Sat in for a few with a friend's band at a Halloween bash last week. Great fun. Got to play some tunes I grew up with, but hadn't really thought to play on harp.
This one's my favorite, the Grateful Dead tune "Franklin's Tower".
I got called up after the song started, so I don't start until a minute or so in. Harp solo is at around 2:45, though I'm probably more interested in how the accompaniment worked. I'd appreciate any feedback you might have, on tone, playing, whatever.
The rig is an sm57 wireless > vox vt-30, ac30hh model with chorus effect.
it is a great tune.. you played well.. maybe work on syncopating your rhythm more, it can be very difficult to play dead tunes well, it is all about finding space and leaving other implied for the band to fill out.. the rig was about right for what the band was doing
Sounds pretty good to me. We all could find our own way to do it, I'm sure. Dead music when played live is highly reliant on syncopation. I probably would have been more staccato in my approach, but what do I know? :) They needed to turn up your volume a little. But all in all, a nice job.
The harp didn't need to be louder, we needed less guitar. We can't hear drums or bass either. ---------- theharmonicaclub.com (of Huntington, WV)
Last Edited by on Nov 08, 2011 2:39 PM
@atty1chgo I think I understand what you mean when you said," it's not a harp song, never will be. It's a guitar song"
I "ASSUME" you mean the most popular version of the tune has the sound of the guitar dominant, therefore people familiar with the song expect to hear guitar.
I have no memory of ever hearing it before. IN MY OPINION, if you can't hear the other musician's, let them sit out and do a solo performance.
I understand the the recording may not be good example of the actual mix, but from what I heard from what was posted, a louder harmonica part would not of made the recording "sound right".
Here's a thought, I say it's rare when things are made better by making something louder, ---------- theharmonicaclub.com (of Huntington, WV)
Last Edited by on Nov 08, 2011 2:50 PM
NIce job Gary. Part of not hearing you more clearly is your rig IMO, with both chorus and amp distortion your notes are muddied up a bit. A tad more volume wouldn't have hurt though. What you played was tasty and 'on it' if a bit restrained - and too short - it is a Dead jam tune after all. Politeness and restrain will get you invited back up however, - so don't listen to me.
Being an old deadhead , with lots of similarly oriented pals (I call one assemblage that I jam with - the Jerriatrics) I have played on this countless times. Who can resist two good chords? I enevitably steer the jam toward a funk feel with three stops or 'hit me's' 'roll away the bop bop bop'
@atty1 - "not a harp song" The Dead are not about orthodoxy. To think of thier music in those terms is to miss the point. None of their tunes where 'sax songs' till they had Ornette Coleman, David Murray or Branford Marsallis sit in with them. Why limit the music or the instrument?
I guess no one here ever messes with dials on their amp. Sheesh. Just could not hear the harp as clearly.
And I am certainly not talking about "the limit of the music or the instrument". I think maybe my comment was directed more at the style of playing for the tune, not the instrument itself. I should have said that the song may not as comfortably lend itself to standard blues riffs in accompaniment. Hopefully that clears my point up a bit.
Last Edited by on Nov 09, 2011 8:27 AM
thanks to all for the feedback. if you're so inclined, could you expand on your syncopation comments? this is one of those things i sort of understand in theory, but have a hard time relating to what i hear or how play.
I can't speak for atty1 - but I do like playing around , with and behind the beat - as much or more than I do playing 'on' it.
@atty1 your point is taken - didn't mean to jump on you. @Chromablues - How did you know I was high?
anywho - I knocked this out tonight for ya. The dynamics are limited because its a loop - not a live band. when I'm taking a lead - I expect the band to follow my dynamics, and play with that to build excitement, or 'take it down' to groove. I never did hit the bop bop bop stops 'or hit me's' on this one Franklin 4 mbh by bonedog ----------
Last Edited by on Nov 10, 2011 11:15 PM
Tonally the chorus/distortion worked for the tune but is a good example of how effects can limit the ability of sound to cut through a mix. I enjoyed it, especially having seen it many many many... times. Truly, some of the best times I ever had. Awesome. As always with with the Dead, the lyrics presented their relevance. Two lines this time, both on topic: Which ever way your pleasure tends, if you play the dice you're gonna harvest wind. AND, It can ring like fire when you lose your way.
Last Edited by on Nov 11, 2011 3:15 AM
@Littoral: you can't really tell from the recording, but in fact part of what i like about this effect is that it cuts through quite well when things get loud. in the room, it sounds great, like it expands to fill the space and hits you from all sides. i get lots of nice comments on the sound from audience members, including several really cute ones...
Def. fun to play on. You may have won the argument with brevity though. It's easy for me to get self indulgent on these types of things. Playing dead music gives me license (or so I think) to strecth out and 'see' if it can 'go somewhere' - Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't. The mysterious line between wankin and transcendence.
@Littoral I believe the line is "if you plant ice you're gonna harvest wind" - it makes more sense to me that way anyway - One of us has been hearing things.
If I upload or share the loop - Will we get some other suckers, uh , I mean volunteers, - to post thier takes?
----------
Last Edited by on Nov 11, 2011 11:31 PM
