Forumn's been kinda dead today. Not alot of posts. Must be the Monday Blues. Maybe we need a new topic. Something simple where individual opinions don't get in the way.
What are you woodshedding today/this week/everyday?
Today: I am working on an original solo inspired by Carlos Del Junco's version of "Blues with a feeling".
This week......?: don't know yet. Last week it was the boogie woogie riff in 2nd position. Exploring the traditional transcription and improvising on the 9th and 10 bars to put more "Blue" notes in it. Funny how so many people refer to the boogie woogie as a blues lick and the only blue note in it is the flat 7th.
Everyday: THE BLUES SCALE in a couple different positions. I just never get tired of woodshedding it. Lately the Chromatic Scale from 4 blow to 7 blow.
What do you guys got?
Last Edited by on Mar 09, 2009 7:15 PM
Whammer Jammer Baby! For the last week and a half. I decided that I needed to tab it out as I worked through it, It's slow going, Also, daily scales & Jason Ricci scale excercises up and down the whole harp. Also been working a on Thunky Fing and Help riff. I mix in occaisoinal excercises from Dave Barretts books.
I was starting to go through Barrett's Exploring 3rd Position Book and ended up working on the solo he opens the CD with. It is a nice 2nd position solo on the A-harp. Maybe I'll get to the Table of Contents in a couple days.
Also trying to finish up a guitar and racked harp arrangement of Clapton's Tears in Heaven. I have nothing good for the bridge when the key changes.
Im at a practice a lot & listen in on forums crossroad at the moment.
Some things Im woodshedding include Adam's front porch blues (I find that good bending practice), trying to learn scales, and mostly just playing basic draws & blows while keeping beat on the jam tracks.
Actually I find myself wondering how someone goes from where Im at to being able to just jam with (or without) a guitar. I suppose with time & practice Ill eventually know how to just jam along (without tab sheets)? I feel lost in my practice but I continue practicing. Meanwhile I want to join jam sessions & feel I dont have much, if anything, to contribute.
Well, I've been trying to improve my Jazz guitar (Joe Pass kinda stuff), so I've been looping a few chord progression and playing on top of that with a G harp in 3rd position. Not Blues at all really, but incredibly hard to play along with.
hey gang ,i`ve been working on some paul butterfield & charlie musselwhite stuff & practising some songs that our basement band is working on,things like brown eyed girl to aerosmith`s honkin on bobo (the grind )it`s lots of FUN
At them moment nothing, cos I'm (still) sick. I can't wait getting better and playing to oldwailers jam track. ---------- germanharpist, harpfriends on Youtube
I've been working on Butterfield's version of The Work Song and a song by Blind Mississippi Morris called Mysterious Woman Blues. This song has an incredible syncopated beat and it's all about triplets. I stumbled upon a YouTube video of this, probably due to a thread on this forum, and had to learn it. I also bought the CD that has this song--back Porch Blues--and am really impressed with Mississippi's playing.
Preston, I haven't commented on it, but really like the stuff you are posting on Harpfriends. Smoke on the Water killed me. It would be great if you posted something on the scales you've been workng on. I need to move past the basic blues scale and need a point of reference....
I came across this Paul Lamb video and have been working it out, but on one harp, not two like he does:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbatmXDKRao
It's got a great combination of throat vib with wah wahs, which I thought sounded impossible, or would take me years, but I got it, and jumped around a lot in excitement! ---------- 'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
Last Edited by on Mar 10, 2009 6:02 AM
Cool topic, Scales, Scales and more scales. Found a new use for them by accident in a tune that I was working on. 1st and 2nd position move along quite well again.... 3rd position seems to be a bit more stubborn.
Also the opening licks from Jerry Portnoy's Home Run Hitter, except with the Canadian Anthem, eh.
Hollistonharper, Well, as far as the scales I practice go, I guess I could do a Youtube video on it, but it really is JUST the basic blues scale. But there is a world of work in it depending on how you look at it.
I'm pretty comfortable with the 2nd position scale, but I am working on the first position blues scale, middle of the harp that contains all the overblows. I am also working on 3rd position bottom end of the harp wich has the full step and step and half bends on the 3 draw. These two blues scales require (for me) a little more work because of the intonation on the bends/overblows.
I have been messing with the cromatic scale, and I do have a youtube video on it. I am working on makeing my videos not so long winded with me talking. Trying to get shorter and sweeter for you guys so I don't bore you to death with me on my soap box!
Ryan Mortos, Get a couple of 12 bar blues you are good at and comfortable with, either an original or some of Adam's. I love his power harp groove, and recommend it to eveybody that doesn't have it. Get comfortable with the a song and it's 12 bars and when you've practiced it so much you can keep time without thinking about it anymore, then start throwing your own stuff into the mix. Add a riff or a lick but still keep your place in the song. Do you know the boogie woogie 12 bar blues? A guy can play the boogie woogie through-out the entire song, and if his volume isn't to loud, you won't be stepping on the vocals. I started out on very basic version of that when I first picked up the harp. Now I have come back to it and I am improvising and embellishing it a little bit. Maybe it's not a true boogie woogie anymore, but changing something is were improvisation and growth starts.
Maybe my next video will be on the Boogie Woogie? Anybody interested in that?
Last Edited by on Mar 10, 2009 9:18 AM
I have tabbed out some scale excercises based on Jason Ricci's video. Its the scales, then 1/8th note excer. up and down a triplet exer up and down and a 16th note exer up and down I have them on PDF , Cross harp and Dorian scales if anyone wants them I can email them. Will be working on some others next week.
Preston, I would be interested in a video on the boogie woogie :) . Also thank you for your words of motivation. At the moment I'm finding the jam tracks for Sweet Home Chicago & Checkin' up on my baby easiest to follow. Some of the others I get lost, esp Swing Blues in G. But I keep listening for the changes.
Thanks Preston for starting this thread. I've been thinking lately about what I need to do to get over the hump between playing set pieces and improvising. And I think my recent woodshedding has helped me answer this (for myself).
Now to directly answer the question. Since November, I've been woodshedding around several themes. A) Blow bends B) First position upper octave playing C) Scales.
Back last fall, I couldn't do any blow bends, so I started by just working on the mechanics of those, and eventually got them. Then I started practicing them by doing the blues scale in first position on the upper octave, and it took me a long time to get fluid on that. Then I added in the major scale (same position and octave). Now I can play the notes without thinking about them too much, and I'm finding that I can improvise. I'm also looking at ways to embellish with chords, octaves, etc. I'm realizing that patience, persistence and a goal are key to making progress.
I believe that Preston and I are of like mind about the value of knowing a little music theory as well. In the early fall of last year, I decided to give up a little woodshed time to really understanding positions, scales, chords and the circle of fifths. I must say this has helped my confidence immeasurably. It also helped with my recent woodshedding, since I knew that first position stuff in the upper octave was perfect for reinforcing the blow bends. So I have lots to work on, am not getting bored, and am reaching my goals.
I'm an intermediate, lip pursing bender, but no overblows.
I'm nailing down the blues scale. 2draw to 6 blow is OK. My focus has been on what to use above 6 blow. With no overblows, I've only found 6 7 -8 -9 9. That's a lean scale. I'll throw in a -10 wail before resolving on the 9. I'm also picking out what notes to use on the 4 chord in the first octave. So far I'm going with 1 -2'' -2' -2 -3'' -3' 4. Somtimes I throw in a -2. The trick with both of the scales is staying away from a major 3rd note, which takes away the blues sound.
I'm like a puppy in a field of daisies--I get easily distracted by whatever butterfly moves past me.
I'm working a lot on Dave Barrett's Exploring 3rd Position book--I'm going to a Masterclass in May and I'm signed up to do a 3rd position class with Dennis Gruenling--so I want to be ready for that.
I'll also be taking a class from Joe Filisko on Sonny Terry--so I work on some ST stuff. Adams vids on ST have been very helpful with that project.
The Paul Lamb solo mentioned earlier by mikil was really cool--I'll be spending some time on that later today.
Then, of course, I jam a lot with CD's and backing tracks--sometimes it isn't the best study for me--but it is so much fun--and fun is my only real reason for playing harp at all. . .
I've been working on getting Good Clean Octaves (1-4, 2-5, 3-6), also working on getting Good Clean and Strong Overblows (4,5,6,)...and of course thta Magic Dick note. ---------- ---Go Bears!!! (Richard Dent for Hall of Fame)---
I spend a little time trying to do the still elusive overblow. I've got an old Bb harp that I taped off the six hole blow, and am trying to achieve one using that. So far no luck. This has been the most frustrating thing of my harp playing career. I feel like I've got my nose pressed up to the overblowers club window and can't get in. Also I've worked up a little exercise with positions. Using a C harp for example I'll do an aolian scale (4th position) to the I chord in an A minor blues. When the IV chord hits, I'll switch to the dorian scale ( third position), then on the V the phrygian (5th position).
I've been working on tongue blocking. It's about as frustrating as being a raw beginner, I'm not settling for only blocking holes 4 and up either. Been getting some heavy beats and grooves at times that keep me sane with it. Can't get nothing going on unless the harp is 3/4 in mouth, so my bad breathing habits are getting attention.
Apparantly, my diaphrapm is being made stronger; a little sore Sunday and Monday. Gots to quit the smokes too. Been listening to a lot of John Lee Hooker, R.L. Burnside and Richard Johnston for ideas and applying them on heavy grooves. Repetition,more repetition.
Preston--If you post something on the blues scale in different positions I would definitely use it. Re boogie woogie, I assume you mean like Adam's beginner MBH lesson called Bittersweet Boogie-- that would be a good intro to improvisation, I'd listen to that too.
SMaxwell--would you email your tabs to me at mkaplan35@yahoo.com? Better yet, how about posting a harpfriends video.
Cant say I've been playing much lately. I've got new neighbours in upstairs, and if we get into a noise war, they will win.
I've got a Bb MB which won't play right - the 3 hole draw is very leaky, so I've been mainly playing the blues scale in second position, but slow and legato, especially going from 2-hole draw to 3-hole draw bend, without taking my mouth away or tonguing or anything just sliding and bending, and slow is harder than fast! I'm doing this a) because I find it a good way to tell a good harp from a bad harp and b) because it's good for training your chops! Next week I'll get onto the major scale in second position!
Last Edited by on Mar 10, 2009 3:23 PM
I have not listened to Adam's Bittersweet Boogie. I don't know what he covers in that. I was thinking along the lines of Adam's lesson number .072. He does it in first position. I first learned this before I ever saw Adam in second position, and in a way WITHOUT overblows. Probably not a true boogie woogie the way I learned it, but it is just fun to play. Anybody still interested, or am I wasting my time since Adam's already done a couple of versions of it?
Preston, throw whatever you've got into the mix. I've not listened to Adam's Bittersweet Boogie either. But, adding your own stuff on here can't do any harm. All knowledge is good.
P.S. Neat thread ---------- 'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
Last Edited by on Mar 10, 2009 7:25 PM
I definately enjoy videos posted by all of you. Watching & listening is part of my woodshedding :) . I think it would be cool to show the boogie woogie & scales videos. Anything to quench my thirst for knowledge!
Im still looking for a site that tabs out all the scales in a way I can comprehend & pratice. I like Adam's blues & country scales stuff & practice those.
I just have so much learning to do to even remotely catch up with you all.
Thanks for posting the Gussow video. Yeah, the bittersweet boogie is the same basic boogie line. Adam gives us a lot to work with in video 72. But like Mickil said, throw whatever you've got into the mix. I could definitely use some basic instruction on scales in the different positions. Thanks again.
I am all over with my stuff these days. i just got handed a free chromatic harmonica, so I have been noodling with that, never would have bought one but man it is kinda fun.
the guitar guy I busk with plays a bunch of different stuff so due to that I am also working on 'looking out my back door' and you Canadians will appreciate the april wine hit 'could have been a lady' and a few jigs one called'swallowtail' in particular as prep for the crowds on St.paddies day. not blues but I like taking on new styles, makes me a better player I think.
I have just started popping some overblows (yeeha!) so trying to sustain them and figure out how to fit them in.
I don't usually play fast, simple is how I go but have been working on speed, some of the runs on jason Ricci's videos cause I would love to have a ripper in the middle of a set. something to change it up.
SMaxwell I would love a pdf of what you have put together.
finally, I have been working more and more on teh harps themselves, I am in the middle of replacing my first reed on a special 20 got the bad one out and have a replacement ready to go off another harp, It'll save me $40!!
boy it's a lot when you type it out, finally I am still working on getting the sound right from the 'cotton needs pickin' video form Adam, that guy rocks!
Last Edited by on Mar 10, 2009 9:15 PM
Putting much time into minor scales and Blues Scales in different positions at the moment. Great stuff because it requires all the overblows. I'm also trying to improve my vibrato and 1st position playing on the upper octave (Jimmy Reed and the Blues head Adam presents in one of his excellent videos).
I still don't have a song to work on though. Really don't know which one to start of with.
It seems that (ever since hearing a few BWH recordings where it literally sounds as if he's swallowed the harp down his throat) I need to spend a few weeks getting it nailed down properly - so as a result I've put everything on hold for a while to sort out my tone.
It's OK - but I can never get it as continuously good lip pursing as I can when I tongue block - particularly on GM'sm which I find to be a bit chunky and awkward to put your mouth totally over.
O.K. Gang, Two new videos for you. Sorry, but they are both set to "private". One has a short sampling of a MBH jam track, and I won't set it to public until Adam O.K.s it. The other is one I did on a whim. I decided to warm up before I did a video and I thought why not record myself warming up so I can see what the amp sounds like on the recording. I think I went a little over the top, but I decided to post it anyway under private as well. Not sure if I want the rest of the world see this, but I'm sure you guys on this forumn have all been there before: you know, when you just want to let it all hang out even if it isn't a technical masterpiece!
If you want to see the videos, log in under the harpfriends username and click on "my videos". You have to roll your cursor over the screen name harpfriends in the upper right hand corner, and it is a drop down selection.
Gah, I hate working night shift, I wanna go home & watch them now! Im sitting here practicing the blues scale back and forth with minor variation & the more I do it I think Im actually getting somewhere. I can almost here an 'original' blues pop out of me, lol.
Today: Intonation on my 3 draw step and half and 3 draw full step bends. Using a D harp for the bends and using my A harp as a "Pitch Pipe" by playing the 4 draw bend and 4 draw, respectively.
This week: Improvising, trying to write a jam in Third position in the bottom octave. Also 12th position blues scale on the bottom octave. (no, I didn't start practicing 12th position after watching Oldwailer, Isaac, and Buddha, I've been doing it for awhile)
I always thought of myself as "being able to do all the bends in the 3 hole". Well, when you live in the cross harp box, you don't use the Step and a half or full step that much. Started really exploring other positions and I realize I SUCK at the 3 hole!
