Hollistonharper
3 posts
Dec 04, 2008
11:59 AM
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I'm working on Little Walter's Bues with a feeling, and it's made me focus on how weak and inconsistent my warble is. And playing through a mic really amplifies how crappy it sounds (pun intended!!).
I'm not a head-shaker, makes me too dizzy, and I use the back and forth hand technique Adam teaches in one of his YouTube videos...I just can't consistently nail it. Anyone have any tips/advice on what works for them?
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gene
84 posts
Dec 04, 2008
2:41 PM
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I'm kinda new to the harp, too, and the warble give me more trouble than any other technique (except those impossible overblows and overdraws).
My warble is improving with practice. My advice is to just keep practicing, paying attention to what works best for you in regards to things like how moist your lips are, tightness/looseness of your emboucher, etc.
Also, it probably has something to do with your muscles getting more skilled in moving the way they need to, therefore practice a lot.
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bluzlvr
86 posts
Dec 04, 2008
2:53 PM
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Little Walter's solo in that song is one of my all time favorites. My warble was pretty weak when I first started, but it improved over time and I still practice that solo all the time 'cause I love it so much. I use tongue blocking and a combo head shake and side to side to achieve mine.
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Miles Dewar
103 posts
Dec 04, 2008
3:20 PM
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How do you hold the harp? Grip. it was very uncomfortable for me to do extensive warbles because i started holding the harp regular style. when i started using Gussow's grip style, It's been easier. It's just more centered and you can use your muscles more evenly.
---Be Positive---
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harper
13 posts
Dec 04, 2008
3:33 PM
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I too had a hell of a time getting an accurate, good toned, and well timed warble down. The way I conquered my demon was to put on a cd with a lot of warbling on it (in my case Muddy Water's "Hoochie Coochie Man") and any time James Cotton would warble (I think it was James Cotton. If not pleeease let me know.) I would warble along with him trying to match him note for note the best I could. After doing this only a few million times things started to click about how many notes I was trying to put into one beat. In essence it helped me understand the timing of the warble. Try it out. See if it works for you.
And Gene, about those overblows and overdraws; if you... well if you just... you have to... aaww I can't bullshit you. I couldn't do one of those if my life depended on it!
Later harpnuts.
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oldwailer
358 posts
Dec 04, 2008
5:26 PM
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Adam's lesson on Rice Miller's "Help Me" is the best warbling practice I've found--and Adam does a good job of showing you how--it's where I got a lot better at it. It's also just a very cool solo. . .
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gene
85 posts
Dec 04, 2008
7:50 PM
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I do better with a headshake than with my hands. That may be a goog thing. If I ever play with a cupped mic, wouldn't it be easier to shake my head than to shake a mic and harp?
Last Edited by on Dec 04, 2008 7:51 PM
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geordiebluesman
117 posts
Dec 05, 2008
12:45 AM
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Hey Guys,You have no idea how great i felt reading this thread,I don't know how or why but i always thought that the Warble was regarded as THE easiest technique of all,The sort of thing that anyone could master in ten mins and i have always felt like a total clutz for struggling so badly with it in fact i think i may have developed Warbleitis - The irrational fear of all Warbly like sounds,So reading this and realizing that all you lot have found it so tricky is a real tonic.Thank you all for your crappy Warbleings,I'm off now to shake my head like a dog with an ear infection
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harmonicanick
70 posts
Dec 05, 2008
1:03 AM
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Kim Wilson (fab thunderbirds) uses 'warbeling' a lot.
Check out 'sugar coated love' in A>D and warble on 5&6 draw.
Do you move head or hands? I started with me head but now use me hands. Grip is what you fancy, but I can get a super fast warble changing from standard grip to holding harp in right forefinger and thumb only and use left hand as a buffer with palm facing the side of left of the harp.
Warbling up or down is effective 5/6 5/4 4/3 etc.
Slow warble to percussion beat in the band is also good.
Last Edited by on Dec 05, 2008 1:04 AM
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Luke juke
Guest
Dec 06, 2008
3:16 AM
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Anyone have any secrets to warbling with a tight cup. I can only warble with a loose cup
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bean4130
Guest
Dec 06, 2008
11:41 AM
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I find a combination of both a head shake and a harp shake helps me. But at first it made me laugh because my belly would begin to jiggle and i thought this to be hilarious! Ha! Good luck!
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Miles Dewar
112 posts
Dec 06, 2008
5:17 PM
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If you use Gussow's grip and it is still hard, just do it extremely slow, and get that down. then progressively go faster. once the warble falls apart, take the speed down a bit. Just start slow.
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---Be Positive---
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