, listening a lot to your work on the 1978 record with Muddy and Johnny Winter. Are you playing chromatic on the title tune? I've been using that tune to begin learning 3rd position on chromatic. Your solo knocks me out. There are low notes, especially on the turn arounds, that are below what you can get in second position on a G harp.
Thanks Bill - I always appreciate your feedback. i’m happy if I can help. As I said before, you’ve got a good, natural groove. That’s not a small thing. Keep at it and as always, feel free to ask for any clarification, any time.
Thank you Rick. This has been a great series of lessons. That tonguing on the 5 draw is really sweet. Sonny boy 1 had a lick he used a lot that went from the 5 draw twice to the 4 draw that had that pulse and also had that chording. It's a great technique for keeping the groove but this lesson helped me see how important the chord is. I've also noticed how many phrases that end on the 3 draw have your trademark vibrato. That detail is so emotive! I spend a lot of time trying to get that on bent notes. You do it so effortlessly. Obviously I can't do all the things you can do, but you are giving me so many models to work towards and emulate.
I have a dear friend and mentor, steeped in the gospel tradition, who told me to never underestimate the power of the spirit. That's what I love about your playing: the spirit.. Please keep it coming.
I wish I had a question you could answer that would help me get all this into my mouth faster, but alas, nothing to do but work it. The explanations and demonstrations are very clear. Always some techniques that are either new or just need more work and it's great to have such a cool tune to motivate me to work on them. Tongue-blocked bends on holes 2 and 3 always need work and this one is giving me a workout. I've not done a lot of acoustic hand work before so I'm learning a lot about that. Keeping it in the pocket and going back and forth between harp and voice is challenging but really fun. It's got a ways to go before I can "get house" but it's coming together. Thanks.
One thing you do that seems little but so important to that "official" sound is, at the end of every little phrase there's a momentary quiver, a brief vibrato maybe, where the note hangs. And it really emphasizes the shuffle groove. So nice! I love when I have time on a Sunday to dig into this stuff!
Keep working that aural microscope! - I had to go back and listen myself to hear exactly what you were referencing. Noticing, figuring out and incorporating the little stuff is what most players overlook.
So much to love: the groove is so strong. I love all the space and how you keep the groove going. I love that you're singing and playing in that groove (because I'm a singer and the blues is so much about the poetry.) I love that this is a much recorded tune but it's origin is unclear - it's a bit like a spiritual in that way: no known
I'm hearing some Sonny Boy I licks! I haven't thought about him in quite a while. When I first started I didn't listen to almost anything else. I'm looking forward to revisiting that and all the other stuff you've packed into this tune. Thanks.
If one wants to play blues, SBW1 is THE best place to get a foundation!
Thanks. I am always interested in players I have not yet heard but I also feel like the universe of blues harp holds more than I can explore in a lifetime. Plus it's what I really love. Looking forward to the next series.
Bill
Thanks! Yes, the blues harp world has a lot to listen to and learn from!
Any particular jazz players, besides Toots, that you think are especially expressive?
Man, I'm not really on the up and up with jazz players nowadays. Most of the time I am turned off by their tone, sound, and cramped sense of phrasing. As far as players who are strictly jazz players, William Gallison I really like, and Hendrik Meurkens should be mentioned. I know there are other good ones out there, but I don't follow them much to be honest. However, for someone who plays a lot of jazz and other jazzy/world music, Bill Barrett is my favorite, and comes from a very bluesy standpoint.
This all makes a lot of sense. I recently saw Hendrik Muerkel, a jazz harp player, and he played all single notes. He was great but the wide range of tones, sounds, percussive effects, etc. that you hear in blues playing was totally missing.
Just to clarify, 10th position is the same as 3rd with the button in?
Thanks Dennis!
Hi - yes, I tend to agree that with almost all jazz lpayers I hear, the range of tone and expression of each individual note is not nearly as wide as with a good blues player. Not with all jazz players, but with most indeed in my experience. This also goes with the range of techniques used for express purposes as well...but having said that, most blues players can learn a lot from jazz players as far as harmony and melody are concerned.
To clarify, 10th position is NOT the same as 3rd position, unless you DON'T use the button in 3rd position and DON'T play WITHOUT the button in 10th position. If you don't want to utilize the "button" (in for 3rd position, or our for 10th), than they would musically be the same layout, yes. However, they are different once the use of the button comes into play, and I myself use the button quite often. So for me, and technically speaking, they are NOT the same unless you just want to take the "buttonless" approach, perhaps to start out with.
Thanks. I guess listen, as always, is the first principal, err on the side of playing less. There's plenty to work on as a singer and soloist. And lots to do besides playing a defined solo. Always more to learn from LW. Thanks again. I really appreciate your willingness to answer questions.
Bill
Yeah, I’d check out Cotton behind Muddy, behind Spann, behind Johnny Young - In a simpler way than LW, he was always able to add cool sounding stuff that wasn’t obtrusive, yet didn’t sound timid.
Hi Rick,
I was wondering if you could advise me on improving my accompaniment playing. I'm the singer in our group so I don't have to worry about stepping on my own voice. I'm struggling to find effective ways to back up and compliment my lead guitar player. I try to stay on the low end of the harp in general but even then it often sounds like I'm getting in the way. I notice with the Nightcats you often just lay off when Kid is taking a solo and that's my default. But comping seems like a skill worth investing some time to and I'm not sure where to begin. Any good examples to listen to? Does it make sense to practice playing along with recordings and listening for ways to respond to the guitar player?
Thanks,
Bill
Good question. To me, Little Walter was the ultimate as an accompanist, in addition to being the greatest soloist in harmonica history. The setting he was normally working in, however - 1950s Chicago blues, lent itself to somewhat of an ensemble approach. He was also able to accompany a vocalist, playing in back of the singer, not only in the holes, and create a beautiful, non-distracting, non-obtrusive counterpoint that that only enhanced and lifted the overall effect of the whole performance. There’s a lot of excellent players around today, but I’ve never heard anyone but Walter consistently do that successfully. I’ve been the front person so long that I never really developed that aspect of my playing as much as I otherwise probably would have. In my early 20s, I worked playing behind Sam Lay, Johnny Littlejohn, and Johnny Young and my general accompaniment approach was simpler, probably more like Cotton than LW. Personally, lacking the imagination, and natural sensitivity to play a lot and simultaneously lift it up, I’d probably opt for keeping it simple, staying mostly out of the way, and employ simple unobtrusive devices - at the appropriate volume - to provide enough accompanyment to maintain continuity and help things develop dynamically, in simpler ways - eg: warbles, simple recurring licks etc. Also (IMO) every song and every part of a song doesn’t need harp.
Hope I can chime in with my .02. Accompaniment requires a delicate balance between opposing elements.... between soft and loud, between repetition and originality. Dave Barrett always told me that a player can play louder if he is playing repetitively. (Think song hooks, warbles, or organ like held notes to add texture.)
I really like this as an example of Walter's accompaniment. Notice how Walter uses textures and held notes behind the vocals. When there's space, he plays more inventively. I'm sure Rick (or other players on this board) have other, better examples.
I can recommend Dave Barrett's "Blues Harmonica Accompaniment Playing", from Mel Bay.
I agree with Robert! I don't know how you measure demand but I hope you'll do more with the chromatic. There's tons of great material on the site for diatonic so it would be great to have more on chromatic.
Thanks!
Bill
Thanks!!
Hey Dennis,
In one of the posts before this series actually started you posted a cut from a George Harmonica Smith record, "Harmonica Ace". I got the CD this week and was listening to Blues in the Dark. The harp definitely has that chromatic sound to it but the song isn't in D, which got me wondering if he had a chromatic harp in a different key or was just playing a C harp in something other than 3rd position. I was surprised to find that it sounds like he's playing in E-flat, basically just playing 3rd position with the button held down. Do you concur? Is that a common thing for Smith or others to do?
Thanks,
Bill
Hi - Good questions...
- Yes, it is in Eb, and George plays it with the button in
- Is it common? It just depends on what key the song is, and/or what key the vocalist likes to sing in, if there is a vocalist
- I use several different key chromatics myself, not because I can't play in other positions, but because I like the sound of the chords in 3rd/10th position, and you can't get that chord sound in the other positions.
Dennis
Dennis,
Another question. Are there other positions used on the chromatic commonly to play blue's? Any good examples you can think of to listen to?
Thanks. I'm getting a lot out of this lesson. It's adding a whole new dimension to my playing and you're giving me a big boost up the learning curve.
For blues, no. You CAN play any position you want (a few guys have used 1st position, starting with George Smith...and Charlie Musselwhite, Paul deLay, Steve Guyger, Rick Estrin and myself have used a few other positions, but for that blues sound including chords and chord techniques such as slapping and vamping, 3rd works the best by far because the chords work. In other positions the chords don't really work well (if at all!!). When you hear a blues player play chromatic 99% of the time (or more) it is in 3rd posiiton (or 10th position which is similar to 3rd, but with the root note and similar scale being with the button in).
Dennis,
A bit of a scoop up on the 6-draw?
Since you can't really bend on the chromatic (not to the next musical note anyway) I have to be careful about mentionig and teaching "scoops" on the chromatic since it is VERY easy to scoop/bend too hard and start to fatigue the reeds on a chromatic, or make it not respond at all.
Hi Dennis,
In the first chorus, at the end of part over the 4-chord, you land on the 2-draw but then it kinda swells into a big, low, distorted growl. Are you playing 1- and 2-draw there? That's a super mean sound.
Thanks Bill!! That is a 2 draw, that just swells into a distorted 2 draw - meaning I open up to include part f the next higher note with it (3 draw)...thanks!!
Hi Dennis,
On the distorted notes, are you always bleeding into the hole above? And are you doing those TB?
Thanks.
Hi Bill - Yes, and yes! Good questions!
Andre! This s--- does the same to me. It's a f-------- rush! Play on dude!
Hi Dennis,
I wanted to say I really appreciate how you approached this first chromatic lesson. There is so much that is new and different, keeping it simple is really helping me get a feel for this beautiful instrument. The size and weight (I have a Chromonika III 16-hole), the feel of the mouthpiece, the round holes, avoiding the ingrained habit of bending and the need to keep a really light touch. The low octave on this thing sounds amazing! Thanks for doing this.
Bill
Thanks Bill!! Glad you are enjoying it! Yes, there are many things to keep in mind as it is a different instrument, but so many similarities with technique for the most part. Once you learn some patterns, the chromatic is easier in a way since each octave is tuned the exact same way, but you just need to control your breathing and remember where you are! Have fun with this...
Hi Jerry,
I've been working on playing and singing I'm Ready, listening a lot to your work on the 1978 record with Muddy and Johnny Winter. Are you playing chromatic on the title tune? I've been using that tune to begin learning 3rd position on chromatic. Your solo knocks me out. There are low notes, especially on the turn arounds, that are below what you can get in second position on a G harp.
Thanks for any insight you can provide.
Bill
Rick,
Thanks for another great series of lessons. I continue to progress and you continue to inspire.
Best,
Bill
Thanks Bill - I always appreciate your feedback. i’m happy if I can help. As I said before, you’ve got a good, natural groove. That’s not a small thing. Keep at it and as always, feel free to ask for any clarification, any time.
Thank you Rick. This has been a great series of lessons. That tonguing on the 5 draw is really sweet. Sonny boy 1 had a lick he used a lot that went from the 5 draw twice to the 4 draw that had that pulse and also had that chording. It's a great technique for keeping the groove but this lesson helped me see how important the chord is. I've also noticed how many phrases that end on the 3 draw have your trademark vibrato. That detail is so emotive! I spend a lot of time trying to get that on bent notes. You do it so effortlessly. Obviously I can't do all the things you can do, but you are giving me so many models to work towards and emulate.
I have a dear friend and mentor, steeped in the gospel tradition, who told me to never underestimate the power of the spirit. That's what I love about your playing: the spirit.. Please keep it coming.
Thanks Bill - Your feedback helps me notice things I’m not consciously aware I’m even doing - Stuff I do automatically. Thanks again!
I wish I had a question you could answer that would help me get all this into my mouth faster, but alas, nothing to do but work it. The explanations and demonstrations are very clear. Always some techniques that are either new or just need more work and it's great to have such a cool tune to motivate me to work on them. Tongue-blocked bends on holes 2 and 3 always need work and this one is giving me a workout. I've not done a lot of acoustic hand work before so I'm learning a lot about that. Keeping it in the pocket and going back and forth between harp and voice is challenging but really fun. It's got a ways to go before I can "get house" but it's coming together. Thanks.
One thing you do that seems little but so important to that "official" sound is, at the end of every little phrase there's a momentary quiver, a brief vibrato maybe, where the note hangs. And it really emphasizes the shuffle groove. So nice! I love when I have time on a Sunday to dig into this stuff!
Keep working that aural microscope! - I had to go back and listen myself to hear exactly what you were referencing. Noticing, figuring out and incorporating the little stuff is what most players overlook.