hehe. Have you read the big thread titled 'Playing Smoothly' started by Chris Michalek a week or so ago? It won't be too far back. Might be some stuff you will be interested in there.
Preston
Guest
Dec 15, 2008
8:16 AM
I think it has to do alot with tone, and a little bit with amplified equipment. The fatter, deeper, richer the tone you have the more the timber of the notes change. Playing through an amp will change the sound a little to. Then theres the mic, the way you cup it....etc. etc.
Maybe the best way to sound like a trumpet is to play like a trumpet. In other words, don't get too hung up on the tone, but think like a trumpet player and play the licks a trumpet would and in the same way phrasing-wise.
Sometimes I use my Seydel Low G to add baritone licks alongside our sax guys; it's nothing like what and how I play for solos elsewhere in the set.
That's some pretty incredible playing on Chris Michalek's post. Since I'm in a library and can't grab my harps or my guitar, I'm guessing it's in forth or fifth position as it sounds like a minor key. I gotta listen to that again....
Last Edited by on Dec 15, 2008 1:43 PM
It seems like the articulation would be the first thing to attack on sounding like a horn. I think Preston does a pretty fair job of sounding trumpetlike on our harpfriends channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKJFYNRwjwQ
The rig might be a very important element too. . .
thanks to Chris and the others. The mp3 sounded a lot like the jazz (trumpet) players my dad would listen to.
I might be thinking of how to get a "fatter" chicago blues sound though.
A multi-effect patch might be the way to go.
Preston
Guest
Dec 23, 2008
9:14 AM
I think it might surprise you guys to know that I have one of the cheapest rigs you can find. I bought a generic bullet mic (I don't even remember the name, and there isn't any markings on it), I have a cheap Dean 8" guitar practice amp, because it was the display model and had stains on it. Then there is my pre-owned danelectro echo pedal. That is all that I was running through in that YT vid. (I did have the amp's gain turned all the way up, the treble turned all the way down, the midrange set in the middle, and the bass almost maxed out, by the way.)
I want to tell you that my tone is the NUMBER 1 thing I practice. I have only been playing for two years, and when I started, I told myself I was going to learn to play the instrument, before I learned to play stuff on it, if that makes any sense.
I'm sure my rig had something to do with the hornlike sound, but I can get similar sounds playing accoustic in the bathroom or a parking car garage.
If you want fatter sound, I can't stress enough how far back you have to shove the harp in your mouth and how far you down you have to drop your jaw. It really makes a ton of difference. I also try to open my throat muscles as much as I can, similar to a yawn. The next time you yawn put your fingers on your neck, you can feel it get bigger as your muscles expand. I'm not saying I have the best tone in the world, I just want you to know that I feel fat tone won't come from any rig, it comes from your embouchure.
WOW! I discovered this (old) thread and the sound clip posted by Buddha.
Isn't that some great playing?
I am really wondering which harp and position he is playing. Sure doesn't sound like 2nd position. Someone is mentioning 4th or 5th. But could it be the 11th or 12th that Buddha is really fond of?
Somebody who can enlighten me? I also think I may have heard that intro tune more than once? Anyone knows what song it is?
I don't suppose anyone's got a 'growl' in mind. I've pasted this from:
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/myquill/
A growl is an effect used in conjunction with deep draw bends. The soft palette at the back of the mouth is relaxed and allowed to vibrate; it's kind of like snoring while playing. This vibration along with the bent note causes the growl sound.
EDIT: Just curious. Why are Preston and Buddha posting as guests? ---------- YouTube SlimHarpMick a.k.a. HarmonicaMick
Last Edited by on Dec 18, 2009 4:32 PM
This is so funny.... When I first got back to playing about 2.5 years ago I was invited to a little friendly jam at a friend's home. I was sitting next to a lady who had just recently started playing banjo (ya... beginning banjo *1). They played mostly all country stuff, and not the good country stuff. She said to me, "Can you make that sound more like a violin?"
I told her, "I will if you make that sound more like a saxophone." I would have settled for her making it sound more like a musical instrument.
*1 Q: What's worse than someone playing banjo? A: Someone learning to play banjo. ;-)
What about the intro to this video? To me this sounds somewhat like a trumpet being played with a mute being used. At least that's what initially came to mind:
If you're referring to my post, then I assume that it's Howard. I would have liked to see video of the player. I'll try to look into it.
Last Edited by on Dec 18, 2009 8:03 PM
Back to the trumpet sound thing, There is no argument about the players tone being the key and without good tone, one will never have it...
The best "lesson" I ever had is when Mark Wenner told me "you have to be the saxophone... you play the harp ~inside~ your body. That's where the tone is. You have to bring it out. You should feel the 3 draw on your belly and the 2 draw all the way down in your toes".
I have heard since then that the harmonica is the only instrument that one plays ~inside~ the body.
Last Edited by on Dec 18, 2009 9:14 PM
I agree with Preston's 4th paragraph of his post and this does take practice and you also need to stop listening to harp and do more listening and practicing along with a horn so you can make the necessary adjustments to THINK like a horn player, which is wxactly what Little Walter did. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
To play C in 5th position you would use an Ab harp. It's actually C Minor. Playing 5th position puts you in the natural minor key (playing in 3d position puts you in dorian minor). In 5th position, blow 2, blow 5 and blow 8 are root. Draw 2, blow 3, blow 6 and blow 9 give you a flat third w/o having to bend.
If you can play a major pentatonic scale in 2d position, the SAME breath pattern will give you a minor pentatonic scale in 5th position. You just start on a different note.
Oversimplified, safe, easy formula for playing minor key blues in 5th position: Don't bend anything but draw 3 and stay away from draw 5 and draw 9. There's actually more to it than this, but if you follow this formula it's pretty hard to hit a really bad note.
Last Edited by on Dec 19, 2009 5:46 PM
Oliver posted: "Have you read the big thread titled 'Playing Smoothly' started by Chris Michalek a week or so ago? It won't be too far back. Might be some stuff you will be interested in there."
The thread is on this forum? Try as I might, I can't seem to find it.
Thanks apskarp... So it is. That does narrow things down a bit further :-) I will look again. The search function does not seem to help, but I should be able to find it now.
Hi Mojojojo lets try & make the Harmonica sound like a trumpet or muted horn,by useing short vocal chokes & stabs,Ok playing the Harmonica we all Know we Blow out & Draw in to produce a Note..ok drawing in on hole 2 try it now do 5 short stab drawes notice U make a Her,her,her,her,her sound from the front of the mouth chamber,,we want to make the sound come from the back of the throat cavity..Ok what i do is exactly as above useing short stabs from the back of my throat making a Kur,kur,kur,kur,kur,sound useing it at varying open hand cupped positions or full closed for a real muted sound,,How do we use it now add some short stabs in a song just add it in a few bars at a time in some songs to get used,to then you can go all out at it..Hi Mickil Yes Bro i got a Growl happening my Bro's call it a Throat Rattle as disscribe in your post,,,,,,,Ps Brothers this is not to saying any of the information above is incorrect what i have tryed to share with My New Harmonica Brothers & Sisters is exactly how i Produce this effect..Opps my Playing technic is T-blocker but Im shure this will work with Lip Puresing technic allso..once U have it down pat try makingh a Chook Noise from Kacking in the back yard right up the scale Kacking out a Big Egg,,2-Kack-2-Kack-2-Kack-2-Kack-2-Kack-3-Kack-Repete it 2 X Times,,,Then 2K-2K-2K-2K-2K rip up to 6 Kack!!!!!!trill egg Pops out finsh well i think thats how i do it
Last Edited by on Jan 15, 2010 6:43 AM
Here's a video i made as a six month progress check. I was actually trying to sound like a trumpet, because i play trumpet and wanted to quit carrying it to gigs...lol. I decided I still need the trumpet, but there are some horn-like sounds in there. Think trumpet to sound like trumpet. The mic is homemade and the amp is stock valve junior with a 12 inch jensen speaker mounted in a milk crate with four zip ties.
